Welding Tips and Tricks

I need another welder like a hole in the head but,,,, I do general mig,tig, stick more as a hobby side/line than a professiion.
I need to condense but I'm not sure where to head. I have a Lincoln SP 200 and a SP175. The 200 welds perfectly and the 175 is near new. I also have a Miller Econo Tig and an Esab 500 pcm plasma. Adding to all that a Lincoln Ranger 9 and a couple wire feeds. The only one that's lacking is the Miller TIG. It doesn't have the snot for what I want or the duty range cycle at 20%. I'm going to start looking for another TIG but thought I might look for a machine that is more of an all in one. Any suggestions?

What kind of power incoming do you have available?

Miller, Lincoln and Everlast have multiprocess machines, others may also. I don't have any experience with them so hopefully someone can add more to the discussion.

Everlast
Miller
Lincoln

Jody just put up a video using a Lincoln MP machine. (No, it's not a plasma cutter, I think combining that with welding processes is a path to problems.)

It's the top post on this topic:
http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/v ... =23&t=9266

Steve S

Poland308 wrote:What kind of power incoming do you have available?

220 single phase

Otto Nobedder wrote:Jody just put up a video using a Lincoln MP machine. (No, it's not a plasma cutter, I think combining that with welding processes is a path to problems.)

It's the top post on this topic:
http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/v ... =23&t=9266

Steve S

Mp has no AC

At home I'm limited by 220 as well as I only have a 50 amp breaker for my garage. I bought a thermal arc 186 first for the ac and DC tig. Plus it welds real nice for stick. Then I bought the Lincoln 210 mp for mig and it can run on 115 if needed. I opted for the Chinese plasma that I use only lightly.

I think I'm going to sell the Miller Econo-TIG. It's near new and I got it for a VERY good deal new/used from a guy who never even plugged it in. I'll also sell the SP 175. It's had less than 50# of wire through it. I'll hang on to my trusty old SP 200 and buy a new Lincoln Square Wave 200. Seems like the most reasonable way to go right now.

There are no machines on the market that will do AC tig and Wire fed process's.

AKweldshop wrote:There are no machines on the market that will do AC tig and Wire fed process's.

Actually,,,, your Ranger 8 should and my Ranger 9 does,,,,,,,plasma is a game all on its own.

John Chamorro wrote:

AKweldshop wrote:There are no machines on the market that will do AC tig and Wire fed process's.

Actually,,,, your Ranger 8 should and my Ranger 9 does,,,,,,,plasma is a game all on its own.

I thought you were looking for a shop electric machine.
My bad.

All in one is available for AC DC power sources, if you consider a suitcase or other feeder as part of the setup.
If AC TIG is what you are needing, consider the AHP TIG 200x as an affordable option.

soutthpaw wrote:All in one is available for AC DC power sources, if you consider a suitcase or other feeder as part of the setup.
If AC TIG is what you are needing, consider the AHP TIG 200x as an affordable option.

Interesting machine and attractive price. When something is that much price difference than another comparable machine, I have to wonder why.

Probably because it's made in China rather than Appleton Wisconsin or Cleveland Ohio. However, regardless of where it's made -- mine works just fine. I don't think you can beat it for the money. In all honesty, it might not be the machine I eventually settle on, but for this point in my TIG experience it's doing the job well.

This is killing me. I wish there was only one choice. I'm leaning real hard on the Lincoln. Almost everything I have is red. The one blue machine I have, I'm not happy with. I'm afraid if I introduce yet another color all my red machines may revolt.

If you're a red machine guy, stay with red. They are very good machines and you know what your'e going to get. All you need to do is get the one that suits your needs and cough.

John Chamorro wrote:

soutthpaw wrote:All in one is available for AC DC power sources, if you consider a suitcase or other feeder as part of the setup.
If AC TIG is what you are needing, consider the AHP TIG 200x as an affordable option.

Interesting machine and attractive price. When something is that much price difference than another comparable machine, I have to wonder why.

You can read my full review here http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/v ... php?t=7325

Sent from mobile. Not responsible for Typos

soutthpaw wrote:

John Chamorro wrote:

soutthpaw wrote:All in one is available for AC DC power sources, if you consider a suitcase or other feeder as part of the setup.
If AC TIG is what you are needing, consider the AHP TIG 200x as an affordable option.

Interesting machine and attractive price. When something is that much price difference than another comparable machine, I have to wonder why.

You can read my full review here http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/v ... php?t=7325

Sent from mobile. Not responsible for Typos

Excellent and thorough review based on my knowledge. That's the problem , my knowledge. Here's where I'm at, I've been welding for close to 50 years. Better than some, worse than some. I've done welding as a hobby, necessity and also as an occupation. Mainly out of necessity on crap that either I break or others have brought to me. I've welded on ships, towers, and about most everything that anybody cared to destroy. All except TIG.
I enrolled at the local college and enjoy the distinction of getting a student discount as well as a senior discount. I've had the Miller econo TIG for a couple years and fiddled with it but was only successful in heat treating scrap metal. So, I start my classes to find that one of the instructors is arguably one of the best weldors in the country. He's a guy I've known off and on for 20 years or so. Also they have a nice array of Miller Dynasty 700's. I'm well through the basics enough to weld what I want maybe not cosmetically beautiful but functional. Now I practice at the shop and find my Econo-Tig ain't gonna cut it. I've never been one to buy the best of the best but never the bottom of the pile either. I am pretty much sold on the Lincoln but the AHP is putting some serious doubts to that. Does the AHP accept 'standard' cups , nozzles, collets etc.? Are the accessories interchangeable with more commonly available parts? If I accidentally trash the pedal for instance, is a replacement available at the neighborhood supply or does everything have to come through AHP? This selection of a new machine is more trouble than I thought it would be.

All the connections are standard like the Dinse 50 cable connectors. Standard model 17 torch. So all the standard consumables for it. You won't find the pedal at the local welding supply, but SSC makes a pedal for the AHP. Ck and others make torches for it.