ok so i have like 1k from some scholarship fund i guess i have, cuz it came in the mail. im in a welding class, and the money HAS TO BE spent on materials. of coarse i have to buy: gloves, glasses, and mask. but i also have to buy a tig torch. so i was thinkin i might as well use up all this money, so how many amps should the welder i get have? keep in mind i only have 1k, and i have to buy the other stuff too.

matt

 

umm... try asking in the fab forum?

 

i think for that money you can either get the smiley or the hf.

 

well its not like i am fabbing anything, so i thought this would be the best forum. but i guess it could go there. sorry.

matt

 

Depends.

You want Mig or Tig? No matter what welder you get, you can add at least 150-200 for Gas, Gloves and Mask.

Normally when buying a new tig unit it comes with your torch. I am happy so far with my Smiley Tig. Mind ya, I had 2-3 Gas Bottles already, My Auto-Dark and Gloves, So I didn't have those costs.

As for amps, What do you plan on welding? For exhuast, manifolds and such, you shouldn't need anymore then 120-140amp.

 

well i already have a mask, gloves, and a tig torch. but i will have the extra expenses for the gas, but so far i only spent like $60, and i have gloves, mask, and a tig torch.

matt

 

i say go with the smiley tig it fits your budget... especially if your name is josh... seems like every guy on this forum named josh is picking one up. :P

 

hey now!

I'm really impressed with mine. But i hope soon to step up. Buying this unit was more or less a step in a direction to see if I could justify spending money on fabbing!

Bottle of gas around here cost about 90-110 the first time you lease it, then you just pay for re-fills. depends if you want to buy your bottles or lease them.

 

If you have 1K to spend, you can pick up an econotig from Miller for just a little more. There are a few good TIG machines between 1-2k.

 

Buying a smiley or HF machine will leave you a lot of money unspent.

Well, if you have to spend the money on welding stuff, look at it like a gift certificate you might get at Lowe's. If it's for $90, and you don't spend but $80 of it, you may lose the rest. If you spend $100, you may fork $10 out of pocket, but you don't lose anything.

Same may be true here. If you have to fork out a little extra money in order to take full advantage of what you have available, do it.

That in mind, you could probably fork out a small amount and get into something like a USED econotig or maybe get a Thermal Arc new. I'm not sure of the prices of them, exactly.