Welding Tips and Tricks

Great info on the videos I've seen.

First post here.

I'm looking for information about the differences between the 2 welders in the topic. From looking at the information on the Everlast website, it looks like the duty cycle is much less on the Multi Purpose Unit. Is this enough difference to skip buying the PP256? I'm not sure how much I need a plasma cutter, but for little extra$ it comes with the PP256. I'm not sure the difference in duty cycle is worth worrying about.

Thanks for your help.

gunmaker

How serious will you be getting into your welding? Rarely will you exceed duty cycle when you tig. Those duty cycles are when you run the machines at full power. How often will you need to do that is another consideration. If you think you will be welding for more than 3.5 minutes at a time at full power, then you will need a higher duty cycle on the PT250EX which is capable of 6 minutes at a time.

I'm pretty serious about getting a perfect weld. It's got to look like it's never been welded in the first place. Especially after bluing. Normally I don't spend a long time welding at one sitting, just thought a better duty cycle might help a machine last longer. I could be wrong, that's why I'm asking.

I've got a Miller Dialarc HF now that's giving me fits. Miller tells me it's probably a 500# anchor in the very near future. I was looking at a Lincoln PT225, but reading about the inverters and having a larger range of pulse freq might make help building up corners and edges with out washing out an important detail. I've never tried an inverter. Here in the middle of nowhere, it's hard/impossible to find a local unit to try.
gunmaker

Believe me, when it comes to not washing out the edge of the metal, inverters are the way to go especially for DC TIG pulsing gun metal. If you have never tried an inverter welder, you will be blown away at the difference. It really is like night and day. Much more control. I was gonna purchase the PP256, but they didn't have them in stock and I couldn't wait so I got a Miller Dynasty 200DX. For the price and warranty, you can't beat an everlast. I have heard nothing but good reviews. I doubt that you will ever exceed the duty cycle on either machine. If you will be doing any cutting nedding a plasma cutter, then I would get the PP256. If you go straight to the Everlast website, they give you the option to make an offer on the machine. I actually paid for my machine, but had to get a refund because they didn't know when they were getting the machines in. I paid 1600.00 for the PP256.

I started out on a transformer-rectifier and went to a inverter. It is -alot- differant. And I havnt' been tiggin for 5 or 10 years either and I could tell the differance. After I got used to it, I liked the inverter alot better.