Worth it?

[blacksheep]

well i found a site where u can convert the lincoln 125/225 " buzz box" into a tig welder for 250 bucks.. Is it worth it .. because the 125/225 are ac/dc so i could weld alluminum and stuff too.. heres the site

http://www.tigdepot.com/products/p35TD-BBTF.htm

[blacksheep]

Anyone?

[PAToyota]

Hard to say. I notice that it doesn't use AC, doesn't have hi-frequency output, and doesn't have a foot control. I think that would make it a bit difficult to use depending on what you are doing, difficult to weld aluminum, and definitely difficult to learn TIG on.

[jumper]

I saw the Tigdepot kit but decided to hunt ebay instead. All you need is a tig torch with a gas valve on it (screw type) and a flowmeter. I got a Smith flowmeter and Weldcraft WP17V torch (150 amp air cooled) and I think I got the whole set for $120USD. You could also just buy the stuff locally or online. The extension cord that tigdepot sells is used to lower the amperage so you can weld really thin material. If you're sticking to 30 amps or more then you don't need it.

I haven't run a 220V line to my garage yet so I haven't started tigging with the buzzbox but apparently you can weld steel and stainless with DC- using scratch start technique and get very good results. If you're worried about tungsten contamination then use a copper strike plate. Tigdepot claims you can weld aluminum using DC+ and a really close arc but I have a feeling that it will be tricky to learn. Anyway, if you're just doing steel, go for it. Don't worry about having high freq. That's mainly for aluminum...

jumper