Lincoln TIG 200-any good? Please advise.
 

Everybody,
Today I was buying some welding supplies and noticed the Lincoln
TIG 200 welder. The machine is $1400.00 and it seems to be a nice
machine for the price.
It comes with an air cooled torch and doesn't have a connection for
a water cooled torch. I don't think that will be a problem because of
the welder I now use.The machine I have been using for years is an old
Miller Gold Star with a torch cooler I built myself. It still works
and I'm going to keep it because of the 1 to 10 amp current range on
the machine which I use from time to time. I can't think of any
reason why I couldn't share the cooler I built for the Miller with the
new Lincoln. I could be wrong though and would like to know if I am.
The Miller has a water solenoid but I have never used it because my
coolant supply is recirculated. AllI would need to do is put a couple
quick disconnects on each welder and the cooler unit. I could even
share my water cooled torch, at least for a while, by using a quick
disconnect with it. That would be easiest at first because I would
only have to swap the torch to welder connection.
These new lightweight welders with the pulsed DC and AC, variable
AC frequency, and variable duty square wave AC make my old Gold Star
look like a stone age tool. And I have seen the results of welds from
these machines and like 'em.
I read most of the manual for the machine and it says not to use
pure tungsten electrodes. Anybody know why that is? I do have and use
other electrodes that can be used for aluminum, the lanthanated type,
but the manual doesn't give a reason why pure tungsten is to be
avoided. Anybody know?
So, any opinions anybody? Advice is welcome. I am willing to look
at other machines too.
Thanks a bunch,
Eric