Thread: Entry level AC/DC tig welder

I’m an apprentice fabricator, at work we mostly do heavy pipe work and manufacture chassis for rail grinders. In my spare time I want to get as much time behind the hood welding aluminium as possible. I’m running out of my garage on a standard 10 amp socket. My budget is around $1600. I came to metal work forums for advice as I haven’t had much luck finding information anywhere on welders purchasable through Australian retailers. At work I run a miller delta weld 602 with a 60 series wire feeder for all mig/flux core applications and a Kemppi mastertig (definitely can’t afford one of those) for tig applications so my boss/guys I work with can only really give me advice on higher end machines. I’m looking for a pulse machine with foot pedal compatibility. Some of the machines I’ve been looking at so far are,
https://www.toolmart.com.au/bossweld-660200.html
https://www.tradetools.com/product-r...yABEgKz4PD_BwE
https://www.gettoolsdirect.com.au/un...ig200acdc.html
https://www.boc.com.au/shop/en/au/bo...octig200acdc-p
https://www.totaltools.com.au/111558...welder-acdc200
https://www.totaltools.com.au/105750...-torch-k690214
https://bilba.com.au/products/transt...SABEgI8RPD_BwE

Any information on any of these machines or similar machines would be greatly appreciated, as I said I’ve looked everywhere and I’m struggling to find any thorough info on these machines.
Thank you all.

I've recently been through this process - I feel your pain.
There are so many things to consider, I could chat all day but you are a welder and I'm in IT, so I'd probably just be flapping my gums and boring your 4rse off lol.
Here is the main point that may prove useful to get you started:
If you want a welder with all the options (trust me, you do) it'll be hard to find one under 200A. It will come fitted with a 15A plug.
If you are a resourceful sort of bloke, you'll find a way to run one of these off a 10A conventional household plug socket but you'll need to make sure that you have a modern, 10A breaker in your circuit (not a bit of fence wire in a fuse holder), and be prepared to scurry off the the meter-box and re-set it, if you make long passes at moderate current.
You will definately not be able to use your welder at full power, and you'll almost certainly be in conflict with a regulation, if not actually breaking the law.
200 Amp Welders need 15A 240V supplies.
A competent electrician will be able to assess your situation, and let you know if a 15A socket can be fitted in your shed with existing wiring.
Good luck.
PS I bought one of these, for $650 delivered to my home in Melbourne and so far, so good. Actually, I'm very happy with it.
https://www.australiaindustrialgroup...elding-machine

Originally Posted by Fast Freddie

I've recently been through this process - I feel your pain.
There are so many things to consider, I could chat all day but you are a welder and I'm in IT, so I'd probably just be flapping my gums and boring your 4rse off lol.
Here is the main point that may prove useful to get you started:
If you want a welder with all the options (trust me, you do) it'll be hard to find one under 200A. It will come fitted with a 15A plug.
If you are a resourceful sort of bloke, you'll find a way to run one of these off a 10A conventional household plug socket but you'll need to make sure that you have a modern, 10A breaker in your circuit (not a bit of fence wire in a fuse holder), and be prepared to scurry off the the meter-box and re-set it, if you make long passes at moderate current.
You will definately not be able to use your welder at full power, and you'll almost certainly be in conflict with a regulation, if not actually breaking the law.
200 Amp Welders need 15A 240V supplies.
A competent electrician will be able to assess your situation, and let you know if a 15A socket can be fitted in your shed with existing wiring.
Good luck.
PS I bought one of these, for $650 delivered to my home in Melbourne and so far, so good. Actually, I'm very happy with it.
https://www.australiaindustrialgroup...elding-machine

Yeah I thought it might not be the safest option. I saw a few tool stores sell a converter called an amp-phibian, looks to be pretty trustworthy. https://www.totaltools.com.au/96106-...8m-10a-rv02max
i noticed it has a 10 amp overload so I’m hoping that it doesn’t just shut off instantly as soon as I try strike an arc. I had a look at this machine, conveniently they are located about 20km from me here in Perth, but I saw they were out of stock. They said they would be back in stock late April but I think with everything that’s going on right now, shipping is delayed from China.

Originally Posted by Fast Freddie

I've recently been through this process - I feel your pain.
There are so many things to consider, I could chat all day but you are a welder and I'm in IT, so I'd probably just be flapping my gums and boring your 4rse off lol.
Here is the main point that may prove useful to get you started:
If you want a welder with all the options (trust me, you do) it'll be hard to find one under 200A. It will come fitted with a 15A plug.
If you are a resourceful sort of bloke, you'll find a way to run one of these off a 10A conventional household plug socket but you'll need to make sure that you have a modern, 10A breaker in your circuit (not a bit of fence wire in a fuse holder), and be prepared to scurry off the the meter-box and re-set it, if you make long passes at moderate current.
You will definately not be able to use your welder at full power, and you'll almost certainly be in conflict with a regulation, if not actually breaking the law.
200 Amp Welders need 15A 240V supplies.
A competent electrician will be able to assess your situation, and let you know if a 15A socket can be fitted in your shed with existing wiring.
Good luck.
PS I bought one of these, for $650 delivered to my home in Melbourne and so far, so good. Actually, I'm very happy with it.
https://www.australiaindustrialgroup...elding-machine

yeah I thought I may be taking a risk haha. I’ve been looking around and I’ve come across this
https://www.totaltools.com.au/96106-...8m-10a-rv02max
seems pretty trust worthy, I noticed that it has overload protection at 10 amps, so I’m hoping it doesn’t just cut out as soon as I try strike an arc.
I did have a look at those machines, conveniently they are located about 20km away from me here in Perth. I noticed they are out of stock at the moment. They were due to be back in stock late April but with everything that’s going on right now my guess is they’re probably held up in China.

Yep, I've seen those gadgets. A great idea but $200 goes a long way towards picking up the smaller torch and the foot-pedal you'll need.
Someone who's not me has a $10 plug board with a built-in overload protection and he's adjusted one of the earth slots to accomodate the 15A plug's earth pin. He's mad of course.
It seems that being out of stock is how they roll at AIG. I had to wait a while and I guess that he had all the money up-front to pay for his shipment of welders as soon as they arrived from China, but $650 is a really good deal for high-frequency start, ac/dc, pulse and 60% duty cycle (for when you get access to 15A).
I find the machine to be solidly-built and easy to use. I hadn't done any tig welding before I picked this unit up, so I have nothing to compare it to, but as a complete noob, I found it easy to control (the torch has a simple trigger and 2t/4t setting) and I was running clean beads on my first try (well, second try actually, I forgot to turn on the gas )
For stick welding on mild steel, it's way smoother than anythig I've used before.
I also like the fact that it has separate dials for all the controls. This means you can see at a glance where your settings are, without having to select a unique setting, every time you want to change, or find out what's going on.
Good luck with what ever you choose.
Freddie

I’d suggest having a chat to your employer and seeing if they will help you by getting a machine in for you via one of their trade accounts. That might help you get a higher quality machine. Seeing as you are apprenticed to them it’s in their best interest to foster your enthusiasm because they get a higher skill level out of it faster. Doesn’t hurt to ask.

If you can find out who the welding supply rep is for your company and get in touch with them direct, they might be able help you with a deal on something they sell.

The other thing you may be able to harness is the federal government’s Tools for apprentices program.

Originally Posted by racingtadpole

I’d suggest having a chat to your employer and seeing if they will help you by getting a machine in for you via one of their trade accounts. That might help you get a higher quality machine. Seeing as you are apprenticed to them it’s in their best interest to foster your enthusiasm because they get a higher skill level out of it faster. Doesn’t hurt to ask.

If you can find out who the welding supply rep is for your company and get in touch with them direct, they might be able help you with a deal on something they sell.

The other thing you may be able to harness is the federal government’s Tools for apprentices program.

You’re on the money there. I mentioned it to my boss he told me to have a look around and let me know what I came across, he said he was willing to help out any way he can, which is a big bonus.
i haven’t heard about the tools for apprentices program but I will look into that. I know when they signed me up they offered me an interest free loan through the government but I chose not to take it. I know once upon a time all apprentices got a mandatory tool allowance but like everything else people had to ruin it by spending money on Bali holidays, tattoos, commodores and whatever else so they completely stopped it. Sucks for people like me who actually want to buy equipment so they can up skill in there spare time.

Originally Posted by Fast Freddie

Yep, I've seen those gadgets. A great idea but $200 goes a long way towards picking up the smaller torch and the foot-pedal you'll need.
Someone who's not me has a $10 plug board with a built-in overload protection and he's adjusted one of the earth slots to accomodate the 15A plug's earth pin. He's mad of course.
It seems that being out of stock is how they roll at AIG. I had to wait a while and I guess that he had all the money up-front to pay for his shipment of welders as soon as they arrived from China, but $650 is a really good deal for high-frequency start, ac/dc, pulse and 60% duty cycle (for when you get access to 15A).
I find the machine to be solidly-built and easy to use. I hadn't done any tig welding before I picked this unit up, so I have nothing to compare it to, but as a complete noob, I found it easy to control (the torch has a simple trigger and 2t/4t setting) and I was running clean beads on my first try (well, second try actually, I forgot to turn on the gas )
For stick welding on mild steel, it's way smoother than anythig I've used before.
I also like the fact that it has separate dials for all the controls. This means you can see at a glance where your settings are, without having to select a unique setting, every time you want to change, or find out what's going on.
Good luck with what ever you choose.

Freddie

yeah that is true, it does seem like that is my only option though, or get a sparky to fit a 15amp socket in my garage which I have no idea how much that would cost. Any other options to run 15 amp? Haha
wow that is a lot of features for such a low cost machine, my initial thoughts are it might just be another cheap Chinese machine (once again no reviews anywhere). But it sounds like you’ve had a good experience with it. How many hours do you roughly have on the machine?

Originally Posted by Fast Freddie

Yep, I've seen those gadgets. A great idea but $200 goes a long way towards picking up the smaller torch and the foot-pedal you'll need.
Someone who's not me has a $10 plug board with a built-in overload protection and he's adjusted one of the earth slots to accomodate the 15A plug's earth pin. He's mad of course.
It seems that being out of stock is how they roll at AIG. I had to wait a while and I guess that he had all the money up-front to pay for his shipment of welders as soon as they arrived from China, but $650 is a really good deal for high-frequency start, ac/dc, pulse and 60% duty cycle (for when you get access to 15A).
I find the machine to be solidly-built and easy to use. I hadn't done any tig welding before I picked this unit up, so I have nothing to compare it to, but as a complete noob, I found it easy to control (the torch has a simple trigger and 2t/4t setting) and I was running clean beads on my first try (well, second try actually, I forgot to turn on the gas )
For stick welding on mild steel, it's way smoother than anythig I've used before.
I also like the fact that it has separate dials for all the controls. This means you can see at a glance where your settings are, without having to select a unique setting, every time you want to change, or find out what's going on.
Good luck with what ever you choose.
Freddie

Yeah that is very true. I think that may be my only option though, either that or get a sparky to fit a 15amp outlet, which I have no idea how much that would cost. Any other ideas? Haha
Wow that sounds like a lot of features for such a low cost welder. My initial thoughts were that it was another cheap Chinese machine that I would spend more time fixing or sending it back rather than actually welding, but it sounds like you’ve had a good experience so far. How many hours roughly do you have on the machine?

Just stumbled across this machine
https://unimig.com.au/product/viper-...dc-tig-welder/
saw that it has a 10 amp plug, which is something I’ve not seen in an ac tig machine. Could this be a bad thing?
any info on this machine would be much appreciated.

Those adapters are more like $70 or so. https://www.campsmart.net.au/15a-to-...SABEgIInvD_BwE

But they will trip, and often.

Hi Jdiable,


Welcome to the MetalWork Forums forums.

First up with my mods hat on let me provide a guide to the whole of the Forum. You can look around by clicking of Forum in the top LH cnr.
A pull down menu appears where you can select Forum Home on the top line. Click Forum Home and it will take you to a scrollable page which has all our forums and help pages.Please take time to read the forum rules -Terms of Use at the top.

re info of your welders.

Can I suggest that you pick up the phone and call Peter at Token tools.? He is a very helpful and amiable bloke and has a very good reputation on this forum going back well over a decade.

Not only is he an ex electrician,but has trained as an electrical engineer. Peter has designed and had the welders he sells built to his own specifications in China.

He has excellent after sales and warranty on the welders he sells .

Having a bricks and mortar sales outlet he is able to repair what he sells if warranty is required.

Usual disclaimer applies as my only connection is as a very satisfied customer.

Grahame

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

Hi Jdiable,


Welcome to the MetalWork Forums forums.

First up with my mods hat on let me provide a guide to the whole of the Forum. You can look around by clicking of Forum in the top LH cnr.
A pull down menu appears where you can select Forum Home on the top line. Click Forum Home and it will take you to a scrollable page which has all our forums and help pages.Please take time to read the forum rules -Terms of Use at the top.

re info of your welders.

Can I suggest that you pick up the phone and call Peter at Token tools.? He is a very helpful and amiable bloke and has a very good reputation on this forum going back well over a decade.

Not only is he an ex electrician,but has trained as an electrical engineer. Peter has designed and had the welders he sells built to his own specifications in China.

He has excellent after sales and warranty on the welders he sells .

Having a bricks and mortar sales outlet he is able to repair what he sells if warranty is required.

Usual disclaimer applies as my only connection is as a very satisfied customer.

Grahame

Thanks mate, I’ve just had a look at the terms of use.
I have seen a bit about these machines online. It’s a bit over my budget but maybe the reach could be worth it for some solid after sales support. Thanks for the info.
Any advice on my power problem? Haha
Thanks a lot

Originally Posted by Jdiable

saw that it has a 10 amp plug, which is something I’ve not seen in an ac tig machine. Could this be a bad thing?

Welders are just gearboxes for electricity - what you feed it is proportional to what you can get out. No free lunches here.
Feed it 240V, 15A out of the wall, and get 200A at 23V or in that ballpark... out the sparky end for welding.


Plugs fitted to the machine (without opening a can of worms, has happened before), depends on a few things-
-If the machine meets the respective australian standards and certification for that machine (bigger manufacturers will, smaller ones, probably not wanting to wear the cost)
-Plug fitted relates to the effective current the machine draws at max output - this is calculated with a number of variables, one being 'duty cycle'. Lower duty cycles (and throttling of a machine based on its protection circuit) makes a more favourable effective current value, hence a lower Ieff value, and smaller amperage plug allowed to be fitted.
-the risk of a low duty cycle is less productivity, so this goes hand in hand with whether the machine is a home based unit, or one more suited to production environments.

The effective current is what will be tripping your circuit breaker. if you have a 10A breaker, and machine draws a consistent 15A, you are operating at a higher heat (current draw) in that circuit than it was designed for (Bad for nuisance trips, bad for potential other issues, if your wiring is not up to snuff). NB the current the machine draws from the wall is completely different to the current that you weld with - this has to do with the transformer being an inductor between the input (wall) and output (welding) circuits.

Originally Posted by Commander_Keen

Welders are just gearboxes for electricity - what you feed it is proportional to what you can get out. No free lunches here.
Feed it 240V, 15A out of the wall, and get 200A at 23V or in that ballpark... out the sparky end for welding.


Plugs fitted to the machine (without opening a can of worms, has happened before), depends on a few things-
-If the machine meets the respective australian standards and certification for that machine (bigger manufacturers will, smaller ones, probably not wanting to wear the cost)
-Plug fitted relates to the effective current the machine draws at max output - this is calculated with a number of variables, one being 'duty cycle'. Lower duty cycles (and throttling of a machine based on its protection circuit) makes a more favourable effective current value, hence a lower Ieff value, and smaller amperage plug allowed to be fitted.
-the risk of a low duty cycle is less productivity, so this goes hand in hand with whether the machine is a home based unit, or one more suited to production environments.

The effective current is what will be tripping your circuit breaker. if you have a 10A breaker, and machine draws a consistent 15A, you are operating at a higher heat (current draw) in that circuit than it was designed for (Bad for nuisance trips, bad for potential other issues, if your wiring is not up to snuff). NB the current the machine draws from the wall is completely different to the current that you weld with - this has to do with the transformer being an inductor between the input (wall) and output (welding) circuits.

so what you’re saying is if I got a machine that met Australian standards and met the other requirements you listed I could safely fit a 10 amp plug to a 15 amp welder?
sorry I’m just super new to the electrical side of things. Where I work if there’s any electrical problem in the slightest we get a sparky in, no matter what. No cowboy stuff allowed haha. Hence why I haven’t played with electricity much. I’m learning though ( could be dangerous )
thank you sir