HTP Invertig 221 Review | Awesome Pro-Level TIG Machine

[@TimWelds]

You can learn to weld. I'll show you exactly what to do in my affordable online welding courses at courses.timwelds.com.

[@thenetwerx]

I had one and ended up selling it when the Miller Multimatic 220 came out. As an infrequent hobbyist welder I needed a more simple machine that could run any process and not require dragging out the manual every time I used. That being said, it's an excellent performing machine and the customer service with HTP is second to none in the industry. If you are a frequent TIG welder and can't quite pull the trigger on a Miller Dynasty, this machine kills it for a lot less money with even more features.

[@crd20]

@TimWelds This has to be about the fastest I've seen a welding channel grow. You were around 3k+ subs in December, now you're at 76k+ subs. Keep up the good work.

[@TimWelds]

Thanks a ton! I’ve been overwhelmed by the support that I’ve received on this journey so far.

[@usaweld]

Thanks for the review Tim, this machine is definitely a fan favorite and has been around for about 10 years! People hold onto these machines for years and they are still running strong. What many people say is they are just as good if not better than the Miller Dynasty's and half the cost, the crisp are is what sets us apart and people notice that from the first weld. Cant wait to keep watching thanks again!

[@belloautomotive1522]

Bought mine in 2015 and I weld with it everyday. Eyeing up the 313

[@usaweld]

@@belloautomotive1522 They are tried and true machines! The 313 is a great step up!

[@johnversluis3084]

He is right 1/2 then Big Blue

[@Thewatson77]

Great little review Tim. HTP has certainly got some great machines…and this is one of them 👍🏼

[@johnversluis3084]

I love my HTP !! at half the cost as a Miller for more features and as 9-2-22 they are on sale 500 off !!!

[@jamesb43]

Nice review and very cool machine! I think I have settled on the PrimeWeld for my first AC/DC TIG machine, now I just need some companies to start sending you helmets to review so I can figure out which one to buy. :P

[@TimWelds]

I have a PrimeWeld in the shop and it is an excellent entry level machine. I’d keep this one in mind if you look to upgrade in the future. I’ll keep the welding helmet roundup in mind for a future video.

[@jagboy69]

As an invertig 221 owner for the last 4years, I will say it wasn't cheap. BUT, unless you use one and compare the arc to others like lincoln, evertrash and even the AHP, you will not understand. The arc is exceptionally smooth and warrants the price. Remember, this machine is actually a STEL and now sold in the Stel color grey here. The other 90% of the world knows Stel and has never heard of miller. This machine is entirely built in Italy. I've never stick welded with mine. I did just add the water cooler and I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND BUYING IT!!! It was sold to me as a taiwanese machine, it's not! It's straight up chinese and cost almost twice what a scamazon unit costs. But the CK water torch is a wonderful torch, too bad the water cooler is loud as hell. It NEVER throttles down like the invertig's fan does. I think the interface is perfect on this machine, I really don't want some chinese led screen flaking out on me later. I'll stick to what works long term. Save the flash bs for your phone.

[@TimWelds]

I couldn’t agree more on the arc quality. It’s an outstanding machine. It’s great to hear from someone with some more time on it. I’ve run a lot of machines and this is the first one that I like as much as my Dynasty. Thanks for checking out the video and for the comment!

[@jakemasterson4344]

Great Video! I've heard a lot of good things about this machine. I would love to see a video on the Lincoln Aspect if ever possible. I can't find much at all on that machine! I weld with a Dynasty and Maxstar DX everyday, and everything else I've used doesn't compare.

[@insley1085]

Thanks Tim! Great review and welding footage! However, would have been even better if you could have showcased the machine more with some specs and what it looks like overall including the insides. Keep em coming! Cheers

[@TimWelds]

Thanks a ton! I edited out most of the spec talk because I felt like the welding shots would be more valuable, but I'm thinking about doing a longer deep dive into the machine after learning how to apply and benefit from advanced features like independent adjustment of the EP and EN sides of the AC waveform.

[@melgross]

Pretty fair review. These are good machines. They do give a lot away though.

[@chrisholifield8571]

I think I need one. I wish unimig razors available in the USA. The Chinese welders are pretty good but they are built fragile, cheap plastics

[@tex24]

How does this welder compare with the Miller Multimatic 215? I'm completely new to welding and wonder what to purchase.

[@floridasaltlife]

Great review, it is my next purchase...

[@john-smith.]

Nice machine, and review...but $2500 seems like I could spend maybe a little more (or used market), and never look back.

[@TimWelds]

Thanks! There are a ton of options out there, including several great ones. It’s just a matter of picking the right one for you. This one really does perform very well for the price, but it’s not the only option. If you buy a used one, make sure to test all the features (I had a bad experience with my first used TIG machine, which turned out to be broken).

[@indtoys]

Good information my friend, good job

[@TimWelds]

Thanks! Appreciate it!

[@drevil2783]

You have to move your arm/hand up and down to weld, right? I'm old so all i need to do is to try and hold my arm/hand as steady as possible😂😅😆

[@mtcp504]

How does this compare with a Thermal Arc 186i. I've read that that is a good machine and that it comes out of a lineage of Japanese 186s from the 1960s and 70s which were high value for money machines capable of staying with the famous brands names.

[@TimWelds]

I’ve never tried the 186, so I can’t give you a hands on comparison. I have run several machines from the big brands and I will say that the arc quality on this machine is as good or better than what I’ve seen from the brand names.

[@bquade70]

My ahp will have to do .. Lol Awesome review. 👍👍 Lake Havasu ☀️ AZ

[@TimWelds]

Thanks! I used to drive past Havasu when I was a kid to visit my grandparents in Quartzsite; some great memories down there.

[@bquade70]

@@TimWelds ah yes... Driving past in my twenties too.... Later on I bought a place and moved here... Like a little desert Oasis. Lake Havasu ☀️ AZ

[@runtr8389]

met og in ous weld you say , we call it fusion :-)

[@renelainez2526]

Great video!!

[@TimWelds]

Thank you so much!

[@WELDEROFMASTER]

Thanks you videos tutorial brother, infomation super💯👌👍

[@TimWelds]

Thanks!

[@indiemachines]

Hi Tim! Were you running this machine on 110v or 220v? I only have access to 110 in my garage and am looking for a good tig machine for aluminum and steel. Nothing thicker than 1/4" thick.

[@TimWelds]

This was on 220. The version that I have only runs on 220, but they have a version that runs on 110 or 220. Your output will be fairly limited on 110 volts with any machine. On 110, I wouldn’t plan on welding much over 1/8”. The HTP itself is still working great, though.

[@qivarebil2149]

Question is - Is it really 1700 dollars better than the Primeweld? If so - where?

[@TimWelds]

What a great question, and my opinion is that it’s quite a bit more than $1700 better. That being said, the PrimeWeld is a great machine at its price point too and is a perfect fit for many people. Like any product from food to cars to tools, there are a wide range of options that are good for what they cost. My Toyota Corolla got me from A to B every time, but I traded it in after a few years for something nicer. Here are a few of the things that set the HTP apart from the PrimeWeld: -Arc quality (hard to explain without trying it, but it is better, easily hangs with a Miller Dynasty, which is another $3k more expensive) -Crisper starts, especially on low current -Smaller package -Quieter fan -Digital interface, which lets you enter exact settings -Savable weld programs -Independent amperage adjustment on EP and EN side of the AC waveform.

[@zod-engineering-welding]

@@TimWelds Not only that... - The lower-end is better: 4A on DC - The pulser goes from 0.4 Hz to 999 Hz on DC - AC frequency goes lower down to 20Hz, which can really put some extra heat into aluminum parts! - It accepts a variety of hand amperage controls like the CK rotary track, linear slider...also the TigControl Tig Button is available for it - as a stick welder it can actually run 6010 rods, and I mean *properly* run them, not like the chinese wanna-be machines. The 221 has ~ 68-70V OCV when plugged into 240V AC, plenty to run real 6010 rods - You can use the Pulser to stick weld! 0.5 Hz up to 5 Hz on DC - Not only can you stick weld on AC (like if you wanted to use 6011s to avoid arc blow), you can even adjust the AC frequency AND the independent amplitude like you would in AC TIG! Ever try (or even heard of a machine) that can stick weld 6011 rods on AC @ 200Hz??!! This baby can! You can also go down to 20Hz on AC stick welding just like in AC TIG! The capability and flexibility of this machine is awesome! - I did a real-world torture test of the duty cycle in my garage not too long ago, and in a 10 minute span, even though it did trip the thermal overload, it recovers so fast, I was able to keep the arc on at full power on DC mind you (AC is not as hard on the machine due to cycling from EP to EN), *for a full 6 minutes* !! I even went straight into the next 10 minutes to see what it would happen over a 20 minute time span, and yes it took a little longer to recover because it was already hot, but in the end, at 75°F ambient temp, it ended up with an arc on-time of ~ 9 minutes in a 20 minute time span. Roughly averages out to an overall 45% duty cycle at full power. I'd like to see someone torture test the Primeweld at full bore on DC hitting the thermal overload, and then going right back into it, over and over again for 20 minutes to see if it even survives. :)

[@TimWelds]

@Oscar Sanchez Jr, BSc. Thanks for the adds; it really does have wide ranges for the parameters. I could not agree more about the low end being better. In fact, the very low end of the amperage range feels better to me than any machine that I've run (and I've tried several flavors of blue, red and the other red).

[@zod-engineering-welding]

@@TimWelds if you think the 221 is great, you wont believe how much better the Invertig 400 is! With a 5/32" tungsten, I can adjust the start -parameters to have it light-off nicely and hold a stable 4 amp arc on DC! Oh and watching it produce 400A on 3-ph power is crazy awesome! Video coming soon!

[@drevil2783]

Blimey!! I wish i was as skillful. This is some neat welding!!👍👏👌👍👏👌

[@qtee5083]

What your go-to/ favorite pair of gloves for tig

[@TimWelds]

I use the Tillman 1338 gloves, which give a good enough feel to feed filler, but I’m not super in love with them because the back of my torch hand gets pretty toasty on aluminum. I should try some more kinds, but it’s one of those good enough, don’t fix it situations. Early on, I wore a mechanics glove on my left hand to feed filler, but after some practice, I can do it with these TIG gloves.

[@freshpootube]

I cannot believe they have ONE dealer in the UK for these machines - and they try to charge MORE than a Fronius AND don't include any CK torches or quality foot pedal. They can't even be bothered to take pictures of the ancillaries you will get if you buy one. Please STEL find another dealer in the UK!!

[@danielchambers1958]

Please stop with the TIG videos Tim . . . I do not want a TIG machine . . .lol. Very good review and screen shots . . . learning a lot from your channel!

[@TimWelds]

Thanks! I’ll be sure to get some more stick content coming your way.

[@davidbrown-55]

Looking to buy a tig for automotive hobbies. Do you recommend this welder for sheet metal such as quarter panels?

[@zod-engineering-welding]

The DC TIG side goes down to 4 amps, so the arc control is excellent for very thin sheet metal welding. You'll love it.

[@zlabfab487]

What did you end up getting?

[@davidbrown-55]

@@zlabfab487 the inverting 221, didn’t have a chance to try it yet. Made payments and recently got it.

[@zlabfab487]

@@davidbrown-55 Nice ! Here saving up to get one. Let me know if you end up liking it dude.

[@joell439]

👍👍👍👍😎👍👍👍👍. Thanks for the review

[@sbranham86]

Does it have a pitch while stick welding?

[@TimWelds]

Do you mean a sound? On AC, it will hum at your frequency like any AC welder, but I haven't noticed anything on DC. That being said, I usually have earplugs in in the shop.

[@faromazjafarov7251]

Hi ! Did you know that welding with a non-melting electrode was invented by Nikolai Benardos in 1881. and in 1888, Nikolai Slavyanov, at the Perm Cannon factories, invented arc welding with a melting metal electrode under a layer of flux. Actually, it is the prototype of modern arc welding. For the first time in the world, Slavyanov put into practice electric arc welding with a metal (melting) electrode under a layer of flux. In the presence of the state commission, he welded the crankshaft of a steam engine. The greatest invention in the world was invented by backward Russians ?

[@Fab2Mc]

Super 😀👍👍👍👍

[@TimWelds]

Thanks!

[@runtr8389]

http are too expensive in Aus , fronius is only purchased by company's , they are the dearest on the market , good, but, out of reach for anyone else , and miller is chinese ,

[@zod-engineering-welding]

Email Stel to see if they have a dealer down-unda! :)

[@payco1000]

😱🥁😱🥴🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑