Anyone know of some inexpensive TIG welders out there? Just something I can use to fabricate headers and roll cage type stuff. I don't think I'll be welding anything with thick wall material, so it probably doesn't have to be a big badass welder.

Any of them operate on 120V outlets?

 

If you are not going to be welding aluminum, you can pick up an inverter type TIG welder pretty cheap.

Having the capacity to weld in AC is what makes the first price jump. Most will weld anything you'd need in fabrication on a car.

Having gone down this road once, I'd recommend you consider buying a AC/DC machine like the Lincoln 185 instead of the cheaper way out with an inverter welder.

 

Miller Econotig. Perfect, 1200$+ some for the runner package, runs on 110, added versatility to do aluminum ( youll thank me later) and SMALL!

Check ebay- I know John (XL8nss) knows of some good places that have good prices

I bleed miller Blue when it comes to welders.

 

www.brwelder.com

OR

http://stores.ebay.com/Welding-Suppl...derLinksQQtZkm

From the above ebay link.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3848625086

 

I purchased mine locally from BR welder. The guys are great, offer great tech tips and in a convient spot. I have a Miller Synchrowave 180 SD and love it.
Phil

 

Good info. I'm not in a hurry to buy, but plan on one for later. Never know when I'll get the urge to build my own turbo setup or add a 10-point cage

 

The 135 amps isn't enough to weld the .134" or whatever the wall thickness is on a cage IMO. I was iffy about the welds I got with my 135amp mig. The person I had tig weld it turned his up to 180amps and they came it perfect.

 

Tony for a little more money look at the Miller Dynasty 200DX, Thermal Arc Pro Wave 185STW, or Miller Syncrowave 180 SD Runner.

The Dynasty is an inverter type which is capable of running on 120-460V while weighing 45lbs and having a very small footprint. Louis might know a thing or two about this one.

The Thermal Arc is basically the same thing but, runs on 230V only. Weight and size are about the same as the Dynasty which makes them very portable. The Dynasty is a bit more portable because of the voltage hookup.

The Miller Sychrowave is cheaper than both of those but, is also ALOT bigger and heavier, not something you're going to be moving around much. I believe Harlan has one of these so that should speak for it's capabilities.

If you look around the www.brwelder.com site you can find all three. I think the Indiana Oxygen store in the Ebay link I posted above might have slightly better prices. Shipping is free from both brwelder and IO for outta staters which you are for both.

 

135 is MORE than enough to weld the 120 wall Mild steel, but the way tony does his cars, I highly doubt he would cheap out and get mild steel. Besides, MIG does not penetrate like TIG does at comparitive amperages. Ive welded quite a few cages and thick material with that amperage.

Millers reccommendation for Amperage is 1 amp, per 1 thou of material thickness. Its spot on too.

 

I already have a Lincoln MIG 175, used the hell out of it on my '69 and it was priceless to have a welder for this project. The TIG purchase would be for doing nice stainless, aluminum, and chromoly work.

BTW, some of you might not know this but I was actually a stick/TIG welder for about a year during college. I learned alot back then that has paid off now in fab work

 

Cheap welder

i looked at it as being an investment, now i just need to make money from it
i got a lincoln 185 ac/dc, if it would just ship!

 

I really like my Lincoln 175 TIG. It's pretty powerful and does everything I need from sheet metal to heavy roll bar tubing. That "soft start" feature it has makes it nice.