PhilStubbs

I have a 200amp Chinese tig with foot pedal and HF start. I was wondering, with a proper gas lense and one of the serious welders that post here in control, just how nice can it weld? I never cared much for being a great tig welder. I got it cause some things just need to be tig welded and it fit the bill. I recently decided I want to see if I can get some stainless welds that are pretty appealing to the eye. Gonna experiment with lenses and gas flow in a proper environment and 100% argon. I have always done mild steel so I used an argon mix. I know tig no matter what should use argon, but I'm cheap and do way more mig than tig. Just wondering if any of the really good welders I see post here have used a cheap tig since really honing their skills.

SovXietday

Never, ever, going to get good results with an argon mix, unless it's a helium argon mix.

boostedb20z

iTrader: (1)

the machine only matters so much it really comes down to practice and setup and prep get the right stuff and see what happens i have a china everlast powerpro205 and its pretty dam good for the money

PhilStubbs

Yea, I planned to get 100% argon to start doing stainless. I have formal training in gas, arc, and mig. I'm self taught tig. My tig stuff holds fine, but has never been great cosmetically.

I had a feeling this cheap tig could get pretty decent results in the right hands. I'd just hate to beat a dead horse trying to get better with something that couldn't do it.

efHondefender

I know people with everlast machines that have produced totally acceptable looking welds. Now, how long the machine will last has yet to be determined. You're definitely gonna want to get 100% argon.

HellaFab

I just went from a Lincoln Precision series welder (185) to an Everlast 200DX with the newly released dual voltage. The size of the unit and the option for dual voltage was what sold me on it. The unit ended up working quite a bit better imo when compared to the Lincoln.


The only real downside is the foot pedal on it and how heavy the power lead is on it. I intend to do some upgrading further down the road to a nicer light weight CK torch/power lead combo.

PhilStubbs

I have an older version of this. http://plasmametalcutter.com/product...products_id=35

Had it for 5-6 years and its been great. I haven't done a ton of tig with it, but I have done an unimaginable amount of cutting with it and a decent amount of arc welding. I only paid $500 shipped new and it has been well worth every penny and more. Even if I never connected the tig torch I'd be ecstatic with this machine for the money. Only changed the plasma tip/electrode once in all this time and if I were to guess, I'd say I have cut 1000' in all of the cutting combined. Fingers crossed with good stainless and argon the tig makes me just as happy. I have always been happy enough with the mild steel tig welds considering I have no actual tig training, was using 75/25 and it was mild steel.

FabChild

How in the hell do you weld with mixed gas? I had the local welding supply switch one of my mix bottles to argon and even after purging the empty bottle it was contaminated and would produce porosity instantly.

efHondefender

I have a HTP 221 and if I can figure out how to have sex with it, I will.

PhilStubbs

Don't know. Like I said, I am solid with all other forms of welding but 100% self taught with the tig. When I have done mild steel with the tig using 75/25 the welds are solid. Just looks like I need more practice. Either way, I have never intended to try to make baller welds with a mix. I always planned to get a bottle of argon if/when the day came that I wanted cosmetics to be up to par with function. It is time now.

SovXietday

I, in all honesty, have no idea how you are even welding with a mix. I got an accidental mix when I was first starting out (local gas guy switched up my bottles by accident) and it was impossible to weld at all.

I'm curious to see what kind of welds you're really getting.

PhilStubbs

If I get a chance tonight or tomorrow I'll lay a bead down with a mix and post pics.

1998GsRIntegra

Lol, that might me a "shocking" experience.

weiRtech

my everlast 210ext does alright.














i picked it up the end of feb.

1sick4g63

iTrader: (1)

I did pop cans with a china machine.

PhilStubbs

Google makes that look like a step up from my tig, but that looks really good. Promising info. That's the kind of stuff I wanted from this thread.

Anyway, here is mild steel tig'd with 75/25. I could have done a little better if I had actually been comfortable. I was sitting in an awkward position in a hurry. Although, I know I'm not a great tig welder it looks ok.



And here is the bottle

SQ is the SQUAD

i got the everlast 250 ex. if i had been paying attention i would of got the machine with the plasma cutter. i havent used it yet. going to set up my welding bench this week. i also have a harbor freight tig welder that will be a back up machine on a rolling cart.

http://www.everlastgenerators.com/Po...EX-381-pd.html

PhilStubbs

A plasma cutter is a life saver. I use mine so much.

chingpo05

Looks like a mig weld phil. You should be running 100% argon also.

PhilStubbs

I understand that. The point of the pic was to show it worked

chingpo05

Sure did wrk. How was the penetration?


Also was your everlast set up on pulse weirtech? Sexy welds nontheless

PhilStubbs

I'm not sure really. I can check though. I expected argon to make a difference in the weld. My welds look exactly the same with argon, just shiny rather than dull. I have some work ahead of me. Lol

CRMB

One of my guys got that 200A chinese one for his home. Only really problem with it is the foot pedal keeps crapping out.

SovXietday

It didn't, the shielding on that is terrrrrible! Also, your prep needs work, clean that mill scale off really well.

chingpo, weir isn't using a pulse with that. Looks great Aaron! (coming from another Aaron, and I ironically weld reaaaally similar lol).

stunttboyy87

Has any of you guys had any experience with a harbor freight tig welder? I've tig welded with a miller welder before but I've been away from the fab game for a while and no longer have access to the miller tig and was thinking about buying the tig for 400 dollars from harbor freight