One welder, or two? MIG TIG

[capww8]

Right now, I have a Millermatic 180, and a Dynasty 280. I've gotten some use out of the MIG making floating shelf brackets around the house, and some fence pieces, but have not used the Dynasty yet.

I'm considering getting rid of the MIG, and only have the TIG welder.

Can you guys please give me some examples of work / projects that would be better served with the MIG? I'm trying to clear out some space in the shop, but I don't want to re-buy the tool in a few months.

 

[lazer50]

The mig is a good machine.you could do alot of builds or what not in a faster manner for yourself or someone else.unfortunately it may not have a great resale value.i would keep it.im in s similar situation,i have a lincoln power mig 255 and a newer square wave 275. I use them both!

 

[Blazinzuk]

Mig is much better if your building things that must be done fast. For instance at an hourly rate. Although a good fit welder can go pretty quick, having the filler material feeding in by itself you typically get done quicker.

If your not working for money I'd keep the tig and sell the mig

 

[strength_and_power]

If you haven't used the Dynasty yet, what is going to make you start using it now? How are your TIG skills? Each machine does a specific task. I would keep them both.
You are basically asking, " I have sockets and wrenches, which one do I need to keep?" Both

 

[sberry]

Get rid of the Dynasty.

 

[koditten]

I don't have enough time go "master" my mig units, why would i want to add mastering a TIG unit to the mix.

I couldn't sell the TIG unit fast enough.

 

[matt_i]

I have a Miller 251 mig and a Syncrowave 250. I haven't even brought out the mig in 6 years to do anything. There's no flying metal spatter with the Tig and anything heavier like an I-beam fabrication that I put in my shop extension was just done with 7018 rods out on the driveway.

So, if you asked me, I'd recommend to sell the Mig welder. Its great for building up tube frames and the like as it fills gaps fast, but the flying metal sticking to everything is a constant pain of extra work, and danger of lighting something on fire in a packed shop.

That said, its important to start training yourself with the tig (on both pedal and stick work) well before you get to the point of parting with the other one.

 

[koditten]

Yo, Cary. I want to stop by for a coffee the 1st or 2nd week of October. Don't be surprised if you get a call.

 

[REDONE]

As far as process goes I would not want my only machine to be TGAW. TIG is just so slow for 99℅ of work that patching lawnmower blades, seaming trailer frame cracks, mending fences or hard facing a bucket would turn 2 hours into two days. A MIG is like a pickup truck, always useful. A TIG is like a skid steer. It's the right tool for the right job, but the wrong tool for most jobs. I know a lot of guys that have pickup trucks but no bobcat, but I don't know a single guy with a bobcat that doesn't have pickup truck.

 

[theoldwizard1]

If you have to lay down a lot of weld, you can't beat a MIG.

 

[PoorOwner]

If you need aluminum capability then TIG is the way to go. Still not easy though.

 

[REDONE]

If you need aluminum capability then TIG is the way to go. Still not easy though.

$100 spool gun off of Amazon. TGAW aluminum requires A/C output, and even then it's a PITA. As soon as you move the puddle it oxidizes so you can't move back. Might as well MIG it unless it needs to be certified.

 

[ssdave]

Depends on what kind of work you do. Specialized gun work that I do, tig is useful, no other process works except POSSIBLY Oxy-Acetylene; I have been too lazy to do that for over 30 years.

I rarely use a mig, have owned and sold a couple, have one now that is essentially unused.

I do use stick welder a lot, which is why mig isn't too useful to me. I use it for what most guys use their mig. I am professionally trained as a welder, so prefer the better penetration, control, and strength of stick to mig. However, for guys that don't weld much or haven't learned well, mig is MUCH easier to make a nice looking weld with. It is faster and more convenient than stick with the continuous wire feed; don't have to stop and reload.

I should buy a spool gun for my welder, would give me the best of all worlds; AC/DC for the mig, along with the same amperage and other controls that the stick/tig unit has and I'm used to.

 

[Samh]

I have Millermatic 200 and a Synchrowave 351. I use the TIG more, but mig has it's place for quick and dirty stuff like building a trailer

 

[Samh]

$100 spool gun off of Amazon. TGAW aluminum requires A/C output, and even then it's a PITA. As soon as you move the puddle it oxidizes so you can't move back. Might as well MIG it unless it needs to be certified.

A few things, you can weld aluminum with DC, but you do need to know what you are doing. And the whole point of AC is that part of the cycle cleans and the other part welds. So you can definitely move it back if you need to.

 

[REDONE]

A few things, you can weld aluminum with DC, but you do need to know what you are doing. And the whole point of AC is that part of the cycle cleans and the other part welds. So you can definitely move it back if you need to.

This is why the internet *****. NO school teaches DC/TGAW on aluminum, and most give a no-go if you try. By the time you put enough amps to form a puddle, your tungsten is already balled up into the collet and if you keep going you'll need a new torch. Maybe a 70 year old IBEW guy can pull it off (or maybe he's full of tapioca pudding trolling the interwebs suckering the wannabees). Obviously we're in full on hijack mode since the OP never mentioned aluminum once, but I maintain MIG first. You need a truck before you need a skid steer.

 

[Firebrick43]

As far as process goes I would not want my only machine to be TGAW. TIG is just so slow for 99℅ of work that patching lawnmower blades, seaming trailer frame cracks, mending fences or hard facing a bucket would turn 2 hours into two days. A MIG is like a pickup truck, always useful. A TIG is like a skid steer. It's the right tool for the right job, but the wrong tool for most jobs. I know a lot of guys that have pickup trucks but no bobcat, but I don't know a single guy with a bobcat that doesn't have pickup truck.

And yet all tig machines by nature are stick machines. And there is no process more useful of versatile and add tig in, you can do almost any job, show me mig welding in the wind? Show me a small 180 mig welding good welds on 3/4" steel. Show me a mig that can change filler metal types in seconds? Mig is the specialized process for high production, or your "skid steer". Stick/tig machine is going to be the two ton truck.

Also mig is the easiest to learn and hardest to master. Good looking welds are easy, yet good looking welds with poor to no penetration or internal porosity is easily done to. I have seen many mig welds look beautiful and fail weld inspection. Very few good looking stick welds would fail.

 

[REDONE]

And yet all tig machines by nature are stick machines. And there is no process more useful of versatile and add tig in, you can do almost any job, show me mig welding in the wind? Show me a small 180 mig welding good welds on 3/4" steel. Show me a mig that can change filler metal types in seconds? Mig is the specialized process for high production, or your "skid steer". Stick/tig machine is going to be the two ton truck.

Also mig is the easiest to learn and hardest to master. Good looking welds are easy, yet good looking welds with poor to no penetration or internal porosity is easily done to. I have seen many mig welds look beautiful and fail weld inspection. Very few good looking stick welds would fail.

Hello internet! Knew you'd be along shortly. I stand by all my statements. Wind=FCAW (google it so you look smart trying to justify TIG in the same scenario), 3/4" thickness? who's welding that in their garage? Regardless, the good ol' lincoln tombstone won't do it either, so unless you have a dedicated process machine it's multiple pass no matter what. Change material? Let's face it, we're all welding steel and all need a 60 for dirty or 70 for clean. On those rare instances it's something else, we'll buy the right wire and and go get the right gas.

 

[Know Wosad]

Get rid of both of them and buy a Lincoln MP210.

 

[sberry]

I have them all, do this every day, havnt fired up my tig in a decade. Could really get by without a stick machine for the most part. If I had to start over it would be a feeder and a small inverter stick unit for portable work. That 210 would be great for most small garages. The only thing if I was to be real portable would want separate machines. Wish they had this when I was a kid.

 

[sberry]

Yo, Cary. I want to stop by for a coffee the 1st or 2nd week of October. Don't be surprised if you get a call.

I will be around, give me a bump for sure.

 

[az45]

Get rid of both of them and buy a Lincoln MP210.

I've got one, it works great. I think there's a real difference in tool selection from welders to wrenches depending on if you make your living with them or not.

 

[capww8]

I'm certainly not trying to make a living off of it, this is all for hobby stuff, motorcycle restoration, and misc house ****.

That said, I think you guys have convinced me to just keep both of them, and build a better welding cart.

I like the socket / wrenches analogy... seems fitting, made me feel dumb.

Now, I have a dead-blow, a ball-peen, and a framing hammer, I'd like to only keep one. Recommendations?

 

[Samh]

This is why the internet *****. NO school teaches DC/TGAW on aluminum, and most give a no-go if you try. By the time you put enough amps to form a puddle, your tungsten is already balled up into the collet and if you keep going you'll need a new torch. Maybe a 70 year old IBEW guy can pull it off (or maybe he's full of tapioca pudding trolling the interwebs suckering the wannabees). Obviously we're in full on hijack mode since the OP never mentioned aluminum once, but I maintain MIG first. You need a truck before you need a skid steer.

this just tells me you have never done it. Using He, typically you don't need as many amps to weld thick aluminum as you do with AC. That being said, My previous reply did say Mig is useful. And my vote would be to keep both

 

[pennsylvaniaboy]

why sell?

 

[MoonRise]

And yet all tig machines by nature are stick machines. And there is no process more useful of versatile and add tig in, you can do almost any job, show me mig welding in the wind? Show me a small 180 mig welding good welds on 3/4" steel. Show me a mig that can change filler metal types in seconds? Mig is the specialized process for high production, or your "skid steer". Stick/tig machine is going to be the two ton truck.

Also mig is the easiest to learn and hardest to master. Good looking welds are easy, yet good looking welds with poor to no penetration or internal porosity is easily done to. I have seen many mig welds look beautiful and fail weld inspection. Very few good looking stick welds would fail.

Small 'correction'.

Almost every TIG machine is a stick machine. Except for a bunch of Miller Diversion welders (maybe some other make/model machines as well) that are GTAW only, as they don't have (weren't designed for) the correct output voltage level to 'drive' a stick.

For 'thin' stuff (sheetmetal, not aluminum foil ) and -most- household type welding jobs on mild steel, GMAW is usually the go-to process/machine.

For 'thick' stuff, SMAW (aka stick). Unless you have something like a 250+ or 350 class multiprocess or wire feed machine (Lincoln PowerMig 250 or 256, or
a PowerMig 350MP), in which case you might go for an FCAW-G (aka 'dual shield' ) type wire and lay down some metal. Or run some solid wire in spray transfer mode with those class/type machines, as long as you are only trying to weld in the 'flat' position (no out-of-position welds). Unless of course, you are running some pulsed spray mode transfer. Etc.

For 'fussy' or 'critical' stuff, GTAW.

Hey, this is GJ. Buy them all!

 

[Firebrick43]

Hello internet! Knew you'd be along shortly. I stand by all my statements. Wind=FCAW (google it so you look smart trying to justify TIG in the same scenario), 3/4" thickness? who's welding that in their garage? Regardless, the good ol' lincoln tombstone won't do it either, so unless you have a dedicated process machine it's multiple pass no matter what. Change material? Let's face it, we're all welding steel and all need a 60 for dirty or 70 for clean. On those rare instances it's something else, we'll buy the right wire and and go get the right gas.

Wiskey Tango Foxtrot, "hello Internet??

Small flux core welding is a joke and you still would be better served with stick. Why in the world would I tig when the machine can stick? I will say that I do enjoy welding with the 400 amp Miller at work with dual shield wire for 1/4"+ steel. I am not dogging mig, I would own one in a heart beat if I was fabricating something substantial every week, but typically other than a large once a year project I weld a small project every week or so. I have many buddies that have millermatic 250's and several have traded over to syncrowaves or Lincoln 175 tigs for the versatility and the fact that the spool of wire was rusting before it was used up.

I didn't say single pass 3/4". But small migs under 230 amps have issues getting proper fusion in multiple pass welds(heavy thickness) where even the Lincoln Tombstone with 6011 is going to penetrate just fine.

I am sorry but many in a home shop are welding something other than steel. And some are welding steel that isn't suited to mig. I commonly weld stainless exhaust, 4130 steel tubing, and thick sections to boot. Also infrequently cast iron, aluminum and even copper. Don't project your lack of variety on everyone else.

 

[Trey T]

That MIG has limitation of thickness (or thinness) to weld. If the MIG has pulse feature to do continuous welding, I would say get rid of the TIG. THE OBVIOUS: I don't know what you do, so I'm just basing on my types of work.

If you get rid of both and get a multiprocess unit, I think the only one that's equivalent to both is Everlast (forgot the model) that has high-frequency start. I don't remember the yellow or the red brand has it.

 

[WWShop]

Keep both...but if you are really looking to sell one, I would get rid of the GMAW. To me, GTAW is a lot more fun and challenging.

 

[Firebrick43]

Small 'correction'.

Almost every TIG machine is a stick machine. Except for a bunch of Miller Diversion welders (maybe some other make/model machines as well) that are GTAW only, as they don't have (weren't designed for) the correct output voltage level to 'drive' a stick.

Thank you. I did not realize they were doing that. I have used a dynasty machine but never been around the diversion.

 

[sberry]

Where do you guys find all this alloy to weld on in a home shop? I got dam near everything needed to sustain life and can really count on one hand the need to weld something aint steel. I wouldn't have tig if it wasn't cheap for me and the fact I have quite a bit of irrigation the avg home body doesn't have and now havnt used it in 10 yrs since we use a spooly from a 210 for it.
My neighbor is a master and avg garage home guy with a few machine tools but hasn't been down to weld anything in a decade since he got a 175 feeder.
A mig, an OA torch and today it makes sense for a plasma in a home garage. Way up on the list before a tig. BTW a 280 Dyn is quite a machine for home, usually someone buys this has a burning need.

 

[Dragfluid]

So,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, who's going to win?

 

[NoPressure]

Give the dynasty to me /thread.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I rarely use a mig, have owned and sold a couple, have one now that is essentially unused.

I do use stick welder a lot, which is why mig isn't too useful to me.

Very few "hobbyist" even try to learn "stick" and will probably NEVER approach your level !

 

[Lassen Forge]

If you haven't used the Dynasty yet, what is going to make you start using it now? How are your TIG skills? Each machine does a specific task. I would keep them both.
You are basically asking, " I have sockets and wrenches, which one do I need to keep?" Both

I would keep both as well. Each has it's purpose. It's like my 3/4" drive sockets - I don't use them very often, but when I need it, it's damned good to have. The only reason I would get rid of one or the other is if you don't have the room to store both.

 

[Fueler]

I'm certainly not trying to make a living off of it, this is all for hobby stuff, motorcycle restoration, and misc house ****.

That said, I think you guys have convinced me to just keep both of them, and build a better welding cart.

I like the socket / wrenches analogy... seems fitting, made me feel dumb.

Now, I have a dead-blow, a ball-peen, and a framing hammer, I'd like to only keep one. Recommendations?

Good choice. Now start tinkering with the TIG. You will soon know which to use on what... and why.

 

[Trey T]

Very few "hobbyist" even try to learn "stick" and will probably NEVER approach your level !

sarcasm ... i like it. But on the same thought.... I believe most hobbyist deal with thinner metals. If you can stick weld a 1/16" or thinner metal, you're a god.

 

[kinigitt]

Not to hi-jack too much, but as a total beginner, what would be the most versatile machine to start out with? I would be doing small repairs, and learning the ropes.

The only "welding" I've done is some sloppy Mig work at school, and some Oxy-Acetylene brazing

 

[Gerald O]

This is why the internet *****. NO school teaches DC/TGAW on aluminum, and most give a no-go if you try. By the time you put enough amps to form a puddle, your tungsten is already balled up into the collet and if you keep going you'll need a new torch. Maybe a 70 year old IBEW guy can pull it off (or maybe he's full of tapioca pudding trolling the interwebs suckering the wannabees). Obviously we're in full on hijack mode since the OP never mentioned aluminum once, but I maintain MIG first. You need a truck before you need a skid steer.

I guess no one told me.
I was making nice TIG welds on 1/8 & 1/4 aluminum on the first try out of the box, without school, or ever having used a TIG rig. And I'm not even 70.

Just oxy torch and stick experience prior.

MIG, on the other hand... can't get the hang of it.

 

[mikeyr]

I cant seem to get the hang of MIG either. On sheet metal, it seems to work more like a plasma cutter than a welder. TIG was easy to do compared to MIG. But I still wont get rid of my MIG it serves a purpose on thicker metal when I want a quick weld.