"Pete C." wrote in message
ster.com...

RogerN wrote:

"Don Foreman" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:41:50 -0500, "RogerN"
wrote:


"Pete C." wrote in message
onster.com...

RogerN wrote:

I have a 900 lb TIG welder in my shop building 5 miles away and am
considering getting rid of it to buy one I can move without a
forklift.
I
learned here that the little 120V Lincolns were a favorite for auto
body,
any favorite TIG welders for general purpose, maybe auto, home shop,
and
aluminum welding? I'm mainly interested in doing light gauge
welding
but
it
would be nice if it was capable of maybe up to 3/16"-1/4" aluminum.

RogerN

Syncrowave 250 - Perfect home machine and can be found used at a good
price.

It sounds like the perfect home welder, I'll watch for one for a good
price.

Are any of the portable lunchbox type TIG welders any good? I was
wanting
something I could carry, maybe have to carry the argon bottle in a 2nd
trip,
I don't really have an indoor place suitable for welding except in my
shop,
and that's where my 900lb beast of a welder is. I know it's often too
windy
to weld outside with shielding gas, but many evenings it is dead calm.

RogerN

There are inverter type TIG welders that weigh about 50 lb and can
weld up to 1/4" aluminum. Once such is the Miller Dynasty 200.
They're pricey. Lots of electronics, very expensive to repair if
that becomes necessary.

What about one of these:
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/tig/diversion_165/

$1650 list price seems reasonable.

I also saw a Hobart 165 amp TIG for $1299 but not sure of the weight.

RogerN

It looks cute, but it's not remotely in the same league as a Syncrowave
250.

That Diversion 165 is only rated to weld 3/16" thick aluminum max.

It has an air cooled torch vs. the water cooled torch typically found
with a Syncrowave.

It has 165A max output, and is only rated at 20% duty cycle at 150A. The
Syncrowave 250 is rated at 40% duty cycle at 250A output, and it's max
amperage is 310A (at lower duty cycle of course). The Syncrowave is
rated at 100% duty cycle at 150A output.

The Diversion also lacks the controls of the Syncrowave 250, such as
control of argon post flow time, AC balance control, ARC control (for
stick welding), and a few others. I doesn't appear that the Diversion
can do stick mode like the Syncrowave can, and the Syncrowave does stick
very well with it's ARC control.

Also keep in mind that just because these inverter machines are small,
doesn't mean you can just plug them into any 20A 120V outlet and do
meaningful welding, particularly on aluminum where you need more power
vs. steel. That Diversion 165 still requires a 50A 240V power feed (100A
240V for the Syncrowave). The Diversion 180 does give you the option of
running at reduced output from 120V, something you can't do with the
Syncrowave, though the Syncrowave will operate fine at reduced output
from smaller amperage 240V sources.

Running gear and foot pedal control are also optional accessories for
the Diversion 165. By the time you've added everything up you will have
spent vastly more than what you can find a used Syncrowave for and will
still have a far inferior machine. I wouldn't trade my Syncrowave for
anything.

I'm still interested in a synchrowave but I would pretty much have to build
an enclosure for it or keep it outside, I'm out of room in my utility room.
I have an old Miller TIG welder that can output over 400A with a water
cooled torch ac/dc high frequency, etc. But it's inconvenient to use
because it is in my shop 5 miles from my current residence and at 890lbs
plus carriage plus water cooler, plus bottle of argon, it's probably 1000lbs
or more total weight. My old Miller doesn't have synchrowave capabilities
but it is capable of thick aluminum and high current if I wire it for 100A
240V.

Maybe if I find a synchrowave 250 for a reasonable price I could build a
small enclosure on a trailer so that I could move it easily. That may allow
me to get more welder with good portability for not much more money than a
Diversion TIG 165 or similar.

I searched local advertisements, no bargain synchrowaves yet but I'm still
looking. I may try a wanted ad in Craigslist. I know there was probably a
dozen of these sold from the boat factory that closed, some may be in the
area not being used.

RogerN