1st Gen Lunchtable Thread - General Discussion

I'll give him the tundra, he did get that and actually make it into something usable even if he forgot to have it painted. But yeah everything else is always in progress but never checking anything off the list.

 

@0xDEADBEEF

So like I said, looking at the specs, that Lincoln offers a shit ton of features.

However, at $2k, you're nearing other machines that offer quite a bit even by the blue brand.

Anyway, at that price and being used, I'd offer less even after checking it out and making sure everything is good to go. Been watching CL and FB diligently for a lightly used TIG welder until I ultimately decided to buy the same welder I'm using at school; only cost me $782.

 

Yeah, I agree 2k is pretty steep for something used. Lincoln has a $400 rebate on right now that makes a new one only $500 more.

I should sit down and see what is out there new that might fit what I’m looking to do, might be a good fit there. Hard to get a feel for parts availability on some of them, especially I’m trying to make sure stuff is available locally.


Not sure that red wouldn’t clash with the pretty blue one already in the garage


Thanks for your insight!

 

Good deal

 

The secret is in how you write the list. For example, this is how I start a tire rotation:

☐ turn off engine
☐ Park truck
☐ Get out floor jack
☐ Position floor jack
☐ Lift truck
☐ Break loose top lug nut, front pass tire
☐ Etc…


I check a lot of boxes, but my boss sees just how much I get done!

 

When you need the whole cardboard dumpster to get a project done haha. I always have a slab of cardboard with my major checklist on it. Some shit I take for granted like plugging the lights in, I'll probably just write tail lights on the list haha

 

Haha. Definitely. I write checklists and then forget to check them off, but the stuff gets done, so I guess they work after all?

 

Not to sway your decision one way or another, but I'll throw something to bite on.

I'm doing TIG welding at the moment for school, whereas I'm doing strictly MIG at work.

With that said, this allows me to focus solely on what won't be available to me in the future to come - TIG welding.

My requirements are mainly to weld aluminum, and thin metal whether it be mild or stainless steel.

In order to do aluminum, you need to be able to run AC. Most machines under $1k are DC only which means, no aluminum.

Let's say aluminum isn't in your future, you can get away with it on a spool gun on a MIG machine.

Even most of those sub $1k machines lack high-frequency, which means you'll literally need to touch your electrode to your base metal to start your arc. One thing I don't like about, say the Lincoln 210MP is that, when you start your gas (via a knob on your torch), that thing is running into you shut it off. I've gotten used to my gas only coming on when I want it, and shutting off when I need it too. Pre-flow and post-flow features are nice in that, you can set the length of time you want gas to flow before you start your arc, and how long you want it to continue after you've finished your weld.

Going back to aluminum, as it affects this more than steel, is the ability to adjust the frequency of your arc. This means you can literally widen or narrow the arc which results in the ability to control your bead profile, as well as penetration. Add balance into the mix, and now you're able to better weld through that hard oxide layer (cleaning) without overheating the base metal with a lower melting point than its surface.

I'm still a complete noob when it comes to TIG so take everything I say lightly, but I will say I nerd out pretty hard about stuff that really interests me.

And it's for that reason that I said the Primeweld 225X was the best choice for me under $1k. It's pretty recently too that I found out, the TIG torch provided with the welder is actually made by another company, a reputable one at that. And it's better than the ones found on the other machines I use at school; my favorite feature is the flexible head.

I hear a lot of good things about the Harbor Freight ProTIG 205, but it is a good $400+ more. Guess the advantage here is, you can opt to buy it as well as the warranty, and head down to your local HF for a return/exchange if the need were to arise.

 

Ha, I just moved from out there.

 

You from salinas homs. You guys had a murder squad where you lived

 

Old Stage Road is outside the city

 

The goal here is definitely aluminum, I've got some stuff to repair, and a few projects in mind that would benefit from it. The stick welding on that lincoln would be a bonus and probably not used real often (but clutch when needed).

I feel a spreadsheet coming on for keeping track of features, there are so many. One of the things I saw about that lincoln is the post flow isn't adjustable and tends to be a bit long, so it eats through gas more quickly. Little quirks like that and the flexible torch you mentioned make me want to dig into this and try out as much as possible for throwing money at it.

I have funny feelings about HF. Some of their stuff really impresses me, but it also makes me nervous that they're the only place I could go for parts or service. Was talking to one of the guys at the local praxair last time I got a bottle and he said they can't repair anything HF because there is no way to get parts. So that means if I run out of warranty, I'm pretty much on my own for repairs. Not a great feeling for something I'd like to keep for a long time.

Thanks again.

 

One to add to your calculus. I'm not a huge use of the TIG, but we keep an AHP AlphaTIG 200x at the shop and it keeps up with normal aluminum and stainless work without issue. I've used it as a stick welder more than TIG haha

 

I think every time I turn around I learn about a new welder brand Power electronics have gotten a whole lot better the last 10-15 years, and design tools are cheap. Maybe thats why we've got so many options now. Thanks!

 

It may seem like a lot of features, but really they're not.

And unless you're doing something structural, welding pipe and stuff where your welds will be x-rayed, those features won't even be used. Keep this in mind so you don't overwhelm yourself.

TIG welders can do stick, so I wouldn't call it a feature. Hell, you can even turn a basic stick welder to do TIG. @Blue92 went this way about it on his own machine and does scratch TIG.

I can't comment on service, but the whole needing to repair part, is moot if you're simply able to just return the machine in order to exchange for a new one. It's a big reason why some guys choose the HF machine, even if they hadn't had an issue with it yet.

Yes, the flexible head torch is nice, but keep in mind that it hooks up via a standard Dinse 35 connector. You'll become more familiar with what's standard, and what's proprietary. One machine that's notorious for hard-to-come-by parts are Esab machines. At least with a machine that uses standard stuff, you can easily go to your local Barnes & Noble, Airgas, or whatever local welding supply store is near you and get what you need.

 

Truth be told, I may be doing stick for awhile on it as well as I show my co-worker

He's never done stick before.

 

Ok, good to know. Maybe I can keep this down to a notepad.

 

Rare photograph of a beached land whale

 

Man, this is pretty price competitive even with the spool gun I looked at a while back:
https://ahpwelds.com/collections/tig-welders/products/alphatig-203i

 

Yeah, and just to touch on the TIG <-> stick thing....

Stick welders can TIG and vice versa in a basic sense.

With a stick welder, you have an electrode that is 'consumable'. When you strike an arc to complete the circuit, your electrode burns and becomes the filler in whatever you're welding.

With TIG, your electrode is not consumable. It is made of tungsten and will not melt. You strike an arc the same way to complete the circuit, but instead you melt the base metals and fuse them together and/or add filler as well. The big difference here is, you'll need to introduce Argon into the mix as your shielding gas.

Stick welding, also known as shielded metal arc welding, uses a flux that coats your weld to protect it as it cools.