• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Gunsmithing Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

E

el gordo2

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 13, 2008
993
10
San Antonio, Tejas
I am wanting to purchase a TIG welder to complete my home shop. I have a couple of wire feed welders, a good sized plasma cutter, a 300A gasoline driven welder, all of which are Miller brand. The only Lincoln is 200A buzz box machine.

Wanting something small and simple to use. I found a fairlynew Miller 180A TIG with running gear at a decent price locally. The person selling it said he bought it to do a job and now has no use for it.

The main purpose would be making stainless and aluminum jigs along with welding bolt handles and barrel extensions.

Anyone have any preferences, I am a fan of true blue.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

I just bought a Miller Dimension 180. I'm still getting everything else together (gas, filler, etc) so I've not tried it yet. The reviews seem pretty good once the initial run bugs were worked out.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: excaliber</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Miller Dynasty. </div></div>

These are great, and COMPACT.

Don't forget a water-cooled torch, which in my opinion is about 99.5% required for aluminum...and 95% required in general.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

My brother uses a Miller Dynasty 700 w/ the wireless controls in his shop. It is an awesome machine and is easily programmable to remember settings for specific metals. And the wireless option is nice so you aren't getting the wires tangled around everything in the shop/
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

el gordo2:
If all your going to tig is SS or Carbon get the Miller Maxstar 150. It's a little suitcase welder 110-220 and it's all you will need. Very small and light weight.I Use one at work for field welds and does great. If you need to tig Alum. also then get the Dynasty, but if you don't need to tig Alum. then get the Maxstar and keep the money difference in your pocket.

Lefty Lucas
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rbdub474</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My brother uses a Miller Dynasty 700 w/ the wireless controls in his shop. It is an awesome machine and is easily programmable to remember settings for specific metals. And the wireless option is nice so you aren't getting the wires tangled around everything in the shop/ </div></div>

A great machine, but way, way, way overkill for the home shop, unless the fruits on your money trees are starting to rot and must be picked and eaten NOW.

Think 50bmg @ 100 yards...
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

My Lincoln 185 has done me a really good job thus far.

I'm always about buying the best equipment you can afford, but if your going to be specific about gun stuff, just know that you don't need a zillion jigawatt tig welder. You'll rarely use more than 50 amps for anything.

Good luck.

C.

PS. I've recently switched to ceratted (not sure if I spelled that right) tungsten and really like it. Works for both AL and steel.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

"Ceriated"

I use it for Aluminum, as it doesn't ball as much as pure (green), and isn't as tough to keep clean as Thoriated (Red). I still prefer Thoriated for Steel/Stainless.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

Miller Dynasty would be my recommendation too.
I don't do aluminum so I just have a Maxstar, but it's a great machine.
I have been watching ebay for a Dynasty to pop up that I can snag, but they REALLY hold their value!
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

I don't know what the machine specs are on USA machines but I'd be looking for the following:
Water cooled torch if using high amps,ie alloy
Torched operated controls so you can ditch the foot pedal
A touched sized so you can use different size collets and tungsten

Last time I was in the states I used a miller, can't remember what size it was but it was very smooth.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

I have had a Lincoln TIG PRO 175 Square Wave for several years and I'm well satisfied with it.

I guess if you have to have everything for the knob twiddlers, it ain't the machine. But we're not building spacecraft, either.

A simple machine such as this will do your jobs well.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

If you are not dead set on buying brand new equipment I would also consider a used Syncrowave, mine is almost 30 years old and I have never had to repair it.
The only thing I have done to it was ad the fan on demand kit.
If you buy a used unit many times you will get the power unit, torch, cooler in a package deal. Just a thought.
I also use Ceriated 100% of the time for my TIG, don't even own anything else.
And one last item, if you buy a cooler I would recommend the Miller coolant which is ethylene glycol with ethanedial. I have had very good luck with it.

Best wishes,

Chet
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

The Miller Dynasty is so good that even a hack like myself can get good results. I highly recommend it! The 200A version is going to be adequate for most purposes.

Sometimes good deals can be had on Synchrowaves; they are bulkier machines and perhaps take a bit more practice for an inexperienced user to run them well, but you've got a better chance of striking a good deal on one of these than on a Dynasty.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

Thanks for all the suggestions. I found a used Miller 350 Syncrowave locally for what I thought was a great price. Older but well proven technology, not as easy as the modern inverters types as the Dynasty series but I am a bit old school.It's way bigger that I need but has the ability to run a spool gun, stick or mig if I want to. I have plenty of service and room so that wont be a problem.

I think it's going to be like my lathes and mill, the supporting tooling ie tungston, cups, filler rod, collets, extra torch etc will run into extra money.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: el gordo2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for all the suggestions. I found a used Miller 350 Syncrowave locally for what I thought was a great price.</div></div>

You're gonna love it.
I learned to weld on a Syncrowave 350.
Great machines...
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

Well I picked it up today. Hope to get it wired up this weekend.

IMG_0241.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: stefan73
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

That thing looks like a new machine. I think you will like it, I have a Synchrowave 180 and it welds pretty good. Too bad I don't have the time to practice to use it to it's potential.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

I've ran the Syncrowaves for 15 years it will weld anything you need it to. If you can't get the work to your shop you can use a "Dry Rig" off your engine driven. It's a TIG rig you simply hook to your welding leads and Argon for field work(carbon,chromemoly,stainless). Been running those for 25yrs off my pipelining rig.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

Lincoln square wave 175, old style transformer based machine, its not much for relocating as its rather heavy but for my home shop, it fits right in and is ROCK SOLID. Just remember the higher the amperage the bigger the torch your gonna need unless you start using a chiller. Then its starts to get more expensive....
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

I have a Lincoln Squarewave TIG Pro 175 also since around 1999-2000. It has been a rock solid performer.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

i really like my miller syncrowave 180...need to practice more on it, though...
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

I have a Lincoln Square Wave 175. Fantastic machine. Helped me survive 6 years of racing 410 Sprint Cars. If you need more than that machine you also need a water cooled torch.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

I just got the tig 170 from harbor freight i love it but the cheapness does show only for power settings and 12 feed rates i think. i do like that it works with and without gas shielding though
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bishop MKII</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just got the tig 170 from harbor freight i love it but the cheapness does show only for power settings and 12 feed rates i think. i do like that it works with and without gas shielding though </div></div>

Bishop, are you sure you have a tig 170 not a 'mig 170' ?
I have never heard of a tig with feed rates as this is controlled my manually feeding filler rod unless accmoplishing a self weld. Also
never heard of a tig process which does not use an inert gas for shielding.
But I might just not know about it...?

Sorry I should be a little more specific, there are automatic tig processes available but it is unlikely for the home (hobbyist) welder.
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jetmd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have never heard of a tig with feed rates as this is controlled my manually feeding filler rod unless accmoplishing a self weld.
Also never heard of a tig process which does not use an inert gas for shielding.</div></div>

Self-feeding gasless tig is the latest rage.
You need to get with the times...

cimg1184km7.jpg
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

Shit......I knew I was out of the loop, I have to say that is some of the nicest welds (that would be plural welds not weld right?) I have seen in a while.

Nice penetration also
grin.gif
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jetmd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Shit......I knew I was out of the loop, I have to say that is some of the nicest welds (that would be plural welds not weld right?) I have seen in a while.

Nice penetration also
grin.gif
</div></div>

Just needs a little cleaning up with a wire brush.
whistle.gif
 
Re: Any help choosing a Tig Welder?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 2156SMK</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jetmd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have never heard of a tig with feed rates as this is controlled my manually feeding filler rod unless accmoplishing a self weld.
Also never heard of a tig process which does not use an inert gas for shielding.</div></div>

Self-feeding gasless tig is the latest rage.
You need to get with the times...

cimg1184km7.jpg
</div></div>

Sweet. Let us know when those eggs hatch. I think it might be a new species.
RonA
 
bobbyburke said:
I'm having a hard time finding a decent TIG welder for fabricating and working with aluminum and stainless steel. I've done some welding in the past but it was over a decade ago and always with equipment that friends owned. I have 110v-20amp and 240v-30amp outlets in my garage if that makes a difference. I'm partial to buying things on Amazon since I get free shipping with Prime. I don't know what to buy, any advice would be great! I'd like to keep it under $500 but if that isn't possible I'm open to going as high as $1000 if necessary. I don't know what the difference would be between those price ranges; my guess is that more expensive ones either weld thicker material and/or are made with better components by better companies and not made in China. I know Lincoln makes good stuff but I'm not a professional welder and I'm only going to use this 10-20 times a year.
Click to expand...
Not sure if serious or not, but here's a start to a budget machine:
 
I have 2 of these. 1 at work and at home. 5 years and counting. No issues.

Works great for stitching bolt handles.
.035" wire for reference.
 

Attachments

  • 16687828385408128708552229782493.jpg
    16687828385408128708552229782493.jpg
    392.8 KB · Views: 41
  • FB_IMG_1668783033365.jpg
    FB_IMG_1668783033365.jpg
    33.3 KB · Views: 42
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

7
Gunsmithing bolt action needs tig welder
Replies
6
Views
680
biner626
biner626
T
300 PRC
Replies
145
Views
28K
rustyinbend
rustyinbend
brian64x
Tig welder??
Replies
16
Views
1K
Proarc
P
R
Post-M21 sniper rifle development history - Army, Navy, and USMC sniper & DMR rifles
Replies
19
Views
8K
sandwarrior
sandwarrior
A
Help choosing a Remington 700
Replies
19
Views
1K
Dshooter
D
Top Bottom
Back