whats a good tig welder for doing both alum and steel? i herd i should go with a miller and not lincoln? give me some ideas guys. thanks

 

The blue machines are just better

I'll add a little to that...
Miller will likely resale better. The Lincoln has a POS torch on it.

 

miller 180 sd any good for alum?


Modified by 94ta_lt1 at 8:25 PM 2/20/2005

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 94ta_lt1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">miller 180 sd any good for alum?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It works fine... but you may want to consider that for the price you will pay for a new 180SD, I bought a used 350 Syncrowave that puts out roughly 400amps (or so the digital display shows). And I got a water cooler, torch, cart and all with it.

 

where should i look for something like that used? ebay?

 

Thermal Arc 185tsw

 

I found mine on ebay. The key to finding good deals in this world is timing....and if you don't have money or aren't ready to buy when that time comes along, you will miss out.

therefore, have the money and take your time looking. In a given week, there's only so many people that will buy a welding machine off ebay....and you will eventually find a week that very few are buying, and maybe just a couple will even bid on the one you want.

you can look around locally also. Check the weld supply places too. they may know who is updating their stuff...and may be selling off their old machines.

 

I also bought a used Syncrowave 350 and love it. How much did you pay for yours engloid?

 

It was about $2000 shipped from MI to TN...including torch, ground, cooler and cart.

And since it's a model from back when pulse was an option, and it didn't have one, I found a new PC-300 for $175.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Engloid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The blue machines are just better

I'll add a little to that...
Miller will likely resale better. The Lincoln has a POS torch on it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'd probably prefer a miller, seem to be more reliable, and I know they have much better customer service. BUT I really do think lincolns come with much better torches and pedals .


How much did you pay just for the shipping on your welder engloid?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by joeseph &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I'd probably prefer a miller, seem to be more reliable, and I know they have much better customer service. BUT I really do think lincolns come with much better torches and pedals .


How much did you pay just for the shipping on your welder engloid?</TD></TR></TABLE>
The pedals are a debatable issue, but the torch on the PT185 is the sorriest torch I've ever used. Hopefully the other come with a better one, but the PT comes with junk. The handle is thin and brittle. I'm sure you know what that causes when it's dropped, stepped on, or a tool falls on it.

Shipping alone on my machine was something like $500. It's an older, monster machine...was about 660lbs, if I remember correctly.

 

So is the older one that you'll are mentioning actually better than the new technology?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 94ta_lt1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So is the older one that you'll are mentioning actually better than the new technology?</TD></TR></TABLE>
No....but for the money, it can't be beat.

Welding machines are like cars.. you put a NASCAR driver in a Camaro, and the avg driver in a Mustang (or vice versa), and the professional driver will win a race. However, put a Corvette in the hands of an amateur, and a v6 Camaro in the hands of the professional...and the pro will likely lose.

So, with welding machines, this means what? It means that YOUR ability is most important in making a good weld....but it must be supported by at least an adequate welding machine.

The older Sync 350 is fine for 99.9% of industrial applications....and so is the new Dynasty....but for a lot more money.

The big difference is price and size. The old 350's are about 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It's a monster...but works like one too.