[TheForge] TIG opinions, please

[Rich Maynard]

Thanks for all the replies. I have found someone who will sell me the
Butters 160 for £360 - about $690 - which seems like good value. I found out
it doesn't do MMA - I'd need the 180 for that - so I'm trying to get as good
a proce on the 180.

I've never done any TIG welding before, so this would be a first machine,
and I'm unwilling to spend too much before I know how useful it will be.

Of course, without a foot pedal it may be completely useless for the sort of
work I want to do. Maybe by the time I find a welder that will do MMA, TIG
with a foot pedal it will be too expensive - perhaps I should try gas
instead!

Thanks again for the input,

Rich M.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
> [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ries Niemi
> Sent: 01 September 2006 00:04
> To: Sponsored by ABANA
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] TIG opinions, please
> 
> 
> DC only- that means its fine for steel, stainless steel, and 
> all kinds  
> of copper based alloys. But it wont do aluminum.
> Which is fine, just as long as you understand that.
> 
> 160 amps is not a lot, for tig welding. I was welding 1/2" round  
> stainless bar today, and had my DC machine set at 165 amps- and I  
> probably could have gotten away fine with 160- but much 
> bigger material  
> than that, and it wouldnt do it. Figure in most practical 
> applications,  
> 3/8" mild steel or so is your capacity. Less thickness in copper  
> alloys, which suck up the amps. Pure copper, and I need 300 amps to  
> weld 1/4" in any quantity.
> But if your main use is mild steel, in thicknesses up to 
> around 1/4",  
> this should work.
> It does have High Frequency starting, which is nice.
> It has almost no controls over anything else- hard to tell from the  
> picture, but I would guess it has an amperage control, and 
> thats it. Certainly, the 200 is a nicer machine, but at 
> almost twice the cost. As  
> usual, everything in the UK is more expensive than here in 
> the USA- the  
> 200 is about $1800 US.
> My guess is that Butters does not make these, but that they are  
> imported from either Italy or eastern europe somewhere.
> 
> Does the price include a torch, flowmeter, and foot pedal?
> If not, you will need all three.
> Air cooled torches are the cheapest, but have limited use 
> times before  
> they get literally too hot to handle.
> Water cooled torches are much better, but require an additional  
> radiator unit, which, over here anyway, is usually another 
> $500 or so. A foot pedal for controlling the amperage is a 
> must for delicate work-  
> if this machine can not accept one, then I would really recommend  
> upgrading to one that can.
> 
> ries
> 
> 
> On Aug 31, 2006, at 1:49 PM, Rich Maynard wrote:
> 
> > I'm looking for a small tig welder that will hopefully 
> produce neater
> > welds
> > than the mig I currently have in 'nice' work - you can't 
> always reach  
> > to
> > grind off the mig fillets!
> >
> > Does anyone have an opinion on the Butters 160 DC?
> >
> > http://www.rotecweldingequipment.co.uk/acatalog/
> > butters_single_phase_DC_HF_i
> > nverters.html
> >
> > I know it won't do aluminium, but I don't forge aluminium!
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Rich.
> >
> >
> >
> > Richard Maynard
> > rich at maynard.org.uk
> >
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> >
> Ries Niemi
> Industrial Artist
> 
> http://www.RiesNiemi.com
> 
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