Thinking of getting a TIG any advise?

I am thinking of getting a TIG welder for my personal automotive use. I am considering the Miller Diversion 165 or the Diversion 180. I have a bunch of 220 V outlets in my shop and I am an experienced gas, stick and mig welder. I have been practicing with a TIG at work for a while and I feel I am ready to make the purchase.

So which do you guys like and why?

Mike

 

I use a Miller 180 at work and I love it. I dont know anything about the 165 though. The 180 is a very simple machine without all the nonsense our bigger tig rig has.

 

Any Miller is the top of the choices....IMHO. Do a bit of research and pick the one that will perform for you. But, I'd select one model higher than you need/want now because you'll find it is there if/when you start doing heavier materials. Others will chime in with Lincoln, Hobart and so on, but I only have excellent experiences with Millers for over fifty years.

 

This subject has many threads here on the HAMB.
IMHO, buy the biggest machine you can. If you tell me that you will never need to weld up alum castings you could get by on a 180-200 amp machine. Will you ever need to weld small delicate parts? The full function machines with timers and slope ampherage controls will be your friend. I did this the hard way, I thought that I only needed a medium machine without the "bells and whistles". I ended up buying the second machine. I currently have a Lincoln 375 PT. It is an investment you will probably have for life. I used a Miller solidstate/inverter machine recently, it was very noisey. From what I understand all inverter machines are this way. Red or Blue, both work very well. What do you like to look at?

John