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iceman320 · 11-15-2011, 10:36 PM

so I got a harbor freight add a couple weeks ago and seen that they had a tig welder on sale that has a digital read out screen. it's a dc only tig but it will also arc weld in one machine. here's a link to the tig that I bought it's not much i know but at least it will be a tig that I can learn on and be able to practice with. it doesn't have a foot pedal either but it might be possible to mod it to get a foot pedal to work. so here's the link let me know what you guys think thanks.

Arc / TIG Welder with Digital Readout - 240 Volt

JKMotorsports · 11-16-2011, 04:53 PM

I started with a cheapy with no pedal when I was making turbo manifolds.

I modded a Volume Pedal from a Keyboard. I pull the pot out of the machine and put it in the pedal. I also wire a micro switch to start the arc as mine was a High Freq Arc.

iceman320 · 11-16-2011, 05:34 PM

this tig that I bought has the button on the torch handle that you can press to start the arc so that should be kind of nice. so do you think that this tig will be good for me to learn on. I wanted to try to weld aluminum with it just to see what happens, and if it doesn't work I can always connect the argon gas to my mig welder for welding the aluminum.

JKMotorsports · 11-16-2011, 10:04 PM

You won't be able to weld aluminum. Yes it will be good to learn on. The amps will not beable to get down low enough to do REAL thin stuff (my onld one went down to 9amps and I could just manage #38ish wire) so we are talking 0.08ish range. 24g was easy with a 1/16 el. and .035 wire as filler.

As for argon and migging alum. What thickness do you want to do? MIG on alum is a task on it's own. It take tons of heat and pass speed. Also normally a nylon liner or a Spool or Push Pull gun. I have been sucessful using a normal .035 liner with .030 wire but it is VERY tempermental.

And not to make you feel bad, but I spent 480shipped on my last china unit. 50amp Plasma, 200amp DC tig/mma. Pedal and all.

SMR 510RR · 11-16-2011, 11:54 PM

I have been eyeballing the new Eastwood Tigs. They seem to be reasonable (around $800) for the features.

JKMotorsports · 11-17-2011, 01:56 PM

Eastwood one does look like a good unitfor the price. Hard to find an AC machine for that!

iceman320 · 11-17-2011, 06:32 PM

Yeah i wanted to get one of the tig welders that eastwood is selling. But could not afford one right now but i will learn on the tig that i have now and then maybe one day i can get one from eastwood when i feel like i'am good enough to try to tackle tig welding aluminum.

11-15-2011, 10:36 PM	#1
iceman320 Quarry Creeper Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Duchesne Posts: 377	bought a tig welder so I got a harbor freight add a couple weeks ago and seen that they had a tig welder on sale that has a digital read out screen. it's a dc only tig but it will also arc weld in one machine. here's a link to the tig that I bought it's not much i know but at least it will be a tig that I can learn on and be able to practice with. it doesn't have a foot pedal either but it might be possible to mod it to get a foot pedal to work. so here's the link let me know what you guys think thanks. Arc / TIG Welder with Digital Readout - 240 Volt

11-16-2011, 04:53 PM	#2
JKMotorsports Pebble Pounder Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Exeter Ontario Posts: 156	I started with a cheapy with no pedal when I was making turbo manifolds. I modded a Volume Pedal from a Keyboard. I pull the pot out of the machine and put it in the pedal. I also wire a micro switch to start the arc as mine was a High Freq Arc. Last edited by JKMotorsports; 11-16-2011 at 05:03 PM.

11-16-2011, 10:04 PM	#4
JKMotorsports Pebble Pounder Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Exeter Ontario Posts: 156	You won't be able to weld aluminum. Yes it will be good to learn on. The amps will not beable to get down low enough to do REAL thin stuff (my onld one went down to 9amps and I could just manage #38ish wire) so we are talking 0.08ish range. 24g was easy with a 1/16 el. and .035 wire as filler. As for argon and migging alum. What thickness do you want to do? MIG on alum is a task on it's own. It take tons of heat and pass speed. Also normally a nylon liner or a Spool or Push Pull gun. I have been sucessful using a normal .035 liner with .030 wire but it is VERY tempermental. And not to make you feel bad, but I spent 480shipped on my last china unit. 50amp Plasma, 200amp DC tig/mma. Pedal and all. Last edited by JKMotorsports; 11-16-2011 at 10:07 PM.

11-16-2011, 05:34 PM	#3
iceman320 Quarry Creeper Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Duchesne Posts: 377	this tig that I bought has the button on the torch handle that you can press to start the arc so that should be kind of nice. so do you think that this tig will be good for me to learn on. I wanted to try to weld aluminum with it just to see what happens, and if it doesn't work I can always connect the argon gas to my mig welder for welding the aluminum.

11-16-2011, 11:54 PM	#5
SMR 510RR I wanna be Dave Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: San Francisco Posts: 2,236	I have been eyeballing the new Eastwood Tigs. They seem to be reasonable (around $800) for the features.

11-17-2011, 01:56 PM	#6
JKMotorsports Pebble Pounder Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Exeter Ontario Posts: 156	Eastwood one does look like a good unitfor the price. Hard to find an AC machine for that!

11-17-2011, 06:32 PM	#7
iceman320 Quarry Creeper Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Duchesne Posts: 377	Yeah i wanted to get one of the tig welders that eastwood is selling. But could not afford one right now but i will learn on the tig that i have now and then maybe one day i can get one from eastwood when i feel like i'am good enough to try to tackle tig welding aluminum.

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