How to tig weld #3: All about Machines, amperage, A/C controls & more.

[@ls2005019227]

I've been tig welding for about 10yrs....but still watched this whole video, because Greg does such a fantastic job explaining the details- Thanks for the fantastic information/presentation Greg!

[@Christopherbever]

Greg! I finally got my TIG! Finally I can put all your tig videos to practice. I got a 2015 Everlast 210ext W water cooler, argon, Tillmans, and a shit load of consumables for $900 what a steal from Craigslist

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Awesome 👍, that’s the best news I heard all day. Prepare to suck at tig for a while, but once you get your movements smooth and consistent you will be amazed at what you can do 😀.

[@Christopherbever]

@ I just keep thinking of your golf analogy lol you suck for a while or years and then all of the sudden your good one day

[@dondotterer24]

Thanks for the detailed videos. You do the best beginners videos!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Thanks for the kind words. I will be making sure by time I am done with tig anyone will be able to learn to weld decent with it 😀👍.

[@dondotterer24]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg Thanks. I need the help. Even if I know gas, mig and arc.Lol

[@sasca854]

Another great video. You're my favorite purveyor of welding knowledge, my friend!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Glad you liked it 👍. Up next will be a whole video on controlling arc gap and a whole video on adding filler metal. There will be a ton of tips to get really solid results with minimal skill, and tips for more experienced people 😀👍

[@rjay1674]

Thank you Greg for this series. Around 7yrs. ago I purchased an ESAB 215IC with the intended purpose of learning how to MIG and TIG weld and did not want to purchase separate machines. I have managed to do both with the help of KZbin U channels. I have always had problems with lift arc. I am 75 yrs old disabled Viet Nam Veteran and am just not that steady. Recently I purchased a PrimeWeld Tig325x with a water cooler. I decided to go big this time. I haven't even tried to weld with it yet but in trying to understand this machine I found your channel. I have watched all 3 of your videos on how to tig weld and for the first time I understand at least some of the specifications and abilities of this machine. I can't thank you enough for doing these videos and anxiously await the next episode. You may ask why I am doing this at 75 yrs. old? I am customizing a '62 Impala and a '64 Malibu. I have built a machine, fabrication, and sheet metal shop in my 3 car garage. This is what I do all day, everyday instead of sitting in a recliner watching Fox news. Thanks again and I hope you feel some satisfaction in how others are benefiting from your efforts.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Glad to hear you are investing in your skills and not putting down the tools. What you wrote is both motivating to me and reaffirms why I make the videos: to help people better their skills and believe in themselves. Regarding lift arc, it is harder to get a clean start than high frequency. High frequency makes it far easier, and you tend to have a much cleaner tungsten. I will have a bunch more tig videos coming out (over 12) between now and the end of November. I want to make sure all aspects are covered so in the future when I start doing project videos I don’t have to spend any time explaining how to do what I do as far as welding is concerned. Also, the primeweld 325 is basically capable of anything a person would want to do. The water cooler makes it far easier to learn to weld aluminum because the torch doesn’t get overly hot. You will have no issue following the videos I will put out with that machine 😀.

[@rudyrivera7426]

I just brought an Everlast power I-tig 200T ! Wow! Great explanation,video! Thanks for sharing!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

No problem 😀👍. That everlast will do a ton of work for you, and you will be able to follow along without issue.

[@tallyman15]

By the way, you convinced me to upgrade my argon regulator. I went with a Harris 355-2. What a nice unit. Designed, machined and assembled in America 7-year warranty. Looking forward to the precision. Thanks for the recommendation.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

It’s definitely worth it. Every cheap one I have owned either leaked out of the box or soon after. It pays to have atleast one solid reliable flow meter.

[@chrisbangemann1792]

I’ve been welding for over 30 years and 5 years ago I upgraded to a yeswelder ac/dc 250p and it has been an awesome machine and I’ve welded aluminum and thin and thick steel and has never let me down. Only issues I’ve ever had is operator error

[@garthland]

I started 25 years ago with a Thermal Dynamics 190GTS,400 bucks well invested! I just got home from welding 12 inch x52 pipe off my Pipepro400,nice welding pipe again

[@tallyman15]

@@chrisbangemann1792 well the yes welder I got which is the same as yours. I had two in a row that failed so you got lucky.

[@melgross]

Good luck. Yes welders are basically just cheap Chinese welders with a “brand name”, if you can call it that.

[@Cptnbond]

There are tons of helpful information in this episode. Thanks, Greg.

[@paulnewton943]

Love this series

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Glad you like the series. The next video in the series is out tomorrow, it’s a tig welding challenge video 😀👍

[@BobWolford-q2b]

Glad to see that the Primeweld 225 made your list- I've researched that machine and it seems to be quite capable for the money it costs, which seems about right.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

The only real downside to the primeweld is its low end is around 20 amps, so it will be a little bit hot on thin material. It’s also a bit big/heavy. That’s the same as my first tig welder (Lincoln tig 200) and I built countless things with it no problem. Considering the price and the simplicity of adjustments it’s a worthy purchase.

[@mixpick138]

Great video! Even with the commentary and great list of machines, it's gonna' be a bit for tig even though I'm really excited about learning it! I'm saving for a 'rebel 200+ unit but I need mig and stick more (I think than tig). I'm prolly ass backwards on that but that's nothing new! Anyway, thanks for the great vid and suggestion of machines. Huge help in breaking this info. down!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Sorry for the late response, somehow I missed yours. The rebels are a real solid welder and having owned the 205 and now the 235, I really like them. Speaking of esab, I was just looking on bakers gas and cyber weld and they have some serious discounts on the rebel series. Also, regardless of what welding you do, it will help you with tig. The better stick and mig welder you are the easier it will be to learn tig. Don’t get me wrong, you will make a ton of mistakes learning tig, but it’s far easier to learn it with knowledge in other processes.

[@richarcruz7843]

Thank u Thank u Greg we Appreciate all ur incredible wealth of knowledge An yes to all of u out there if u are gonna start tig welding get a machine that u can grow into it some of us make mistakes An grab a multi- purpose machine An get frustrated cause th capabilities are not th same grab a machine that’s dedicated to tig only I highly recommend th Everlast 210Ext or th 255Ext granted u will find ur self getting different touches down th line but these machines can get u goin right out of th box An is something that u can grow into my 255Ext was an investment not only on my learning but is an essential Piece of Equiment that’s not gonna fail me while learning an thanks to Greg An Justin from weld Fabricators An Bob Moffit I’m able to open new horizons into a life skill ….thank u Greg we can say it enough for all of ur content God Bless🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

The 210 and 255 are about the best machines for the average budget you can get. They are extremely capable and have really proven themselves 👍

[@kevin-pk6hd]

I can't wait to see the thick material video. I just haven't been able to get my head around it.

[@michaelwhiting878]

The Miller Multimatic 215 has an Auto-Set feature, which is nice, but I find myself tweaking it all the time trying to find a good starting point for various thickness mild steels and occasionally stainless steel. Could you please tell us what you consider good basic AMP settings would be for the most common mild steel thicknesses starting with 1/16” 1/8” 3/16” 1/4” and 3/8” in the Flat Position. Secondly, why are Stainless Steel settings different for those same thickness up to say 3/16” max for me?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Amp wise with mig it gets a bit tricky because amperage is in effect a byproduct of wire feed speed and wire size and it’s variable. With tig it’s more simple, but can be confusing. To a certain extent it’s controlled by arc gap length. 120amps is enough to weld 1/8th material without issue, and technically (with a super tight arc) it could weld 3/8th for a root pass as well. The problem comes down to how much metal needs to be deposited. Doing a tig weave needs far more amperage (150-170a). You can also use say 200+ amps as a root pass on thicker plate and put down a slightly bigger stringer weld. 170 amps is enough to weld unlimited thickness steel. It might take a lot of time (think 20+ passes on 3/4in steel) but it can be done. I personally weld most weld types on 1/16th at probably about 60-70a machine setting and using the foot pedal. For 1/8 generally about 90-120a setting and adjust the footpedal. 3/16th all the way to 3/8 I set the machine for 170 and throttle with the pedal. If I wanted to weld out 1/4in+ really fast with tig it wouldn’t be out of the question to use big filler (1/8th) and 300a if I had access to a bigger machine. One of the best tricks to get consistent tig welds is to set the machine to close to the right amperage and just flat foot the pedal. Varying the pedal when welding changes the arc cone size and thus the weld. To get consistent welds arc gap, amperage, travel speed, etc, all matter. Locking the amperage in and moving consistent is a great way to make decent welds. Travel speed should be fairly slow, so if you’re flagging in travel speed you’re likely going to fast. With thin material you want to avoid making holes so the amperage should be set at a point that a fairly slow travel speed almost makes a hole. On thick steel the amperage can be very high with zero melt through. The issue with high amperage on thick steel with tig is if the arc cone gets too wide and you create undercut, you might not be able to fill the undercut while welding, thus leaving the defect. I definitely need to do a video on tig welding different size materials and rough amperage’s needed.

[@michaelwhiting878]

Thanks for your very informative reply to my question. I (and probably many others) would love to see a video on TIG amp control. I don’t have any real need to TIG weld structural stainless steel items e.g. handrails etc., but I would like to try my hand at some artwork on stainless sheet metal like your various artwork pieces like the anchor and the heart etc. having had open heart surgery, I can tell you I both admire that piece, and I am amazed by it too. I understand that color control on stainless is a combination of Heat and Oxidation control (gas coverage) to develop those amber and blue tones seen in art work. At this point in my welding journey, I’m still practicing mostly on mild steel, but I have reserved some scrap stainless steel to experiment with color. Perhaps a video combination of Amperage control on mild steels, and then a bit on stainless steel including color aka Artwork would be awesome. Even if you drew Bob the Snail on some SS sheet metal, I think it would be well received by your viewers. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and sage advice!

[@sebastianleicht]

I lately smoked a wp17 torch welding at 140A nearly continuously for hours. It is not that the torchbody melted but the collet got so soft that it didn't hold the tungsten. I found that I actually twisted that collet trying to tighten the tungsten. Maybe the poor quality of the chinese collet played a role. In a quality Perspektive I had a Wp26 torch which i thought was Flex only to find out that the copper tube that connected the head was so soft that it bend easyli (and broke, of course) after that it was Real flexible with funny results, as you can imagine. As always: nice Video, I learned a lot!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

If you ever want to upgrade look for a solid wedge style collet. They don’t fail like the split style. The split style must get so hot that when you tighten them they twist and bend.

[@sebastianleicht]

Thank you very much for that advice! Could you please show the different styles of collets because I only know the slitted ones that Is what is commonly used around my place.

[@tallyman15]

My first Tig was a yeswelder. Welder blew some components. Yeswelder replaced it. That welder starting melting tunsten on ac, balance issue. The welder was discontinued so yeswelder refunded my purchase price. Purchased an Everlast 255EXT. A great welder. Weld quality much better that the yeswelder. Buy quality. You will be happy. Water cooler is a game changer. Touch always cool.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

The 255ext is a great upgrade and one of those machines that isn’t holding anyone back. I don’t like all everlasts machines (I didn’t care for the lighting 275), but they don’t lie about specs and they have proven to be reliable. Their straight tig machines offer what no other company in America has: full features with a good tig arc for reasonable money.

[@beyondmiddleagedman7240]

I've never tried air cooled. Before I got a cooler I just used an adapter and connected the torch to a garden hose on low flow and let the outlet water the planter outside the shop. I can't imagine productivity doing AC on Aluminum with an air cooled torch.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I did a few jobs without a water cooler on a 150amp torch. It was absolutely hell waiting for the torch to cool down. Even 1/8th aluminum becomes a chore to weld lol.

[@MuddinMavric]

I started with a $100 yes welder which actually stick welds ok. I was getting frustrated not being able to weld all the things i wanted to, including aluminum. Spent a little more than i wanted too but bought an everlast typhoon 230, real happy with how that tig welds. Dont have a clue when to use the independent amplitude/ wave forms though.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

So I I’ll give you some tips on the amplitude and wave forms since it will be a while before I make a video on it. The wave forms change the heat input. Old school welders were fixed with a smooth sinusoidal wave form. This imparts less heat than square wave. Square wave provides more heat input per “amp” and the puddle tends to freeze faster due to how abrupt it switches positive to negative. For most things square wave is just fine. For real thin material you could experiment with triangular wave form, it will lower heat input. Independent ac amplitude is a couple things, and is fairly complex. I will do my best to simplify/explain it. On a normal ac tig welder you can adjust frequency (how many times per second it switches positive to negative) amd what percentage it spends on EP (ac balance). On some you can adjust amperage on the EP and EN separate from one another. So in simple terms you could in theory have more amperage on the DC side of the a/c wave form than on the a/c. This can have numerous effects such as: less heat in the tungsten, reduced heat input while maintaining (or increasing) penetration, ability to reduce cleaning action to produce less white “frosting” (cathodic etching) on the welds, etc. For the most part this isn’t hugely beneficial, but more or less the ability to fine tune the heat input even more than what would be normally possible.

[@MuddinMavric]

@makingmistakeswithgreg I look forward to seeing the video on that. I wanted to make sure I was getting decent looking weld on square wave before I messed with other wave forms, I'm pretty much there now. Some have said they run triangle for EP to put less heat into the tungsten but I wasn't sure how much that would decrease the cleaning, or if I would have to turn up the balance to help compensate for less heat on the cleaning cycle.

[@theseldomseenkid6251]

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten." - Benjamin Franklin

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Very true. If only you could get high quality for cheap 😀.

[@EM-tc6tp]

Love the series. Great explanation as well. Thank you so much. Which is better tig welder, vulcan protig 205, primeweld TIG225X AC/DC TIG Welder With Pulse or everlast PowerTIG 200DV? Which one would you buy between those 3? Thanks!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I will be honest that’s a tough one to pick. So the protig 205 will likely achieve higher output on 120v due to its specs suggesting it has power factor correction. It will also run on a 30a 220 breaker where is the primeweld might need a 50. If you have plans on running the machine on lower voltage or a generator the 205 would work the best. The prime weld has a good reputation and I like the simple layout. The everlast has been made for a long time and is a solid option. Honestly if I was going to pick one I would probably buy the everlast. Their machines generally tig weld really good in my experience. From a stick end none of them will be the best, the Vulcan won’t run 6010 and I doubt the everlast will. The primeweld I am unsure about. Normal 6013/7018 rods will be fine.

[@ganzeytyler]

i picked up my first tig welder a couple years ago, a yeswelder tig200, super basic only setting was amperage, but had high frequency start , for $180, used it for a year ir so then sold it for $120 🤷. The thing about them is, even if you lose a higher percentage reselling, its still gonna be less of a loss than a higher end welder... their higher end welders are actually pretty nice, check out their new dp200 double pulse mig, its pretty promising, and substantially cheaper than any other welder out there with that feature. if it lasts 1/10th as long as a "name brand" your still ahead. my problem with harbor freight welders is they are so damn expensive, you can usually get a used name brand for what they cost

[@ricardocafe3234]

Hey, learning a lot with your videos, can you when referring to thickness of sheet or plate also refer milimeters for us metric guys? Thanks from Portugal. 🇵🇹

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

For the most part I try to put metric conversions, but sometimes I miss some. I will make sure I put them in all future videos 😀👍

[@summerforever6736]

Excellent information!!

[@baconpizza1239]

Excellent videos! Could you do some dc tig on aluminum with and without the use of flux?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

So tig with flux on dc will be very difficult to control due to tungsten contamination. It is possible to DC weld aluminum, you need a bottle of high purity helium. The helium increases heat input via increased arc voltage and has a “cleaning” effect on the aluminum. Without helium straight argon tends allow the creation of lumps of oxides in the molten pool. This makes it very difficult to see what’s going on, and it resists the joining of two separate pieces of metal making welding tough. Believe it or not aluminum welding with stick or oxyfuel will have better results with aluminum than DC tig with argon. Edit: when I get to the aluminum end of tig videos I will try to do a video with helium on DC. The biggest problem with helium is it’s probably over 500$ a bottle. And by bottle I mean 40cuft cylinder. I have only used ultra high purity which is that expensive. It’s possible less clean gas would work, but I have to find out.

[@MrStuffdude]

Thanks for all the content! Getting into tig soon from mig/stick and have been consuming your videos a lot- for machines any thoughts on the primeweld 225 or 325, I have a friend with an everlast who likes it, but would love to hear your thoughts if you have an opinion. Thanks for taking the time to make all these videos

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

No problem 😀👍. So primeweld offers a lot of capability for the money. They have simpler controls than many more “modern” machines and they tend to be physically big. Beyond that they are starting to get sold at welding stores (two near me actually sell them in store) so they are making headway into the market. From a capability perspective the 225 machine is a good tig welder. The only real drawbacks to me is it has a hotter start for the arc and its low end (the lowest amperage it will go) is around 20amps on a/c from what I remember. It also will run poorly on a generator due to a lack of power factor correction (and it needs a 50a circuit if you plan on maxing out stick). From my point of view I like the way the controls are and wouldn’t have any issue buying one. They don’t lie about specs and there are enough of them out there that they are pretty proven. They are a huge step up from the yes welder/arc captains/amazon specials out there. As far as comparing them to everlast, that’s an interesting question. So everlasts welders are good, and far better than the Amazon specials as well. I personally don’t like a lot of everlast machines (the ones that use computer interfaces) because they lack polish. Their simpler tig only machines are excellent. Comparing a similar everlast to the prime weld It’s honestly a toss up. I would base my decision on which one has the features you need. Everlast machines typically have more adjustable tig pulse, but thats not a big issue for me.

[@MrStuffdude]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg Fantastic. 👍Thank you so much, not only for the awesome content but also taking the time to write this response. Ill definitely be going the primeweld route then, (my friends everlast has a lot of features but the controls/lack of knobs to adjust on the fly are what had me looking at primeweld in the first place, seems to be easier in adjustability without losing any capability - in my unexperienced view) I do agree they both seem capable though. Thank you so much again for your time! Its a big purchase at the end of the day and im trying to absorb as much of everything as I can

[@googlegok9637]

Good point about the "points" , I have no specs on my welder gap settings and just set them where I have reliable HF start. Now I get a bit suspicious- do you think the gab distances can influence the start current ?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

If the gap is too big it may build excessive voltage and produce a hotter initial spark than is needed. Miller points are adjusted down to .008 to .012. Other points could be higher. That gap is pretty small, you can try to run a gap that tight if your way over it and see what happens.

[@TheDom0]

Do you know if the gas lenses themselves are rated for a certain amperage as we tend to use the jumbo gas lens, which are good for gas coverage... just heavy. Reason I ask is I once welded a stubby gas lens to my tungsten.😊

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

The cups do have an amperage, or well a heat input limit. The glass Pyrex cups will melt/shatter if you walk the cup on a weld. The normal cups that are super long (collet body) generally hold up to 250 amps. The stubby cups being so close to the tungsten and the gas lens not having much mass to dissipate heat will struggle to handle that kind of heat. The jumbo ones generally hold up better than stubbies. They do make even higher temp ceramic cups for 300+ amps.

[@ypaulbrown]

Outstanding greg, hope al is good up north, still hot in Orlando, Paul

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

You guys have been smoking hot too I see lol. Things should start cooling down shortly here, I am looking forward to it.

[@tedbastwock3810]

I have a (Lincoln) Century FC90 because I knew nothing about welding and was looking to get started. It has been great for 2 years, but I am ready to TIG. I have convinced myself to get the Primeweld 325, not the 225. Would you convince me otherwise at that price point? I highly regard your opinion, and appreciate all your videos very much, especially this series.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

So hopefully this helps you making a decision: the amperage you need with a tig welder comes down to how thick of aluminum you want to weld. 225 amps is enough to weld any thickness steel, stainless, etc. For aluminum 225 amps is enough to weld about 3/16th of an inch with no preheat, 1/4 if you go slow. If you have plans on welding over 3/16th thick aluminum often, or you have plans on doing a decent volume, the extra output will be needed. When welding at max output it won’t be long before a machine kicks out on duty cycle limits. A more powerful 300+ amp welder can handle far more welding time at say 220a than a 220a machine can. The other thing to consider is a water cooler. With aluminum, torches get so hot you really need a water cooler when welding aluminum. A 300+ amp machine with no cooler will require a massive gas cooled torch and likely having to stop often to prevent it from melting. So it really comes down to how much and how thick of aluminum you want to do. If I had the choice of a 200a class machine and a cooler or a 300 amp class machine without a cooler, I would get the one with a cooler.

[@tedbastwock3810]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg Very good points, and well-taken. Much appreciated!

[@richarcruz7843]

There’s also another gentleman that also helped me a lot his channel is Pacific Arc tig welding An he offers classes just like Justin at welding fabricators does an no Im not here to advertise for these folks but these are. Folks that time time out of their life An good. Heart like Greg to help us all we Truly are Bless an privilege to have u in our lives thank u always

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Both pacific arc and Justin have done a ton to help people out. Both of them served as motivation for me to start my own channel and offer excellent content 😀👍

[@brnmcc01]

I have a pretty new Miller Multimatic 215, I've been using it to practice stick welding on. Thanks to all your helpful video's it's been pretty fun. This machine claims it's capable of DC TiG, I was just wondering is it worth it to buy the foot pedal and TiG torch and stuff for it, or if I want to try out TiG, should I just get an Esab machine that's AC/DC capable? My favorite machine brand is Miller, but I love the Lincoln hood, I bought one after watching your review of it. But a new Miller TiG machine is way out of my budget.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

So the multimatic 215 is a really good machine, I actually use one at work for doing Gasless flux core and thin gauge mig work. Predominately I use it for wire only. It does have some limitations, it will struggle to weld with 6010, and its tig is done lift arc. Obviously you find yourself in a catch 22, you have a good machine but it can’t do a/c tig. The miller 220 is very expensive at 4k plus, but no doubt it’s the best multi purpose machine out there in every category but price and portability. So the question becomes what do you do. Here are my thoughts: that miller is so power efficient (especially on 120v) and it mig welds so good it pays to keep it. To get a/c tig capability I would look at a everlast machine that has ac. I don’t believe everlasts all in ones compare to miller/esab (I have owned both everlast and esab ac tig all in ones). For around 1k you could have a a/c tig machine and use that specifically for tig and the miller for mig. I owned the esab 205 ac/dc and it is an excellent mig machine and stick welding it was good too (ran 6010). The tig end of things wasn’t on par with most stand alone tig machines (it’s amperage control was not smooth). It would equal your 215 on mig quality, be a bit better on stick, but the tig end is less smooth than the 215. Having two machines might sound excessive, but it really makes sense. That miller is super portable and can weld anywhere if needed. A bigger box tig machine can sit in the shop and not have to get moved much. It’s a pain to switch processes with most all in ones over just powering up a welder that’s already setup.

[@brnmcc01]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg Yeah, I've been having fun with it, and yes it doesn't have support for 6010, but I got a small box of 3/32 6011 rods to try out. Yes it seems pretty good with MiG, I like how when I release the trigger it pops the end of the wire off neatly, so I don't have to keep trimming the wire off it does a good job of not having 1" of stickout after releasing the trigger. This is a pretty new version, only have had it a few months, so it has the new version of the MiG gun, and I like it. I like the stick rod stinger it came with too, it's comfortable to hold, and clamps down on a rod pretty hard. So you do think Everlast is a solid machine? Compared to like what about Primeweld, I was doing a lot of research into their machines, but I found their UI to be kind of clunky. The new Multimatic 215 display is very intuitive and easy to use.

[@brnmcc01]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg You're right about it being very portable, and easy on the power. Once I had some practice on it, I loaded it up in my van and brought it over to my friends apartment complex and did some repairs on the exterior steel staircases (they get rusted from exposure to weather and salt ice melt). I was able to run that machine on 2 100' extension cords plugged into a 20 amp 240 volt outlet in the small office, and I bought some male/female plugs/receptacles to convert from 120v plug to the 50 amp plug on the welder; I didn't want to modify that miller plug at all. It ran just fine and even though 200 feet of 14ga cord is very long because that outlet in the office was reading about 250 volts, there was still 220 left at the other end, and the machine didn't care about running on 220 volts. I think it would even do ok, maybe derated a bit on 208volts. A lot of shops that are on 3 phase power you only have 120 or 208 volts available and I'm sure Miller thought of that when designing the power supply inverter in it.

[@brnmcc01]

I literally nearly bought a brand new Miller 220, but the cost and it's so heavy I could hardly even lift it, so that was big no from me. I need to be able to move it sometimes and not kill my back. The 215 I can comfortably carry with one hand. It's not the lightest machine out there, but it's only about 38 pounds with a spool of wire in it.

[@melgross]

A few years ago I bought a few cheap Chinese welders and different TIG torches. None of them met their specs. Often they were 25% or more below it. The displays rarely were accurate. It’s funny seeing a less than ten pound welder having claims of 200 amps, which is impossible. The welder would melt if it did that. The actual output was closer to 130-140 amps. But the display would say 200 amps. The torches I tested were just as much a problem. A couple got very hot. When I took the torches apart, I found that those two were actually zinc castings plated with copper. I was lucky they didn’t literally melt in my hand, though I had stopped as they rapidly got very hot. Some guys get lucky with these cheap things, so good for them. It guys, remember that these cheap machines aren’t being made by a real welder manufacturer. They have no real reliable warrantee, service or parts. When they fail, you throw them away and buy a new one.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I can’t believe they had zinc castings 😅. What you described is exactly what to expect with most cheap welders. The sad thing is some “cheap welders” are over 500$ nowadays, despite being of poor quality and actual specs.

[@melgross]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg I was shocked. But they heated up so quickly that I figured something was wrong. But that’s what you get with a $19 TIG torch. Zinc is cheap, copper is expensive.

[@sebastianleicht]

I have an experience on the other side of the range. My Cheap welders put out more than they are specified for. I measured my Cheap mig/multiprocess machine with 190A peak instead of the 160A specified and displayed. The TIG-machine with 200A I measured with 212A peak. Measured with a clamp-on amperemeter the results are predictable less accurate than with a shunt but thentendencies are obvious.

[@melgross]

@@sebastianleicht I’d love to see that.

[@sebastianleicht]

I'm very behind with every thing because my recent project, an attachment to my house is progressing much slower and takes. Or effort as planned and creates a crazy work load and I also owe the community a cut'n'etch of some dualshield welds but I'll try. Maybe over the winter.

[@joeolejar]

I got an inexpensive TIG welder from Amazon for less than $100. It has HF start which I was surprised given the price.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

That is surprising. If it welds at all that price is a steal, even if it was scratch start lol 😀👍.

[@joeolejar]

​@@makingmistakeswithgregIt is an S7 TIG/ Stick welder. I am a TIG noob and I am practicing running beads. No pedal but for $99, it's ok.

[@michaelwhiting878]

Dang that’s HOT!!! With regard to TIG torches and the manufacture’s claims (hype) of amp ratings vs practical application, I have questions based on my experience. I have a Miller 215 Multiprocess welder, and bought the TIG kit for it, which comes with a Weldcraft type 17 torch. In my experience when trying to weld (practicing) 1/4” plus materials, the torch gets Very Hot in my hand. I believe type 17 torches are rated at 150amps @ 100% duty cycle. For 1/4” thick materials, the welder recommends 175 amps, and the welder is capable of 210 amps! Not that I need that many amps, but why would Miller sell the specific kit for the 215 with a 150 amp rated torch! Maybe the torch can tolerate that, but my hand can’t as the head gets in the 200°F plus range, and the cable can be in the 145°F range depending on how long I’m using it. A water cooled torch is beyond what I’m willing to pay for one given the limited amount of time I would use it, so I want to find something that is cost effective and more flexible. I am interested in purchasing CK Worldwide products, in particular, either the CK17 or the CK26 Flex Head torch. But I have a few concerns: first the Weldcraft has a very stiff cable, and a rigid head, that I find myself constantly fighting because it’s not very flexible. If I go with the CK17 Flex head torch, the combo of the torch and the Superflex cable is very attractive, but I’m worried that I would have the same issues with the torch/cable getting too warm to handle as stated with my current Weldcraft 17. So I’m thinking of going with the 200amp rated CK26 Flex Head and its associated Superflex cable, which is slightly (handle and cable) bigger than their CK17 Superflex but shares the same consumables as the 17. Although I know it will handle the heat better than the 17, I’m concerned the cable will be stiffer than the CK17’s cable, and I will be back in the same boat as I was with the Weldcraft’s stiffer cable. I have seen on Amazon, CK torch/cable knockoffs that are much cheaper, but I’m willing to bet, that they will be problematic in the long run, so I think I will stick with the genuine CK Worldwide products. I’m wondering which CK combo 17 vs 26 will serve me better with flexibility being my priority over the torch getting hot, and I’m wondering what your experience and sage advice would be in this situation. I’m sure this may be an area that others are interested in too, and could perhaps be one of your Toolbox Questions. Thank You for your advise and sharing your knowledge.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

So as you found out the 17 tig torches get smoking hot above 150a lol. Believe it or not the miller 17 tends to handle heat better than most 17 style torches. I use a ck17 and it has been smoking more than I care to admit and it still works. It still isn’t very pleasant to weld with when it gets that hot. One partial solution is to use a gas lens and a bit longer stickout. The further the red hot part of the tungsten is away from body the better. However going to a 26 size torch will help a lot. Honestly the torch you have is stiff, and not very easy to get the best angles. Going to a flex neck 26 would likely be easier to weld with despite it being physically bigger. I would give that a shot over a flex neck 17. You can always use the torch you have if you need something physically smaller. A water cooled setup is nice but to me that’s best used with a/c tig, because that puts so much heat into the torch even a 26 size can start to smoke lol.

[@michaelwhiting878]

After rewatching several of your excellent TIG videos and taking the advice you have given me, I made a “Pros & Cons” list, and defined my priorities. I decided, that I really don’t have a need to TIG thicker materials, as my welder easily handles 0.045” Dual Shield with plenty of room to spare for thicker materials. I decided my priority would be in the 3/16” or less range, and while getting a CK26 torch would be good for handling the heat aspect, it wouldn’t be quite as flexible as the CK17 would be since I want to be able to do more detailed work, and perhaps some art work, and a CK17 Flex Head setup would serve me better, especially if I can use a gas lens to get more tungsten stick out to keep things cooler, but I can also see better. I’m not stuck on wanting fancy cups for the sake of being “Cool” but rather seeing better and keeping the torch cooler with slightly more argon flow. I’m excited to get a CK17 setup and get to practicing finer control, and between your sage advice and awesome videos, I think I will start making more progress TIG welding without struggling with my current (stiff and non-flex head) Weldcraft torch. I believe I will be much less frustrated, and will enjoy practicing more. Thanks, and Happy New Year! I hope your channel continues to grow in 2025, and we all look forward to more great content.

[@danielsplayhouse3804]

Everybody just needs to buy a Primeweld Tig 225x everything the Miller dynasty 210 has for under $1,000.... Greg can tell you about the Primeweld great first machine for diy's....l

[@john-smith.]

Your slipping...they are gonna find you showing part of that wrist tattoo, and dark colored beard......lol Joking aside, loving this series, and can't wait for part 4.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Haha yeah 😅. My voice is apparently instantly recognizable since people I work with found out I had a channel before I told anyone 😅.

[@danielsplayhouse3804]

You forgot about the primeweld tig 200 they have that does just DC Tig it's an affordable machine comes with high frequency start and lift arc!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Great point, I forgot they make that. For the money it would be a solid option for people. Other welders in the 400-500 range would typically have less power.

[@joevanamber]

After 200 years of practice every day… It gets less frustrating.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

It does lol.

[@zenjon7892]

I like my Lincoln Electric 215mpi. It'll TIG

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I have heard a ton of good things about that welder. I only used the older 210mp. Glad to hear you like that machine 👍

[@zenjon7892]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg it's good, but at the price point, it lacks some features that I think it should have; a rapid wire feed button for spool changes, for instance

[@artharutunyan]

Firsssstt )))