How to Choose TIG Welder

If you’re in the market for a TIG welder, or maybe you’re new and don’t know how to choose TIG welder for your project, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed. There are so many different models available, and it can be difficult to know which one is right for your needs. In this guide, we will help you choose the TIG welder for your needs. We’ll discuss things to look out for when making your decision and provide tips on how to find the best welder for your budget. Let’s get started.

Welder’s input power

When you venture out to big projects, you’ll quickly realise you need up to 240V-250V. For that we would recommend hardware that is more fitted and sufficiently able to weld thick materials. Check the voltage limit when you choose your TIG welder. Most welders have a twofold voltage limit, which is unquestionably a good thing. Guarantees some flexibility to weld variety of material thickness.

Put the pedal to the metal, with foot pedals

The foot pedal has been one of the must-haves. It’s a life saver, when you’re hands are full, and you need to check impedance and temperatures. As you’d need to use both of your hands, the foot pedal is exceptionally helpful in ensuring you’re ready to change the settings without taking your eyes off the weld.

The pedal of the best quality TIG welder should be unimaginably responsive. Look for those that are ergonomic, and not too slanted. Most TIG welders come with a pedal, but be sure on off the chance that your machine doesn’t have one, or if you do, you can get one separately.

AC/ DC Power

Nowadays, when you choose TIG welder, there is a high chance it will work on either AC or DC. But keep in mind; that the type of currency you want to use depends on the material you are about weld. We recommend getting a machine that offers both currents if you work with more than one material.

Choose the right electrode

When using AC to weld, you would ideally go for oxide layer, such as magnesium and aluminum, to make the full advantage of AC. In contrast, for welds that need DC for welding metals, such as treated steel, nickel, copper, and others. This essentially means you need to plan ahead what TIG welder and electrode combination is right for your project.

Electrode plays a crucial role in the welding process. Better the electrode, the better the result will be. These days, we mostly use pure tungsten or tungsten alloy electrodes. The only downside of pure tungsten electrodes is that they are expensive but provide the highest durability while working on any material.

To help with identification, electrodes are color coded; pure tungsten is green in hue, whereas the composites are red, blue, earthy, or yellow, depending on the form of a mixture. The density of the terminal is similarly important to the outcome of the weld. It should not be too dense to imagine burning through the surface or too brittle to conceive of destroying itself.

Thickness of the material

The material thickness or density is the most crucial aspect that needs to be kept in mind while choose TIG welder. Be sure that the welder you are getting will do your task with ease or weld any material that your project requires.

Machines with a low amperage range will not be the best choice if you work with strong density aluminum or any other material. Any device with a range of between 5A-230A will ensure that you can weld any material from 1/4″ down to 24 gauge.

The cost

For many of you, this may not matter, but it matters the most for people with a low budget. Do not pay for any machine until you are sure that they can carry out the task or projects that you will be performing.

There are plenty of attainable TIG welders that will perform just as well as the best professional TIG welders, but at relatively lower prices.

Portability

Portability is one of the essential features to look for when you choose TIG welder. Easy portability will help you carry your device with ease, while a lack of portability can cause you lots of trouble while moving from one location to another.

Length of the duty cycle

A hugely important feature, but what is the duty cycle? The duty cycle indicates the time or length of the machine working without overheating. It is the proportion of time that a machine will operate (or weld) safely within a certain time limit at a specific amperage. The Weldforce WF-205MST multi-function welder, for example, has a duty cycle of 200 Amps 30%. This means it will run for 3 minutes at 200A throughout a ten-minute period. It is imperative to yours and welders’ safety, that when you are working continuously for quite a while, your TIG welder doesn’t overheat.

 The TIG welding machine can heat up quickly. We would recommend a standard 20 percent service cycle at 200A for two min; however, it will take at least ten minutes to cool off again to resume the job.

Multi-process welders

A multi-process welder is a welding machine that may weld multiple types of welding processes. Multi-process welders are useful in industries where welding equipment must adapt to ever-changing job requirements such as changing base metals, varying workpiece thicknesses, and specialized welding joint types. Even specific multi-process welders are available that can with with thicker materials

Are you looking for a TIG welder that offers more than one functionality? Read the manual or ask for this feature as this will help you work on different materials simultaneously without changing any settings. If you were planning to buy any other machine, this might have changed your mind.

Also Check Best TIG Welder Under 2000