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On the subject of inverters

I'm looking into a portable TIG setup, and with all of the discussion over the last several months, a few questions are still in my head.

I'v mostly settled on a Maxstar150, and can live without AC, but am wondering if there is anything that can run on 120V and be carried that does AC and can also run 6010? Have I missed an option?

Has anyone used the 150? Specifically, I'm trying to decide weather to go with the STH or the STL. The Synchro350 I use at work does liftarc, but occationally will stick the tungsten on start, or start hard enough that the tungsten spits. Even on dead clean, polished, new steel. Is the lift start softer on the inverter? Or will I need the high-freq (I do medium pressure steam work, parts that will be machined, etc)? Does the 150 have enough gusto to do copper (I'v never TIGed copper, but OA is such a pain to clean up the welds, I figure it is worth a shot) Is it really tied to only it's own remote or can an adapter be made to use the remotes for the Synchro? (the Miller rep couldn't give any reason, just said it's impossible, and the machine will blow up, and I'll turn the warrentee to soylent green)

Ya, I know, you can't have it all. I'd go for the PW185 except for no

120 power capability.
Reply to
e
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Not that I hhave heard of. The smallest AC/DC TIG/Stick machines are the ESAB Heliarc 161 and the Thermal Arc Prowave 185TSW. They are both around $1700, and both come complete with acessories. Both are also 220 volt input only.

The STL has some really nice features if you plan on doing mostly TIG.

Miller is the only company that gaurantees 1/8" 7018 and 6010 rods will run well when hooked to 110 volt power. They worked really hard on that.

I had a Maxstar 140 (made by Fronius) and they said right in the manual, not to try 6010 with it. Most inverters can't produce the high open-circuit-voltage needed by

6010 to be happy.

Lift arc works, but as you noticed, not always perfectly.

Copper capacity will be half of it's steel capacity, so at 150 amps max output it could TIG weld 0.075" copper. A high helium content helium/argon mix will make it much happier on copper. I welded a 13 foot seam in 16 ga copper with my Maxstar 140, using pure helium, from a 110 volt outlet.

You can easily make your own remotes. I don't know why Miller plays this game with remotes. Foot pedals are really easy to build.

If you don't tell them you made your own remote, how will they know?

There is always the Dynasty 200DX. At $2700 complete it is about twice the Maxstar 150 STL package price, but it will do everything you ask, including 6010 rods and 120 volt input.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

Thanks. Looks like it'll be the STH then. Never dealt with the portables before, and the pricing/feature tradeoffs are more significant than in the larger transformer machines. The 6010 and

7018, as well as easy/clean starts need to be a priority. I wish I could justify the Dynasty, but...... I actually has the cash 6 months ago, and was ready to order the machine, but my truck was front-ended and totalled. The new truck IS blue, but it doesn't have anywhere to hook up the leads :) Thighter financial constraint has made this a LOT tougher decision.
Reply to
e

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