Any of you bought tig welders and dont use them as much as you thought?

Just curious,I just sold my ESAB 252 tig a couple of weeks ago, I found i didnt use it no where as much as I thought I would.I find myself going for the mig or the oxy acetylene torch 99% of the time.

 

I have a torch but would like to get my hands on a tig. I'm not really to big on the mig. I like how clean some of the guys on here can do with a tig. I think it's a shop must.

 

Did you have much experience with the TIG? They take alot more practice than the mig. I prefer TIG though I don;t own one. Used them alot at work though. The tigs are a more verstile weld and the weld is more malable and not as hard as mig. If you can use the oxy acet. torch though you must have some skills.
Andy.

 

Found just the opposite. my Mig collects dust now. I fabricate full time, and reckon the mig is fired up once a month. Tig ? every couple of hours. Im considering selling the Mig and saving 180 bucks a year bottle rental.

 

Same here.

 

Nope!

 

the one I think I could live without is the plasma cutter....tig, gotta have it.

 

Hmmm, lets see. I fill my tig bottle every couple weeks, my mig bottle every couple years. Guess that's an indication.
I know there are a lot of times the mig would be faster and work just as well but I just like the look of a tig weld and I hate the sparks/ slatter from a mig. Maybe cause I wear shorts and sandels to work!
To be fair, it took a couple months for me to fall in love with my tig, just got to make yourself get use to it.

 

They all have their place, o/a, mig, tig.
I would never get rid of any of mine personally.

I agree with practice tig is the preferred method here also

 

If you don't do a ton of bodywork, or anything other than steel, I could see it being a possibility. There's absolutely nothing wrong with using a MIG if you have the right technique, and it can be nearly as clean. Just personal preference is all.

 

I haven't had a MIG welder in years. I TIG everything, even frame clip conversion. It may take longer, but you can't beat the weld quality.

 

I have a combo Tig / arc machine, a Mig and a Plasma cutter. It depends on what you are working on as to what machine you use. Doing the body I filled my co2/argon once every two weeks. When I was working with the Tig the tank lasted a month.
I could not live without the plasma cutter working on old cars.

 

Ok, guess I have to admit it. Yes, I have a TIG and I really don't use it. I use my MIG for virtually everything. MIG is just so simple and fast. Sure, nothing beats the look of a beautiful TIG weld, but when it comes time to weld up my run-stand for my engine, clutch brackets etc I always grab the MIG.


Now, that said, I really don't have a lot of experience with my TIG (I bought it because I wanted to learn how to TIG) so the answer is "no, I am not very good at it" which also explains why MIG is "in my comfort zone" ... I am confident of my ability to MIG, I am not confident in my ability to TIG. So the answer really is "I prefer my MIG over my TIG". Now, that might change if I ever decide to focus on TIG welding BUT, when you need something done, and you aren't confident in your TIG skills the MIG gets pressed into action and the TIG sits ... kind of a vicious circle kinda thing, I "want" to spend more time with my TIG but I just can't.

 

Tig only. Don't even own a mig. Bin that way for 25 years,on my 3rd machine.

Tig.

 

try that with a mig lol!

I don't have a mig at all and dont miss it much. I also like not having to worry about slag fires over stupid shit.

 

I have mig, Gas and tig, I bought a tig a few years ago but the only thing I tend to use it for is brackets. I prefer gas for bodywork, use the mig for odd jobs. Tig is a bit too awkward for welding on a car body when compared to gas. The results that can be got with gas for bodywork are just as good as tig it costs a lot less to set up for too!

Below is some panel sections welded with gas...


David

 

those welds are good looking and i like those caulk gun clamps!

 

I with the majority here my Mig gets used rarely since I got my TIG. About the only time I use it is if I need to tack something and it is just too difficult to TIG it comfortably.

 

have mig, tig and stick and I would "get rid" of any of them

 

It's an L-tec Heliarc 250 HF square wave machine. It's an older machine that I bought used from a race car chassis builder here in Toronto. He actually requested "first refusal" if I decided to sell. With all this talk, I guess I really should put some time in and actually get used to it. I have even thought of taking a community college course on TIG to get me going (though I haven't yet).

I am absolutely stunned by some of the pictures on the "beautiful welds" post that is floating around this site ... but it is also somewhat disheartening too ... kinda like playing guitar and thinking you're decent, then seeing a real pro play and thinking "good god, I will never EVER get that good".

 

Thanks for all the responses guys!! I have to admit I dont have alot of hours under my belt with the tig, but I did start my career in the 70s using nothing but a torch working in the bodyshop business,,with time the late 70s early 80s it all went to mig, but now on the old stuff I been doing alot more of my sheet metal with a torch again,I been inspired by you guys out here and like what I see. Living in So Cal I work 95% out side under a carport or in the shop with the doors open and found the tig with any breeze changes everything.Anyway now that my tig is gone I second guessing myself .

hey the Da tinman thats a nice tight looking little bead!!

Mindover that is some fine workmanship on the quarter panel,,,and I do like the caulking gun clamps!!! great thing about this business we never stop learning.
thanks again jim

 

People tend to use what they are most comfortable with. I can stick, MIG, TIG, and gas weld. All have their pros and cons. But if I was limited to one it would pick an AC/DC TIG machine 300 or more amps, and at least two different size torches. With the addition of an electrode holder you can also stick weld with a TIG machine.

 

Yeah TIG is not an outside type of thing if it is breezy. I like it for the exact opposite reason in that I am working in a fairly small garage and I find it much less worrysome. No sparks or open flame to light any fires.

 

i have all three and prefer the tig......i just need MORE practice.....

 

I'd like to have a tig for all the little things where you'd like to go really slow and make neat little welds. A mig makes you go at the speed it needs to go.

 

I barely use my mig. Tig and oxy/acetylene for me.

 

By using more heat and more rod you can get decent welds and go fairly fast with a TIG. When done properly(if you can call it proper) you end up with something that's strong with good penetration, and looks similar to MIG weld.

 

Don't want my tig looking like mig. More heat "WTF"

Tig.

 

When your mig welds look like tig welds then your good

 

Now you're talkin

Tig.