Recommendations on a good 110/220 TIG Welder

[slow&rusty]

Finally taking the plunge and don't mind spending a bit more for a good quality unit.

What do you torch pirates recommend?

Thanks,
Yasin

[john70t]

Lincoln and esp Miller are believed good brands but I'd defer to those in the know

[908/930]

What are you intending to weld, just steel or aluminium also? Home use or constant shop use? Hard to go wrong with any name brand machine but looking at the prices now they do charge a lot for them. I have had a couple Millers and no problems, I purchased my Miller Maxstar 150STH about 20 years ago still working perfect, but only home use. That is only a DC output machine so no aluminium capability. If you want a foot control SSC controls makes a pretty good one for much less.

[fastfredracing]

I bought an eastwood unit used. Im no expert, but it seems to work well . I was able to stick some aluminum together, and Im starting to get the hang of steel pretty well now.
AC/DC tig/stick foot pedal . I think I paid 500 used .

[908/930]

I have been looking at those Eastwood welders for a AC capable machine, they look pretty good. A Miller foot control cost more.

[Zeke]

I have been in the welding game for years. I'm not a shop nor a pro welding every day. Lots of people who do are using brands like Everlast and some big welding supply stores that have an imported house brand. If you can get parts for it, it's not unreasonable to want to save some money over buying red or blue. Think of those guys as the Snap-on of the welding trade.

I've been tempted to by a multi-process welder to save space. But I have a stand alone Hobart for MIG and an Amazon welder for TIG which does stick. And I have a little stick only machine, AC/DC that I reach for a lot. It does quite a bit if you learn how to use it. I also still have my 120v MIG Lincoln like sold at the box stores. I can take that with me and do small jobs.

The TIG/SMAW machine I have is here. They have been selling this machine for years now and the ratings are decent. I don't know where to get it fixed if it stops, so consider that.

I have used Eastwood's welders. They seem to be a marked up version of what you can buy online for less. Buying from a big company that handles service is important. HTP is sold in house by USA Weld. CK is another house brand from CK Worldwide. They used to sell direct, IIRC. Now they don't and have dealers all over just like red and blue. There are others.

[slow&rusty]

Thanks for the replies.

I would like a foot pedal and looking at Eastwood, but trying to figure out what brand they are putting their name on.

This will be light shop use, stainless exhausts and aluminum piping for turbo and cooling projects.

[908/930]

I would recommend adding a water cooled torch to your list, and a cooling unit. It looks like the 200A #33920 is the highest current that eastwood has that can TIG aluminium. Do look at the duty cycle of anything you consider purchasing, that one is 60%@190A and 100% @143A, aluminium does requires a lot of power.

[slow&rusty]

Originally Posted by 908/930

I would recommend adding a water cooled torch to your list, and a cooling unit. It looks like the 200A #33920 is the highest current that eastwood has that can TIG aluminium. Do look at the duty cycle of anything you consider purchasing, that one is 60%@190A and 100% @143A, aluminium does requires a lot of power.

Thank-you! Will do.

[Jeff Alton]

Is there a good 110 TIG welder?

Also check out Everlast welders for good price/performance.

Cheers

[Embraer]

I have Lincoln, Miller, ESAB, and Everlast welders. For the price, if I had to sell all but one machine for multi-process, I'd keep the Everlast and sell the others (Would still keep my Miller mig, though)

My machines are dual voltage, but unless you're only welding sheet, 110 won't get you far.

[Embraer]

Originally Posted by slow&rusty

Thanks for the replies.

I would like a foot pedal and looking at Eastwood, but trying to figure out what brand they are putting their name on.

This will be light shop use, stainless exhausts and aluminum piping for turbo and cooling projects.

I'd go with an Everlast AC/DC multiprocess for light shop use. Miller makes tremendous machines, but a Miller worth buying is going to be cost-prohibitive. For light shop use, I'd buy a full function Everlast for less than a basic Miller TiG. I use both foot pedal and trigger torch. Will you be using it on a dedicated welding table? A lot of times if I have to TiG on the car, I have to use my trigger instead of pedal. Get a nice dedicated diamond wheel for your tungsten.

I think Everlast makes an AC/DC Tig with pulse, waveform, etc, with mig and stick for like $1500. That one welder with Ar and C25 bottles replaces just about every welder for any light shop use.

[slow&rusty]

Thanks Embraer!

Great feedback and the Everlast is on top of my list, I've been perusing their website quite heavily the last few days.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by slow&rusty

Thanks for the replies.

I would like a foot pedal and looking at Eastwood, but trying to figure out what brand they are putting their name on.

This will be light shop use, stainless exhausts and aluminum piping for turbo and cooling projects.

If that's the case you might look into a TIG with pre and post flow adjustments as well as up slope and down slope. Pulse comes on a lot of machines now but the multi process machines seem to come at a cost of less TIG features like pulse on time vs. off time (background current) and adjustable background. AB seems like the first thing they drop.

Jody on Welding Tips and Tricks has a lot of SS welding videos and spends a good deal of time explaining adjustments he uses for SS. AL and SS — two different things altogether using the same machine. The newer ones have presets and memory which will be handy going back and forth.

The Eastwood TIG I used has a lot of features but is a bich to program and the instructions included at the time were less then helpful.

This Old Tony on YT has a video on the HTP MP that he says might replace his independent MIG and TIG machines.

Disclaimer: I don't do any AL welding with a spool gun (don't have one) or TIG. I can do SS but I find the set up with back purge to be too complicated for me to want to do SS. From what I see a spool gun would be useless on AL tubing but OK for long runs on an intercooler. I see guys tacking up IC's with a TIG and running beads with the spool gun.