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Which TIG welder to buy? Lincoln PowerCRAFT or Mitech?


curtains

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Looking for a TIG welder for all my automotive projects, but can't really decide what to buy, my budget is around $2000 and wanting it to do everything I'd ever want to do on a car (Roll cages (eventually), intake manifold (aluminum), turbo manifold, exhaust system, and general fab work (fuel tank?)).

 

I currently have 0 experiance welding, but wanting to buy something that will last me which I can just practice and practice on.

 

So I've found a couple of options.

 

there's this Lincoln PowerCRAFT Tig 200 AC/DC for around $1800 (see specs on link), seems a bit cheap for a lincoln with lots of features and there's not much about them on the internet (raises some alarms). But it's got the Lincoln name ...

 

https://www.nationalwelding.com.au/catalog/pdf/lincoln%20tig%20200acdc_1375779422.pdf

 

or there's one of these Mitech Tig 200A chinese ones which NZ Welder Suppliers sell (see tradme link) which seem to have decent reviews about them from owners over the internet.

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/business-farming-industry/industrial/manufacturing-metalwork/welders/auction-757619021.htm

 

The Mitech one has more features (foot control) and a higher duty cycle but at the end of the day its relatively new brand compared to Lincoln which is my main concern.

 

Thoughs? Any welding Experts? Other options?

 

 

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$2000 for just the welder alone? Keep in mind gas, a nice helmet, gloves and possible electrical upgrades as it looks like both those will need 20A sockets. 

 

IGBTs on the lincoln are in theory less likely to shit themselves than the MOSFETs on the Mitech, but without knowing anything else about the internal construction it's pulling at straws really.

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$2000 for just the welder alone? Keep in mind gas, a nice helmet, gloves and possible electrical upgrades as it looks like both those will need 20A sockets. 

 

Around $2000ish is just a rough budget I want to spend on the welder alone, just after something that will best suit my needs, all accessories will come in time. I got a 30A socket ready for it.

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Lincoln use one every day. I love it, it just flows real mint if you know what I mean? Its not that model though. Id never buy one of those chinese or boc ones their shit, then again if it can weld ali maybe..

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Had a mitech that shat itself twice before they gave me a new replacement, which also shat itself. Sold it after paying to fix it after warranty ran out. Now using an oldschool nzig transtig which is awesomly crap but works at least..

How long ago did you own one?

Such a hard decision, seems like I have to spend $4k to get something decently reliable or luck of the draw with something else.

 

I bought one of these and it is the business. cost me $2k with a foot pedal, gas lense, and bottle.

I'm leaning towards one of these 2 year warranty sounds pretty good

What else in terms of TIG is everyone else using?

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proline welding supplies have sold heaps of those tigs like me and rookie have. They have been around importing and selling welding gear for a long time and know their beans and wheelbarrows.

 

Heard lots of good things about mitec too- would only buy from pmt though. I think that usually if something will crap out due to bad manufacturing it'll happen within the 2 year warranty period so you should be good. I had a faulty gas solenoid that they replaced on the spot no charge. all good since.

 

Id avoid anything sold by trademe sellers that dont specialise in welding etc. Places like savebarn etc. I'd rather pay a bit more to get something local so you dont have to post it back for repairs.

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I also have the blue one that rookie posted.

 

I bought mine from machinery house, its great , I have used it allot , they are very good.

 

www.machineryhouse.co.nz/w1125

 

they are on special, they have support in new Zealand if you ever need any parts service or help etc..  they even have a dedicated rep that you can call and harass if you need to talk turkey with some one. they guys in high brook drive were very helpful when I bought mine.

 

 

if I didn't buy the one I did , I was looking at another unit it was from weld tech it was a "xcel tig 200"  . they are also on high brook drive , they are awesome I cant recommend them enough, even if you just want so help in choosing materials , rods, tungsten's anything to do with welding they always are so helpful

 

they have very long warranty periods, they offer hugely discounted servicing of the machine if you have bough it from them , they do repairs on site, shit I really couldn't recommend them enough, the only reason I didn't end up buying from them was that the other welder from  machinery house was on special, I got the whole lot for 1800 including gst. was a little while ago now, but I think they are even cheaper now so that is more of a bonus

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Also, I haven't seen a welder IRL that has frequency control, It seems to just be the fancy welders that you see in youtube videos that have it.

 

Also if you do end up buying one like mine, the clean width knob works backwards, so if you want 70% you have to set it to 30% etc, it took me quite a lot of melted tungsten to figure that out.

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^ this I did not realise! Luckily I have usually just been leaving it at 50%

 

Yeah its not a welder you can sling under your arm and walk about with. Feels well made though and when i watched swap the gas solenoid while I waited the insides look well put together. Not that i know what im looking at but it looked pretty and had tidy wiring...

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