Many of us think that welding only needs skill and patience. Which is true till welding becomes a profession. When the professionality mixes with skills the instruments for that profession should improve accordingly. Otherwise, there won’t be enough improvement in the skills and business. A solid tig welder is always important to do the high standard welding. Along with that power input, portability and sizes also matter.
These are the things that we are going to discuss here in this article with reviews of the many categorized tig welders. These are thoroughly reviewed and sorted out depending on its benefits and disadvantages.
Quick Comparison Between The Best Tig Welder
[table id=42 /]1. Forney Easy Weld 299 125FC Flux Core Welder
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Highlighted Features
- Only welds gasless flux core welding
- Can weld 24 gauge up to 1/4 inches
- 120-volt input and 125 amp output
- Can accept 2 and 10 pounds spools
If someone looking for a small, but durable welder he can choose Forney 299 125FC Flux Core Welder. It is the best simply because of the fact that this unit offers the latest features and impressive design.
It is the best choice tig welder if you are a beginner because it is easy to use and also has a low price. The drawback list is short, that makes it a wise investment. It is a small welder but it is capable of doing amazing welds. One can get welds that can be used in delicate spots and can withstand rough use.
This welder can be used in many applications. It can weld stainless steel which is the strongest and most durable materials in the world. These welders are resistant to damages.
Pressure and other things that usually can damage or ruin weld can be withstander by this product. This welder is a lot simpler than other products because of small dimensions. One can use this welder in different locations. The dimensions of this product are 23*11*18 inches and the weight is 41.9 pounds.
PROS
- Can weld stainless steel
- Has 6 months warranty
- Can be used in different locations
- Resistant to damages
- Easy to use
CONS
- Duty could have been better
2. Hobart 500551 EZ-TIG 165i AC/DC TIG Welder
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Highlighted Features
- It has one knob and one switch control of EZ to use interface
- Welds superior aluminum on AC output
- The fan only runs when needed to reduce dust
- A more consistent welding provided by inverter-based power source
- It has HF start
- For optimum shielding there is Auto-post-flow
- There is also a foot control included
- Shutdown automatically when the temperature is high
- Designed and manufactured in Appleton
- Provide five/three/one year's warranty
PROS
- It is very easy to use
- Weld stainless steel
- Two different output voltage for two different type of material
- It is also not very heavy
CONS
- Voltage maintaining could be complex for few to understand
3. Square Wave® TIG 200 TIG Welder K5126-1
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Highlighted Features
- It is very easy to use despite having advanced features
- For aluminum, it is a great tig machine
- From one power source it also TIG and stick
- One can take it anywhere and can also plug it anywhere
The square wave TIG 200 is a tig and stick welding machine. This welder is best for the creative enthusiasts and hobbyists. It has been made especially for welding aluminum materials with ease. One of the best on the market for aluminum welding.
Even small weddings are done with perfection by this one. It will help you to master in welding as well. Gradually it will grow your skill and confidence. The setup of this machine is very easy. One will also have the advantage of stick welding capability for outdoor work and thicker materials.
One can carry it anywhere and can also plug it anywhere in a standard 120V circuit or 230V for maximum output. The dimensions of this product are 20*20*13 inches and the weight is 73.2 pounds. This welder is portable and very convenient to use.
PROS
- IT explores products creativity
- Very easy to use
- It does both tig and stick
- Can carry it anywhere and plug it anywhere
- Portable and very convenient to use
CONS
- thick materials should be welded with extra caution
4. AHP AlphaTIG 200X Tig/Stick Welder
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Highlighted Features
- This product has 200HRTZ on PULSE FREQ
- This also has AC FREQ and New Torch
- It will weld 1/4'' aluminum 3/8'' mild steel and 110/220 volts
- It is also capable of welding 7018, 6013
- With PWM it has the advanced inverter technology
- Using IGTB technology
- Does quality TIG welding on aluminum, stainless or steel precise welding of thinner gauge materials
- For great tig welding control and operation, it has unit feature HF start tig and includes a foot pedal
PROS
- It is very affordable
- It is a high-quality welder in very affordable price
- It is very reliable
- Has very long lasting power source
- Has high-quality metal foot pedal control
CONS
- A little heavy
5. LOTOS Technology TIG140 DC TIG welder
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Highlighted Features
- More efficient; maximum rated output AMP
- New designed PCB board and cooling system
- 240 V input under of IGBT stick/Lift Start DC tig welder
- Input voltage 120-240 V AC
- This welder has dual frequency
- Welds 18 gauge to 1/4''
- Can weld both mild and stainless steels
- Includes many things like tig torch, stick electrode, Ground clamp, pigtail, TIG accessories and many more things
The LOTOS TIG140 tig welder has the capability of welding DC stick and DC TIG. This product is also a compact inverter Lift Start welder. This welder machine has to incorporate IGBT and feature performance and high efficiency. Along with efficiency, this is a welder which is easy to carry around with you because of its portability.
Apart from its outer qualities, the inside of this welder is also praiseworthy as it can weld ferrous metals, copper, and chrome steel with ease and detail works. This product is utilized with small clean powered generators.
This product also has new design PCB board and cooling system. The input voltage of this product is 110-240V AC. The dimensions of this product are 20*13.5*12.5 inches and the weight is 9.9 pounds.
PROS
- This welder is very easy to use
- Can weld stainless steel which has an uncommon structure than other materials
- has dual frequency
- This product is very efficient
CONS
- little expensive
6. EVERLAST PowerARC 140 TIG / Stick IGBT Welder
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Highlighted Features
- For easy connection there is DINSE 25mm style connectors
- For steel and stainless welding there are Life Start DC Tig setting
- There is a manual gas valve of 17V series built into torch handle
- The amp is 140
- Dual storage of 120/240 V
- This welder has CC IGBT inverter
The EVERLAST PowerARC 140 is the best tig welder for beginners and the weekend warriors. This product is a combination of reliability, versatility, and affordability. Some may be getting fooled by its size but the PowerARC can hold its own.
This machine has 120/240 dual input voltage. This welder is enough for hobbyists. The duty cycle is average. It is the most versatile welder in the market because of its stick welder. The best part of this machine is its simplicity.
This welder is very easy to use. This product is designed for the beginners. It is the best tig welder for the beginners and it is also very affordable. The weight of this product is 24.8 pounds and the dimensions are 20*12.5*13.5 inches.
PROS
- Can weld stainless steel
- very easy to use
- designed for beginners
- this welder is very reliable and affordable
CONS
- not much good for professionals
7. TIG Welder, DC, Maxstar 150 STL
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Highlighted Features
- This product has the dc inverter with DRC feature
- Tig and stick application
- Can weld steel
- Type of weld is DC
PROS
- This welder produces outstanding results
- This welder is the king of portability
- Can switch between 2 types of voltage
- this product has the lift technology and functional features
- It is also very affordable
CONS
- expensive
8. Everlast PowerTIG 255 EXT Digital Ac Dc Tig Stick Pulse Welder
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Highlighted Features
- Reliability and performance is raised by the Heavy-Duty IGBT power modules
- For DC low amp operation down to 3 amps and for AC low amp operation down to 5 amps
- there are different types of AC waveforms such as advanced square /soft square /Triangular /Sine
- Settings are quickly selected and adjusted
- Penetration on thicker metals is improved by AC Pulse mode
- Warping and burn through on thinner metals can be reduced by this welder
PROS
- Delivers exceptional power and performance
- Has a digital Microprocessor
- Can be operated in two voltages such as 120V and 220V
- very easy to use
- keeps operation simple
CONS
- practice required to use it
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING the best tig welder
Range of amperage
In this case what you have to look for is not the highest number of amperage but the range that the machine carries. The best amperage range is 5-230 A which is great to have because of its versatile usage. Along with this, you will also have to test that if the machine works as good as at the lowest mark and at the highest mark.Both AC/DC advantage
One of the most important things to consider while buying a tig welder is that considering if the machine can work with both AC/DC supply. If steel is the main thing that relates to your work then DC is enough to have but if aluminum and stainless are also a part of your daily work than AC is a must-have feature. The reason for having AC capability is to have a balance and also cleaning the oxidation along with the welding work.Power
115V is enough if the works of welding are done at household works. But if the projects are in different places and related to bigger or larger places than 220 V is safe to have in the hands. Otherwise at anytime you will fall short of the power in someplace. Precision depends on the power of the welders. So to get much more precision and professionalism you might also want to get 230V.Metals
Tig welders work with the thin metals. If you want something to weld thick metals than you should look for something else but not tig welder. You will need to have 1 AMP per 0.001-inch thickness.
Duty Cycle
Usually, average tig welders have 40% of the duty cycle. Many of them have 50% of the duty cycle. The one with less than 40% is of low quality. Even there are tig welders on the market which has 60-80% of the duty cycle. The higher the better, because you will be able to use it for a long time at once.ARC
Arc is another important feature of tig welders. It helps to avoid the tungsten resistance. Which ultimately helps the current to flow correctly. It is always good to start the machine with high frequency. The two types of arcs are a high-frequency arc and scratch arc.Heat and duty protection
There should always be an auto cooling system in tig welders because it is natural for a tig welder to get hot. The duty cycles of tig welders also are set according to the tig welder's capability. So that there is no chance of any kind of accidents.Why buy tig welder over mig welder?
Though in tig welders the welding is done by welding rod rather wire in migs. It needs both hands to operate it. Which is a bit inconvenient to use. But its finishing very smooth and better than migs. This is because of it slow welding, you can get enough time to smoothen the surface.
For better welding, you should choose migs because with that you can do the work faster and with greater length. Both of them has its pros and cons. It is also a clever idea to have both of them. Tig for better finish and mig for the best welding.
EASY to use
Whether it’s a tig welder or any device or machine, we should always try to buy one which is easy to use. Buying something whose user interface is hard to understand will only make it time-consuming to get used to that device or machine. As I wrote earlier tig welders should also be bought according to usage. It will be excellent if you buy the same model if you were using one.Auto voltage adjustment
Tig comes with several voltage options, but what this point is about is that the adjustment should be automatic. It is okay if you get the manual for yourself but if it is automatic the risk of not setting the voltage at the correct section would increase.Warrenty
Electronic machines should always be bought with warranties. Whether it is 6 months or 5 years. But it is always preferred to buy one with at least 1 year.Digitalized
Though it is not that much convenient with welders still you will find few on the market with a high price, which will come with digital display and user interface with selecting thickness, metal detection, voltage selection and other necessary information.Types of materials
It is safe to buy tigs with the ability to weld maximum metals. Otherwise, you will need to buy another one for welding a particular metal when in need.Conclusion
The reason behind writing this article is so that the buyers don’t waste their money buying the wrong welders with so much money. All the welders are expensive. So it would be a great loss if someone buys one and that doesn’t serve the buyer full to their satisfaction.
We reviewed many models which are the best among their categories. We provided you all types of information, points, facts, and difference between tig and mig to take your final decision.