PJ2

Right.

BAD4DR

TIG machines are more expensive. TIG will do a wider variety of materials, and do a far superior job. It can be gas welded, or flux welded, just as MIG. MIG feeds a wire through the machine, TIG is a form of stick welder. TIG has the advantage of being able to pre-heat the surface area around the weld, which creates a stronger, and better weld on most materials. It also works far better for aluminum and most other hard to weld materials.

With that, comes a price tag. Time to weld goes up with a TIG, due to the stick design, and due to the method of use (Price you pay for superior, pretty welds). TIG welders are not cheap, and are usually 220V machines. This means needing an extra Dryer style receptacle, just to run it. The better TIG machines are 3-phase, which means needing a 3-phase panel at your home, something most people don't have, nor wish to pay to put in.

I hope that sheds some light on it. I'm no expert on welding. I'll have someone who by trade is, come in and supply advice if you'd like. That's what I've been able to learn from him over some time though.

93civicgone

i think im gonna go for a decent mig and see if i can get handy with the flux core, then ill get some tanks and run gas, ive done a decent amount of research on it. Im hoping to run across a used one. Then im going to have to price the cost of materials and everything just to mess around with it. Thanks again for all the input everyone.

91tegrsjg

flux core is mad easy to run sohuld have no prob learning it

aniretaKrace

basically....

MIG= Metal Inert gas
TIG= Tungsten Inert gas

MIG, best for tack welds or spot welds

TIG- best for seam welds, makes the 2 pieces of metal have a stronger bond

Abysalone

Make sure the mig you get has gas capability. You can start off with flux core wire and later on buy a gas bottle and aluminum or steel wire. This will make it a tad cheaper to start off and get used to welding. A can of anti-spatter is a good thing to get. It acts like a shielding gas and keeps the slag from sticking. Plus it smells like chicken when it burns.

Treat

You should start of with a flux core wire and wire feeder welder for what you are trying to do you need no gas but will only help.( not all wire feeder machines have a gas hook up ) I recommend flux core because it is the easiest type of welding. Do not waste your money on a tig machine if you have never welded. For the person that said flux core and mig are the same you are very wrong you can not weld mig in the vertical position and there is no slag on mig any type of wind will blow your gas away with mig and make your weld have pen wholes all over and the weld will be trash. To the person that said pre heating your metal will make it stronger that is not true all the time and you can get just as much penetration with a stick welder flux core or mig wire as you can with tig. I weld for a living and not trying to tell someone they are wrong just trying to give him the correct info.