Alright so I was finally able to save up 1200$ I might be able to get a lil bit more cause im selling my licoln 220v arc welder and fluxcore mig welder to generate more money...

But i want to buy a tig welder. AND a plasma cutter. And i know theres probably no way i can get both in a name brand... but i hear good things about some of the no name brands....

whats important is i need a plasma cutter that can cleanly cut 1/4 steel.
and i need a tig welder that can weld aluminum. and up to 1/4 steel....

I saw this one on ebay which is both a plasma cutter and a tig welder! but i was wondering if anyone here has Any experience with this type of machine or has herd anything?

I know its not a miller or a licoln... but it doesnt mean its bad. Id like opinions from those who have some sort of experience..... Id be truly greatful for any helpful input i get.....

It took me forever to save up the 1200$... *bills suck... and i can only save like 50$-200$ a month*


HERE IS THE MACHINE I AM CONSIDERING>


http://cgi.ebay.com/CT416D-Pla...wItem


IF YOU KNOW A BETTER DEAL PLEASE LET ME KNOW ILL EVEN GIVE YOU MONEY!

 

that machine could be great but I would hate to see you purchase a turd buy namebrand but used, Ive seen only miller tigs go for $300 at auction. you can pick up a used hypertherm in the $500 area that fit your criteria if you waited this long what a month or two to find a good used machine. do a local search on ebay or hit up the auctions in your area

 

well i guess im gona look for an auction first... what kind of auction??

hopefully if i find name brands ill be set but if not im gona risk it on this machine.

 

check your local paper for auctions, then go to their website to see the pictures after some time they will just send flyers to you in the mail

 

also that machine is DC only. so welding Al is a bit different than on AC.

 

wait so what should i get? DC or AC??

I have a licoln arc welder 225ac i think.... its the big red buzz box....

ive herd you can convert some stick welders to tig welders... which ones are they the DC or AC ones?

 

AC is best for welding aluminum. you want to get a machine w/ HF start also. this ebayer doesnt have ac of hf

 

I have had that TIG/ARC/Plasma unit for over a year. The tig function works great. The plasma function is ok. It really doesn't cut 1/4 cleanly. I just bought a thermal arc Pro wave 185. I still use the plasma cutter to cut wastegate holes in manifolds. Its fine for that.

 

Ok well so far it looks like im not gona buy that machine then....

Im gona follow howitts advice....

but say you guys had 1200$ and you needed a TIG welder AND a plasma cutter.

the tig welder has to be able to weld aluminum and the plasma cutter has to be able to cut 1/4 cleanly...

any suggestions? or is Howitts suggestion pretty much the only possibility?

 

if that were the case i would just buy a used tig, then save up some more.

sorry but you will probably regret it later.

 

I questioned and requestioned my self when I purchased my lincoln precision tig 275 since it cost over 4k. I paid on it for a long time but it has never let me down and I can tackle any job with it.

when I was in high school, years ago the first welder i purchased was a FARMHAND fluxcore/MIG from tractor supply it cost like $300 and at the time I thought it was a huge purchase. It was flux core then I converted it to mig. I thought it welded good since I never used anything else. Then a few years later I tried a lincoln sp 125 and it was like night and day in the quality shortly there after I purchased a power mig 200 or 215 I cant remember. it cost like $1400 it was the best mig welder Ive ever used and the reason I got was the sales man understood my needs by me telling him what I plan to do with it. few years later it got stolen but thats a whole nother story.

ALL in All you really cant go wrong by purchasing better equipment, it will have better resale value if you choose to sell it and if its the right tool for the job it will never let you down unless its gotta ship tomorrow and its 5:10pm and the parts place closed at 5:00 and you know the part costs less than $3 or maybe thats just my personal experience

 

Its a pay me now, or pay me later, type of situation.

 

yeah well i guess.... after talking to diff people with cheaper machines and finding out they cant really weld aluminum im really demotivated from buying a cheaper machine now....


so i found out where there is an auction by me thats really good for that kind of stuff....

so now i just have to go.

but i have decided that even if i dont find what i want im gona use the money to either buy a good plasma cutter or a good tig welder.... but i cant really decide which one i need more right now..... they are both very essential to me.....


im guessing that maybe with the tig welder i can make some things to sell( i have tons of tig welding experience but ive never been able to afford a machine...my school and work only have those gigantic miller machines with the water cooling tower)

or i was thinking with the plasma cutter i can make some flanges or other things.....

but i really dont like either idea cause i dont really want to co into business like that i just want to do this as a hobby

 

You're not going to make any money selling plasma cut flanges. Get a decent tig welder and you can save up again for the plasma cutter. I have both and use my Tig 100 times more often than i do the plasma.

 

Tony whats the better tig welders and where to get one at a descent price.

 

everyone and their momma and their granny seem to use the miller syncrowave series.

 

like tony said, you might think youll use the plasma a ton which is what i thought when i bought my $1100 miller plasma cutter but so far ive probably only used it 10 times and alot of the time its not the right tool for the job and could be done easier and cleaner with another tool.

spend the money on a good tig now and if you need a plasma down the road save up a bit and by one of the smaller miller/hobart plasmas.