I've been using my HF fluxcore for awhile now since I got it for x-mas a couple of years ago and decide it's time to upgrade since in a year my wife will be graduating college and I'll be able to go back for metal fabrication and get my learn on.... Anyways I'm looking to get a TIG with a plasma so first thing that I was eyeballing were the Smiley/Mitec/Chirey TIG/ARC/Plasma units. There was a place selling them for 439 starting out or buy it now for like 5 something but cancelled all there bid type auctions and just have the buy it now units for 550. Now I found this which seem pretty good since it was also AC so I could do AL also but it said it runs off of 110v or did reading comprehension own me http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...5876&rd=1&rd=1
Let me hear your thoughts or suggestion on this? I'm looking to spend around the 5-600 range shipping included so thats Smiley ground on pricing.

 

buy a real welder. having owned the smiley, a miller and a thermal arc. the smiley is a piece fo ----, youll get aids from it.

 

It list a 35 amp plasma cutter. You would be lucky to get through 16ga sheetmetal with that. My smiley is still kicking. I just use it as a plasma cutter now. Its good to start with. My thermal arc is a night a day difference though.

 

I was checking out the Thermal Arc 185's but I want the plasma cutter option so thats what is making me like the Smiley units.

 

If you can swing the thermal arc get it, do some local work on aluminum and use the money to buy a plasma if you want one. I'm working on getting a plasma, but I want a thermal dynamics that will cut like crazy

Later
Randy

 

The Thermal Arc is actually cheaper then the Smiley unit. After looking at it though it sounds like a over priced HF unit since it has scratch start. Hell it doesn't even use 220.
http://cgi.ebay.com/THERMAL-ARC-DRAG...QQcmdZViewItem
I guess it's basically looking like I'm back the Smiley unit. Any other suggestions?

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/THERMAL-ARC-ARC-...QQcmdZViewItem

 

Wow, that is expensive. Not sure why Indiana Oxygen doens't have any on ebay right now but they should have them for less than $2000 shipped. There seller name is weldingsuppliesatioc
I got mine from them about a year ago for $1689 shipped

Later
Randy

 

i think this is outta the OP's price range.

 

if you never had a tig welder before i say smiley, it s great machine for starters, i know thermal arc and other units are alot better, but for a guy that might use it once every two week i think its all you will need, just get some gas lenses and do the pedal mod and you will be more that happy with the performance of the tig,