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Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 9:48 am
by 3X00-Modified
Well I picked up one... My father-in-law picked up the other. I currently have a L-Tec Linde 225 MIG and I have been using my UNT inverter TIG ($400 Chinese eBay special) welder for a while now but I thought it's time to upgrade and get a better more versatile TIG welder. I picked up a Eastwood TIG 200 on Monday for $680 shipped. Appears to be a very solid unit going off reviews... some "complaints" are due to lack of features when it comes to welding in AC mode but I'll be happy to just be able to do that... I'm not looking to TIG up some professional artwork intakes or anything... I think the sheer fact that I will be able to weld aluminum now will be awesome.
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My father-in-law picked up a MIG 250 for $880. And in addition to that we added a spool gun so he will also have aluminum welding capabilities. It will be interesting to see the difference between MIG welding aluminum and TIG welding it... as well as it will be nice to have the ability to do both if needed. Oh and Both the TIG 200 and the MIG 250 have the ability to run on 110v or 220v. That's nice if your doing a small job and don't have access to a 220v plug.
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I will probably keep around my UNT Inverter since that can still be used as a plasma cutter... I'm a bit surprised that the Eastwood unit's can't do dual function like that, but I guess that's the difference between a multi tool and one built specific for one job... I can only guess it will TIG way better than what I've been using.

Should be arriving today so I can give some updates on it's abilities soon hopefully.

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 9:57 am
by themixer
those look awesome, very jelly of your gas hookups. i have a $99 flux core welder. its a pile of crap.

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 10:06 am
by 3X00-Modified
I've been running shielding gas since I started welding... I would never touch a flux core because i know they are just a big waste of time :) Something I'm really excited about is the pedal that comes with the new TIG... Way better and looks easier to use than what I was using.

My old one is something like this...

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It was always awkward because one foot was elevated to run it.

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 10:55 am
by themixer
correct flux core involves way too much cleaning up after you weld something. although the welder gets me out of many jams its better than having none.

always want to try tig! such american pride in the pedal picture

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 11:04 am
by 3X00-Modified
Made in america!!! LOL I highly doubt it.

I got a Fortune Cookie that the fortune was "Made in America"... Ironically enough the cookies are produced in NY... LOL

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 6:59 pm
by KFLO 93 GT
Jelly for sure... wishing I wasn't living 100 miles away from the shop again. I'd barely got to use my new mig before moving and never got to try the spool gun at all. I'd considered 110/200 capability, but passed since I didn't want to be getting called to borrow my welding time. I'd rather not drag all of it out and about, so 220v only makes for a good excuse.

Kind of assholish, but... if the shoe fits. :sparta:

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 7:23 pm
by 1988GTU
KFLO 93 GT wrote:Jelly for sure... wishing I wasn't living 100 miles away from the shop again. I'd barely got to use my new mig before moving and never got to try the spool gun at all. I'd considered 110/200 capability, but passed since I didn't want to be getting called to borrow my welding time. I'd rather not drag all of it out and about, so 220v only makes for a good excuse.

Kind of assholish, but... if the shoe fits. :sparta:
I have no problem saying "no" and moving on. I do consider the source asking for the helping hand though.

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 7:24 pm
by 1988GTU
3X00-Modified wrote:Made in america!!! LOL I highly doubt it.

I got a Fortune Cookie that the fortune was "Made in America"... Ironically enough the cookies are produced in NY... LOL
lmao. Beetus made in murica makes sense 110% tho!

Nice pick up for ya both. Curious on mig vrs tig welds for aluminum too!

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 9:24 am
by 3X00-Modified
Messed around last night...

Old 3in1 DC TIG/stick/plasma cut on the left. New AC/DC TIG on the right... Both made in China but one is obviously held to a higher standard and purpose built...

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Tried my hand at aluminum... this is my third pass... Not the best but getting there.

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And obviously I'm way better at doing steel parts...

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So far very happy with how it works... Really liking the pre gas flow that helps starting an arc. And I like the pedal better than the old one I had, more comfortable to use.

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 11:21 am
by themixer
that looks fantastic! aluminium i have heard is tricky to weld!

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 2:30 pm
by snowblindburd
Awesome! Welding is one of the skills I wish I had taken more seriously when I had classes for it in high school. In fact, I wish I had taken a lot more tech-ed classes back then.

Nice work, sir!

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 3:22 pm
by 99GaGT3X00
snowblindburd wrote:Awesome! Welding is one of the skills I wish I had taken more seriously when I had classes for it in high school. In fact, I wish I had taken a lot more tech-ed classes back then.

Nice work, sir!
i've actually enhanced my skill through work.. over two years my welds have gotten way better..when i started out they were ok but now they are decent..with the height of the bench they have if i weld too long my neck get's tired and the welds start to suffer.. iirc it's a millermatic 200 at work..

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 9:17 am
by 1988GTU
3X00-Modified wrote:Messed around last night...


Tried my hand at aluminum... this is my third pass... Not the best but getting there.

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And obviously I'm way better at doing steel parts...

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When comparing the aluminum welding results of MIG, MIG might show a less desirable finished product to that first crack at using the TIG.

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 2:23 pm
by 99GaGT3X00
3X00-Modified wrote:. I would never touch a flux core because i know they are just a big waste of time :)

.
i picked one up years ago from harbor freight. it was on sale and i paid like $80 for it..did most of my exhaust with it but it does leave behind a mess, but for $80 i can't really complain..i'd love something better but for now it works.kind of.

it does better on thicker stuff due to the lack of adjustability..on thinner stuff it just burns through..worked fairly decent on the front end i welded on this..it's mostly thick walled tubing
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it's got a 2" ball and hitch setup like you would find on any trailer..pulls this pretty good.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h5/95 ... 091547.jpg

Re: Picked up two new welders...

Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2015 4:28 pm
by woody90gtz
I got to play with TIG one night several months ago and it was a little tough to get used to. Setting heat and speed via dials is certainly easier than by hand and foot.

That aluminum pass looks better than the crap I tried! haha Steel was a lot easier though, definitely. Stainless comes out nice.