[DeTomaso] TIG welder

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

IMHO, buying a small-anything tool is foolish. I can't tell you haw many 
times I bought some tool and the next job that came up, it was too small, making 
me either overstress the tool, redesign or alter it, or do without the mod I 
needed. So 20 yrs ago, I started buying tools bigger than I needed at the time. 
Example- my birthday present to myself one year was a 300/300 Lincoln TIG 
welder that also doubles as a stick welder. '300' denotes the max continuous 
amperage that can be used either AC or DC. And yes- I have used the max amps in 
aluminum welding; you have no idea how much heat and current an aluminum 
cylinder head soaks up until you try welding up a dropped valve seat in a 6" thick 
head! 300 amps pulls 87 amps @230VAC so requires 100 amp service @ 230-VAC to 
your shop. 150 ft of 00 cables necessary to hook mine up to our house was a 
significant cost, even though I did all the wiring, trenching and hookups. 
Second note- a big welder costs more than a small one and is less portable 
(mine weighs over 600 lbs due to its copper-core transformer rather than the 
cheaper aluminum core units), but both big & little welders need an argon gas 
cylinder, a good flow regulator, hoses, torch handles- if you decide on a water 
cooled TIG torch, a water flow regulator and dependable water supply & drain 
lines in your garage. Water cooled torches are smaller, lighter & more 
maneuverable than air cooled ones. I found it's clumsy welding with thick gloves 'cause 
an air cooled handle quickly gets so hot it blisters my hand! Stick welder 
cables and handles are also needed. All these accessories can run up $1000 or 
more over the cost of the welder itself. Food for thought- cheap tools are 
really not bargains. Economize on your lunches! FWIW- J DeRyke
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