| Author | Message | ||
     Buellfart |
would like to do all frame repairs,chromoly and also some aluminum welding-what`s the best machine for under 2000 dollars that does all well? | ||
| Joesbuell |
I use a n ADC200 Chinese TIG I bought off ebay, I have made all the mods on my Buell using this welder with no probs at all!It cost me just over $2000 Aussie dollars. It welds steel and ally with ease. Thats it in the back ground of this picture.  | ||
| Ironken |
Try a Lincoln Precision Tig 225. Can be had from weldingsupply.com for about $1700.00. Get the "one pack," as it has everything but the bottle of Argon. Lincoln also has a "one for all, one-pack," which includes a Precision Tig 225 and a Power Mig 140. link: http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalog/equipment datasheet.aspx?p=50178 the Power Mig 140 is a 120 volt machine that is powered by the tig powersource and the trick thing about this little power Mig is that it is spool-gun ready. link: https://weldingsupply.securesites.com/cgi-bin/spid er.pl?K2532-1|||341 You will need 2 bottles of gas for the one-for-all setup (Argon for Aluminum Tig/Mig (spool gun), and Argon/CO2 blend or straight CO2 for ferrous MIG). I have a few machines and the 225 is a good little runner, the small Power Mig series are good units too, as I have one of those as well for smaller stuff. Be ware of the Lowes and Home Depot versions of Lincoln's small MIG welders....They are quality units, but, the industrial versions that are available from welding supply shops feature heavier duty feeders (cast Aluminum as opposed to plastic). Hope this helps....Kenny | ||
| Mtg |
+1 for Ironken. Also, I have a friend with the chinese TIG machine; it is a DC only machine, which means you can't weld Aluminum with it. | ||
| Ironken |
Thanks MTG. Hey, I see on your profile in your fav track days section, you list Pueblo...I didn't know that they had a track day in Pueblo (PMI??). Can you tell me more? That's where I grew up....Kenny | ||
| Mtg |
Yep, Pueblo = PMI. http://www.pueblomotorsportspark.com/ It's a nice place to have somewhat close by. It is not in danger of hosting any MotoGP races anytime soon, but the course is fun, challenging and cheap. Most of the corners are slow to medium speed, and there's a 1/2 mile straight thrown the mix as well. Liter bikes hit about 175 going onto the brakes for turn 1. | ||
| Smiley1eye |
I've been fond of Miller for years now, check out this cute little gadget:http://www.millerwelds.com/products/tig/maxstar_15 0_sth/ | ||
| Lighting |
Save yourself a head aid and buy a Miller, Lincoln or Esab, it may cost a little more but you can fix them, buy a chinese and if it brakes you're done, besides the quality of the welds of a good quality machine are much better. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Matt, Nice little unit, too bad it doesn't do AC so you can do aluminum. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Instead of a cheap tig setup (which probably isn't really cheap to begin with), I would scare up an Oxy Actelyne rig at a garage sale or something. With patience, I would not be suprised if you could find a whole setup with tanks, regulators hoses, torches (including a cutting torch) for under $200. I think you can get a small Harbor Freight kit for about that much new. They sell cheap because people worry about being able to exchange the tanks. It may take some work to prove ownership of them or find somebody to swap them, but so long as you have tanks in hand and some patience, you can probably find somebody somewhere to exchange them with a little work. Tractor Supply makes it easy around here... $15 fee to "register" third party tanks if you trade them in. In theory, Oxy Act will do almost everything TIG can do, just slower. And it will do a few things TIG can't (i.e. cut). | ||
| Buellfart |
I have great O/A rig already-only need to find time to practice.I like the idea of not having to stress relieve weld since the flame,by all accounts sort of does that already.What filler rod,material do I use? | ||
| Squirett |
I am a certified welder, tig is my specialty. I would go tig over oxy-fuel because, you can't get a really clean atmosphere around the weld. You don't want contaminates in your welds. This makes for weaker welds, ( likely to crack over time from engine vibration.) |
