Not woodwork I know, advice on a TIG welder!

[seaco]

Hi All


Hope you'll forgive me I realise it's not woodwork related but I was hoping someone could help, I have the chance to buy a second hand Fronius TransPocket 1500 MMA/TIG welder, the problem is I've never used one TIG is something I've been wanting to learn for quite a while but I'm unsure if I should go for one of these or a more standard type of TIG welder?

www.wellyweld.com/products/Fronius-Tran ... 72851.aspx

I will use it for all sorts so I don't want anything to specialised to one thing also I realise it wont weld aluminium...

Any help really appreciated

Lee

 

[flh801978]

Looks an expensive unit new?
I recently bought a RYVAL 170 amp from my local BOC depot
its a mma with lift tig
and its fantastic
I can pick it up with one finger
its quiet
its powerfull easy to start on mma
easy to use on tig ( you cant do alloy)
my unit was just over £250 from boc with bags to carry and auto helmet as a deal
tig torch and supplies were about £100 and gas is an extra ( pure argon) but I got that from another welding supplier that doesnt charge rental

I dont do a lot of welding I once had a bottle of mig sheilding gas 11 years before changing it at boc @ £80 per year rental

Ian

But if your deal on the fronius is good it looks a good unit

 

[AndyT]

You might get more answers if you post this in the metalworking section, which has some quite long discussions on this sort of thing.

 

[dickm]

You might get more answers if you post this in the metalworking section, which has some quite long discussions on this sort of thing.

+1
Have only once tried TIG, with an instructor, and just couldn't get the hang of it.....................

 

[mind_the_goat]

Hope you'll forgive me I realise it's not woodwork related

Which is why there is metalworking forum

All hail to NORM" if he uses it I want one...

Never seen him use a welder

If you have never welded before you might want to see if there is a local course you can go on, I did a one day intro before buying my Mig welder and it helped a lot deciding what to buy, still can't weld though
Unless of course it's an absolute bargain and you could sell it on if it didn't work out.

 

[seaco]

Thanks for the replies lads,

Ian, your welder looks interesting and I'm wondering what the one I spoke of has extra to make it so expensive new?

Rob, Unfortunately I live fairly rural so courses are hard to come by this is why forums like this are invaluable for people like me you can learn such a lot!

As for where I posted well I did realise there is a metalworking section but I thought that even woodworkers sometimes go to the dark side and work with metal... :twisted: but as you say I will post the same question there...

Lee

 

[mind_the_goat]

Rob, Unfortunately I live fairly rural so courses are hard to come by this is why forums like this are invaluable for people like me you can learn such a lot!

I thought I was rural but the location of my course makes my area look like a capital city. I'd recommend it but it didn't cover TIG.

Found this in Somerset http://somerset.floodlight.co.uk/so...-practices/16180339/54281972/course-info.html

 

[seaco]

Thanks for that Rob, looked into it but it's an 80 mile round trip each time, I'll keep looking closer to home...

 

[woodshavings]

This website/forum may be useful.
www.mig-welding.co.uk
It covers both TIG and MIG

HTH
John

 

[seaco]

Thanks John very useful site...