I did a thorough search concerning this welder and there is nothing on it. So before I made another mistake and get a bad welder, please give me input on this tig
http://store.cyberweld.com/milmax140tig.html
I can't afford those high end machines, this is not for a shop but rather just garage uses.
Quick specs:
Maxstar 150 STL
Input Power Requires 1-Phase Power
Rated Output 80 A at 23.2 VDC, 115 VAC
100 A at 24 VDC, 230 VAC
Output Power Range 5 - 110 A (DC), 115 VAC
5 - 150 A (DC), 230 VAC
Weight 14lb (6.2 kg)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LostCRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Input Power Requires 1-Phase Power
Rated Output 80 A at 23.2 VDC, 115 VAC
100 A at 24 VDC, 230 VAC
Output Power Range 5 - 110 A (DC), 115 VAC
5 - 150 A (DC), 230 VAC
Weight 14lb (6.2 kg)</TD></TR></TABLE>

It appears that you can put a foot pedal or finger remote on these now...which would be nice.

they're great machines, for what they do. As it says above, you will be limited to a max of 150 amps, and that's if you're plugged into 230volt power (like your laundry dryer or stove).

Also, it has no high frequency. The lift arc is nice, but is not as nice as high freq. It's much better than nothing though. It will weld on DC only. For most people, the only limits of this machine that they will really ever reach are the amperage limits. Thicker materials could be a problem with it...but for the price, it's hard to beat. I have used these on a few jobs, welding thin wall stainless tubing for the food service industry. This machine would do find welding thin walled headers and such, but may be a little slow welding on the flanges, depending on preheat.

If you call around, you can probably find a Miller dealer that has a demo room with several machines set up that you can try out.

 

I was crossing fingers hoping you would reply The thing is I'm good with a mig but have no tig experience. This will be my first machine to learn on, I will do mainly manifolds and such. Is there anything else you would suggest that will not go over my 1200$ budget?

 

You might shop around and find a used econotig, syncrowave 180, or PT185 for that much money. I sold my PT175 for $900 a couple months ago. That was a fair price, but I probably could have gotten $1000 for it. All the above machines will have more capabilities than the Maxstar150, but like I said, it's great for what it can do. It's pretty convenient being able to plug into a 110v outlet to weld. ...but you're still tied to a bottle of gas that is not so convenient.

I think if I were you I'd look for one of the machines above. You may find it easier to find the Lincoln, cause people typically keep Miller machines.