dumaster
12-04-2006, 08:28 PM
i see in harbor site a tig welder , look above
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=91811
this welder is good or no ???
i need home tig welder for hobbyst welding , chicago is good ??? , have other welder ???
Chicago Electric have a WebSite ???
Miller Welder = www.millerwelds.com (http://www.millerwelds.com)
Ready Welder = www.readywelder.com (http://www.readywelder.com)
Chicago Welder = ????
Please Help Me !!!!
Thanks
Eduardo
From Brazil !!!
Tom Slick
12-07-2006, 03:24 PM
that welder is DC only and with only 130 amps max. you will do 1/8" mild steel max, no aluminum.
massajamesb
12-07-2006, 06:08 PM
I have welded 1/4 plate with 90-110 amps. Good penetration.
If you need a heavy duty machine, such as a shop or industrial need, stick with Lincoln, Miller, Esab, etc. in the form of a 220 volt machine. There are also brands such as Hobart (owned by Miller) where in you can buy a quality machine for a much cheaper price. 200 amp minimum.
If you are looking for a small welder to keep around the house, or for occasional shop or light industrial use, look at the Miller econotig, or the Hobart equivalent
For an even lighter duty machine, look at www.usaweld.com and give HTP a try. They have a 80 amp model that might work well for a hobbyist, that is under 300 dollars USD, plus the cost of the tig torch.
The Chicago Electric welder may fuse metal, but the heart of a welder is in the transformer. With a cheap or poorly wound transformer, you will see very sloppy and failed welds, as well as a short life span. The inside of most Chicago Electric machines I have seen is short of high end quality.
Especially with GTAW, the transformer matters most. If you can't get a smooth clean arc, then you won't have any welds come out worth keeping. The smoother and more stable the arc, the cleaner and stronger the welds will be. Hope this helps.
Tom Slick
12-07-2006, 07:03 PM
I should have been more clear;
90-110 amps stick welding 1/4" plate is good but to use it as a tig you need more IMHO. you run into duty cycle issues when you have your machine cranked up and I'm sure they are overstating their 35% duty cycle.
Since you "need" a tig welder I am assuming you want to weld aluminum. you need to have a machine with AC to weld aluminum.
The other question is if Chicago Electric is any good. They are Harbor Freight's own brand and Harbor Freight is known as the cheapest place to get cheap tools of questionable quality.
massajamesb
12-07-2006, 07:06 PM
I should have been more clear;
90-110 amps stick welding 1/4" plate is good but to use it as a tig you need more IMHO. you run into duty cycle issues when you have your machine cranked up and I'm sure they are overstating their 35% duty cycle.
Since you "need" a tig welder I am assuming you want to weld aluminum. you need to have a machine with AC to weld aluminum.
The other question is if Chicago Electric is any good. They are Harbor Freight's own brand and Harbor Freight is known as the cheapest place to get cheap tools of questionable quality.
I agree. I as well should have been more clear. Thank you for the clarification. When I wrote that, I had assumed he was referring to GMAW.
I believe we feel the same about the product quality.:)
dumaster
12-08-2006, 07:17 PM
Thanks for help and explanations !!!
dumaster
12-08-2006, 08:08 PM
For an even lighter duty machine, look at www.usaweld.com (http://www.usaweld.com) and give HTP a try. They have a 80 amp model that might work well for a hobbyist, that is under 300 dollars USD, plus the cost of the tig torch.
James
I liked this TIG of the HTP, he wanted to know if he exists some store that commercializes HTP and that it can send for Brazil, you can help me?
Thanks and Best Regards
Eduardo
massajamesb
12-11-2006, 05:09 PM
They do not have a store that I am aware of. I would check Ebay as well, as they sell on there frequently.
Or are you asking if someone can export one for you?