Any one have experience with tig welders? How hard is it to learn over a mig? I looked on amazon.com and found several different kind of tig welders from a few hundred bucks to $2k. Some of the cheaper ones are stick/tig welders. Whats the difference between these and some of the high dollar tig welders?

 

if you have a cracker box you can get a TIG set up to work with that vs buying a whole new TIG set up. ive never done it but ive seen a few people TIG and it's pretty easy... im going to buy a MIG and just get a TIG set up for other things i really want to be welded great.

 

So are you saying you can get the tig parts and tig off a mig welder?

 

Tig welding isn't that hard. Takes some getting used to and good coordination.

Before you go choosing a machine you need to know exactly what you want to do with it. answer a few questions to start out. Like do you want to weld aluminum? or just mild steel/stainless. What is the thickest material you will be welding (especially aluminum)

Pretty much every "good" tig welder is tig/stick compatible. Main difference being different features like high freq. starting and HF AC current for welding aluminum. You can weld mild steel and stainless no problem with a little cracker box welder but it will be scratch start only and you will not be able to weld aluminum.

 

Mig welders are another ball game. You can tig weld using a DC power source ie: stick welder, but not with a mig machine. (unless it is a multiprocess machine but that's another story)

 

Tig welding by far is the hardest to learn... You have to coordinate the action of both hands and have to move the TIG welding electrode in a very controlled manner. Everyone has there own technique for feeding rod into the puddle..

The difference betwwen a little buzz box and a bigger machine is the larger one will have a foot pedal to control the voltage (much easier/precise) and will have the ability to weld positive direct current, negative direct current or an alternating current, depending on the power supply set up, material you are welding..while the small machine is scratch start (like stick) and usually only weld in one or two modes..

If you are considering a Tig machine, invest in a good one with a pedal imo..Its like alot harder version of sheet metal soldering..Any questions, let me know! I am a 12 year cert welder, and my Pops a welding teacher/instructor/inspector

 

please get one that can do stainless and aluminum, js'n

 

Thanks for a little more understanding. I've heard some guys refer a mig to a cracker box welder that's the reason I asked that. I taught my self at a young age to weld with a mig and that's all I've ever known. I'm wanting a tig welder with the balancer install tools I'm building and I'm just wanting a nice welds on them. Ill also use it for other various stuff.

 

i have access to both a really nice miller tig i will say i can mig /stick with the best of them but tig is much harder i have only messed with it a few times trying to do SS and i got a decent weld it was just alot harder than i thought. im sure a little practice and time will help but definatly a cool skill that will be handy to learn .

 

Tig is not too hard you just need to know some basics. mostly to get a good weld is a steady hand and coordination.
I have a miller dynasty 200DX which is the top of the line for the 200 amp machines. If you are only wanting to weld steels then a miller maxstar is a good machine. But the cheapest of the ac/dc machines will be the synchrowave. it a solid machine but does not have the fancy stuff that the dynasty has.
Miller also has the diversion but you will quickly outgrow it if you do more than small stuff.
I recommend heading over to weldingwebdotcom and read on there for a while.

Also don't cheap out on a crappy machine. welders are definitely investments and a good case of you get what you pay for.