[ljdm1956]

never mind.

[weldin mike 27]

We've had a number of members on here that have dealt with both companies and had no issues. Is your email working? I can't understand why you would not get replies from completely separate companies? Unless you we rude about it. What about calling them or trying facebook messenger?

[Artie F. Emm]

Everlast has a toll free number to contact the sales group directly, as i recall. I can't speak to their ability to answer emails, but if the email was something non-specific like "is it available" they may prioritize that lower, who knows. The Everlast forum would likely generate a response: the moderators there are mostly tech support but can answer basic questions.

Both Everlast and AHP are also sold at Home Depot, which might widen your available purchasing venues. Prices are higher than Amazon but it might make returns easier, if it comes to that.

Sounds like you're narrowing down a decision... good luck!

[ljdm1956]

We've had a number of members on here that have dealt with both companies and had no issues. Is your email working? I can't understand why you would not get replies from completely separate companies? Unless you we rude about it. What about calling them or trying facebook messenger?

Rude? Nope. That never helps! To be clear, Everlast only didnt reply to one of my questions, in the past ive had great response from them, i already own an everlast machine. AHP has yet to answer anything ive asked.

[ljdm1956]

Deal is done. I SPOKE with an AHP sales person earlier today. Latest shipment arrived earlier than the expected 2/15 date. Web site sells the Alphatig 200x for 800.00, but AHP is selling through Amazon for 680.00, promotional price, same exact machine. Needless to say, I went for the Amazon price. 30.00 shipping. I guess phone call works better than email. Now is the hard part, waiting for delivery. I'll post reviews as I see use different functions

[LtBadd]

Deal is done. I SPOKE with an AHP sales person earlier today. Latest shipment arrived earlier than the expected 2/15 date. Web site sells the Alphatig 200x for 800.00, but AHP is selling through Amazon for 680.00, promotional price, same exact machine. Needless to say, I went for the Amazon price. 30.00 shipping. I guess phone call works better than email. Now is the hard part, waiting for delivery. I'll post reviews as I see use different functions

Sounds good, I've read others who have liked this machine...maybe email is the new snail mail or some people just don't understand what customer service is!

[weldin mike 27]

Emails can get lost, so make sure you activate the read receipt function.

[ljdm1956]

Emails can get lost, so make sure you activate the read receipt function.

I've learned my lesson, no more emails. I've been having pretty good luck with phone calls, sales and tech support. The Tech number is an East coast number so its nice to be able to speak with someone during EST hours.

[weldin mike 27]

Good to hear. Emails are very handy though, as you have a record of what was discussed. A persons word is just that, but a written email discussing prices and dates may be considered tangible.

[LtBadd]

Good to hear. Emails are very handy though, as you have a record of what was discussed. A persons word is just that, but a written email discussing prices and dates may be considered tangible.

Good point, in the course of a phone call I ask the person to follow up with an email detailing the price and delivery as discussed, or whatever the applicable info per the conversation

[Texas Grey]

I ordered the same machine on Jan 3rd through Amazon (AHP Distributor) at the same price. Received an email on Jan 9th that the welder has shipped.

Amazon original advised a mid February receipt date but I've seen these dates vary quite often. One can't tell if it just shipped from California or China. But I did just notice Home Depots price just increased.

[ljdm1956]

Amazon price also went up, 30.00. Mine was ordered 1/9, should have it by 1/17, shipping from California to NY. The original Feb date was issued to avoid Amazon charging AHP a penalty if the shipment was late. Not sure if its a good or bad thing, using the UPS tracking number allows me to follow shipping progress, but then its just makes you more anxious knowing day by day where it is until it gets here!

[Texas Grey]

Amazon price also went up, 30.00. Mine was ordered 1/9, should have it by 1/17, shipping from California to NY. The original Feb date was issued to avoid Amazon charging AHP a penalty if the shipment was late. Not sure if its a good or bad thing, using the UPS tracking number allows me to follow shipping progress, but then its just makes you more anxious knowing day by day where it is until it gets here!

That's good info to know regarding AHP's extended shipping date to avoid penalties. I just checked mine for the first time (on your advise) and seems it will be here Monday.

Although it's forecast to be in the 20's here Monday in west Texas, you'll find me in the shop in camouflage coveralls on Tuesday.

[ljdm1956]

Amazon price also went up, 30.00. Mine was ordered 1/9, should have it by 1/17, shipping from California to NY. The original Feb date was issued to avoid Amazon charging AHP a penalty if the shipment was late. Not sure if its a good or bad thing, using the UPS tracking number allows me to follow shipping progress, but then its just makes you more anxious knowing day by day where it is until it gets here!

That's good info to know regarding AHP's extended shipping date to avoid penalties. I just checked mine for the first time (on your advise) and seems it will be here Monday.

Although it's forecast to be in the 20's here Monday in west Texas, you'll find me in the shop in camouflage coveralls on Tuesday.

Dont feel bad for you, here in upstate NY, when I get mine Wed, forecast is low 20's also! Now that you tracked the shipment, you'll be watching out the window every 5 mins for the UPS man!

[ljdm1956]

Whoopee! It's here. But so is a snow storm. Top it all off, my mother is having hip surgery today, 84yrs old, high risk. Damn, when it rains, it pours. Or in my case, snows!

[aland]

Whoopee! It's here. But so is a snow storm. Top it all off, my mother is having hip surgery today, 84yrs old, high risk. Damn, when it rains, it pours. Or in my case, snows!

Hope it goes well for her. My MIL and FIL were both in the hospital at the same time, my wife and daughter flew back to see them, both were in different hospitals...luckily both are at home in stable condition now. My MIL had a full cast last year as she fell in the bath and hurt her hip...

My thoughts are with your Mom today, may she heal quickly (tough as we get older).

Congrats on your welder! You will have many hours with it, but get the commotion out of the way first with your Mom so you can focus on it.

Alan

[ljdm1956]

wp17 torch.jpg (71.43 KiB) Viewed 5665 times

Whoopee! It's here. But so is a snow storm. Top it all off, my mother is having hip surgery today, 84yrs old, high risk. Damn, when it rains, it pours. Or in my case, snows!

Hope it goes well for her. My MIL and FIL were both in the hospital at the same time, my wife and daughter flew back to see them, both were in different hospitals...luckily both are at home in stable condition now. My MIL had a full cast last year as she fell in the bath and hurt her hip...

My thoughts are with your Mom today, may she heal quickly (tough as we get older).

Congrats on your welder! You will have many hours with it, but get the commotion out of the way first with your Mom so you can focus on it.

Alan

Thanks for your thoughts! Surgery went well, longer than planned, but came out of it. Oh well, between the weather and family, plans always get delayed, probably wont get to pay with the welder until the weekend. So far, went through the accessories, stinger ground lead, flowmeter/gauge assembly, consumables, all good, actually very heavy duty cables, wp17 flex head, flex cable torch, pleasant surprise.

[aland]

Thanks for your thoughts! Surgery went well, longer than planned, but came out of it. Oh well, between the weather and family, plans always get delayed, probably wont get to pay with the welder until the weekend. So far, went through the accessories, stinger ground lead, flowmeter/gauge assembly, consumables, all good, actually very heavy duty cables, wp17 flex head, flex cable torch, pleasant surprise.

That's good news, and surgery does often take longer than expected, but having a good piece of mind for your Mom will go a long way to help you get your mind on your welding now. Let's hope she mends up quickly!

I think your accessories and consumables are probably similar to mine, I have an Everlast unit. I would have rather had the 17 torch, mine came with a 26 which had the switch wire tied to the torch. I am using it for the time being, and got a pedal, my unit didn't come with the pedal so I got the Nova.

My plan is to eventually upgrade my torch and get a CK17, which I will use primarily with the pedal. I want to keep the 26 to use with the switch for tack welding and other 200 amp work, since the 17 is only able to handle 150 amps. Truth be told, there is very little that 150 amps will not do for me, but just in case, I'll have the extra 50 amps on the 26 if needed.

The grounding clamp is ok, but I will eventually replace it with a tweko, and will most likely upgrade the electrode holder. The point is that the accessories are usable, but I will be upgrading most of it eventually. In the meantime I have what I need to keep practicing.

Really glad to hear you got your Mom is doing good, and that you got your welder, things are falling into place for you!

Alan

[JagMods-Guy]

I have an AHP Alpha TIG 200x (2017 model). First off, I'm new to welding, and the Alpha TIG is the only welder I've ever used. so I don't have much to compare it to. Actually I don't have anything to compare it to. That being said, I've had some issues with the HF start. It didn't always start, unless I would touch the tungsten to where I wanted to start then press the foot pedal. I sent an email off to AHP, and they called me the next day. We walked through some settings, spent about 2 hours on the phone. The net result was I didn't have a solid connection between the clamp, and the work.

My welding bench is an Eastwood folding welding table. and I have an 1/4" piece of aluminum plate that I work off of. While I was doing beads on plate practicing, my table got a bit hot and warped so the aluminum plate was a bit wobbly. Once I put the clamp on the aluminum HF start worked very well. Problem solved with the help of AHP. I also had an issue with shielding gas, I'm was using the flex head #17 torch that came with the unit, #7 stubby gas lens running 12cfh and I wasn't getting a good shielding. I could hear the gas, but still had welds that looked like a war zone. I fired off an email to AHP with pictures of my battle zone looking welds, they called the next morning. They suggested running about 20cfh, Problem solved. Frankly I still think that 20CFH is a bit high, but it works.

I am new to welding, but not new to customer support. I make a living providing customer support. I haven't had any issues with customer support, they were quick to get back to me, and had a resolution to the issue at hand. Even though, apparently I was the problem.

The machine? Kinda, maybe, I'm not really sure.
There are things about the machine that I'm not thrilled with about the AHP Alpha TIG,
1. the plastic cover broke within a couple of weeks - I knew that the cover would be an issue, so I handled it with care, but it still broke.

2. I don't like how hot the torch gets. I was welding my welding table, 5/16 plate to 1/8 angle (the legs), and the torch got so hot I had to stop welding. I still think there's something wrong with the torch or collet. I'm pretty sure I cooked all of my collets. If that's possible.

3. I don't think the digital read out and the actual amps match. I was welding a piece of 20guage hot rolled sheet metal set at 47amps, butt weld with a perfect fit up. I was tacking it into place for a filler(less) weld, and I key holed the tack. Pissed me off! it was on a Jag. I ended up with a booger weld, and a lot of filing and grinding the weld down, Sorry side tracked.

My point is, I've had good luck with AHP support via email. they usually responded with in 12 hours. Oh, and I always get a delivery and read receipt when I shoot off an email to AHP. when I've called, they usually have some one there to pick up the phone and answer the question.

For whatever its worth,
Thanx
Mark

[ljdm1956]

I have an AHP Alpha TIG 200x (2017 model). First off, I'm new to welding, and the Alpha TIG is the only welder I've ever used. so I don't have much to compare it to. Actually I don't have anything to compare it to. That being said, I've had some issues with the HF start. It didn't always start, unless I would touch the tungsten to where I wanted to start then press the foot pedal. I sent an email off to AHP, and they called me the next day. We walked through some settings, spent about 2 hours on the phone. The net result was I didn't have a solid connection between the clamp, and the work.

At least it was operator error

My welding bench is an Eastwood folding welding table. and I have an 1/4" piece of aluminum plate that I work off of. While I was doing beads on plate practicing, my table got a bit hot and warped so the aluminum plate was a bit wobbly. Once I put the clamp on the aluminum HF start worked very well. Problem solved with the help of AHP. I also had an issue with shielding gas, I'm was using the flex head #17 torch that came with the unit, #7 stubby gas lens running 12cfh and I wasn't getting a good shielding. I could hear the gas, but still had welds that looked like a war zone. I fired off an email to AHP with pictures of my battle zone looking welds, they called the next morning. They suggested running about 20cfh, Problem solved. Frankly I still think that 20CFH is a bit high, but it works.

Not the highest quality flowmeter, so that could explain the difference in CFH

I am new to welding, but not new to customer support. I make a living providing customer support. I haven't had any issues with customer support, they were quick to get back to me, and had a resolution to the issue at hand. Even though, apparently I was the problem.

The machine? Kinda, maybe, I'm not really sure.
There are things about the machine that I'm not thrilled with about the AHP Alpha TIG,
1. the plastic cover broke within a couple of weeks - I knew that the cover would be an issue, so I handled it with care, but it still broke.

My plastic cover arrived scratched with a small crack, so I called them, and am getting a new one(under 30 day warranty, along with a new torch hose(it had fray marks, slight kink spot)

2. I don't like how hot the torch gets. I was welding my welding table, 5/16 plate to 1/8 angle (the legs), and the torch got so hot I had to stop welding. I still think there's something wrong with the torch or collet. I'm pretty sure I cooked all of my collets. If that's possible.

How many amps and how long were you welding to get it that hot?

3. I don't think the digital read out and the actual amps match. I was welding a piece of 20guage hot rolled sheet metal set at 47amps, butt weld with a perfect fit up. I was tacking it into place for a filler(less) weld, and I key holed the tack. Pissed me off! it was on a Jag. I ended up with a booger weld, and a lot of filing and grinding the weld down, Sorry side tracked.

I'll check with an ammeter, but mine seems to be accurate

My point is, I've had good luck with AHP support via email. they usually responded with in 12 hours. Oh, and I always get a delivery and read receipt when I shoot off an email to AHP. when I've called, they usually have some one there to pick up the phone and answer the question.

As of recent, I've had great response from AHP sales and tech support

For whatever its worth,
Thanx
Mark

[WeldingJunkie]

Everlast is not sold in Home Depot any more their contract was terminated. Its not unheard of for someone to have a bad experience with Everlast. AHP is pretty good for support but again not top notch but you get what you pay for as well, need to keep that in mind when buying a machine. Companies like HTP i get answers on a Sunday night the owner, that's amazing

[Demented]

Everlast is not sold in Home Depot any more their contract was terminated. Its not unheard of for someone to have a bad experience with Everlast. AHP is pretty good for support but again not top notch but you get what you pay for as well, need to keep that in mind when buying a machine. Companies like HTP i get answers on a Sunday night the owner, that's amazing

You can still get them from Home Depot. I was on the phone with them earlier this night trying to order a water cooler finally for mine but they wont have any new for a few weeks.

I've had good luck with Everlast. When I bought my 250EX it was damaged in transit (from Home Depot). Thankfully only the fins on the front of the machine broke but they sent me out a new front cover no questions asked, and it was Home Depot that was giving me more issues. If it weren't for the $200 credit they owe me I'd be getting the cooler from weldporn.