Best used TIG welder: how to choose?

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Buying a used TIG welding machine can save costs, but buyers must ensure it has all required functions. TIG welding is suitable for various metals and requires consideration of job requirements and available features. Additional features, such as push-button control and pulse mode, can improve efficiency.

Anyone who is an experienced welder and metal fabricator knows how valuable a tungsten inert gas (TIG) welder is in the workplace. Purchasing a used TIG welding machine can help reduce overall welding machine costs, particularly if you run a small business or are a self-employed welder and metal fabricator. Although a used welding machine can provide cost savings, the buyer must be confident that the machine has all of the required welding functions. You can soon undo your savings and cost a business money in repairs and downtime, if you don’t take into consideration the overall quality of the used TIG welder, its available features, and its performance.

TIG welding is suitable for welding any metal a beginner, or even an expert, might encounter, from aluminum to stainless steel to titanium. It has a wider range of applications than stick or metal inert gas (MIG) welding. The process of choosing the most widely used TIG welding machine requires consideration of the job being performed, the products manufactured by the company, and the specific functions of the welding machine available in today’s market. Many newer models offer features that some older machines do not, such as pulse arc. It’s usually more profitable to spend the extra money on relevant TIG features that are suitable for the current job, rather than spending less initially only to find that the used TIG welder doesn’t meet your needs and needs to be upgraded.

As you ponder which would be the most widely used TIG welding machine for your needs, consider the welding features your business requires, especially those that will make the process faster and more efficient. Some common features include applied current/direct current (AC/DC) options; gas adjustments both in pre and post operation phases; and hot start function. Controls for the descent and ascent functions are also often included; selection of the operating mode of the torch and refilling of the coolant; remote control selections; gas test function; and TIG arc contact with high frequency (HF) ignition. Other features vary by make and model of welder, but extra features usually come with higher costs. A used TIG welder can range in price from several hundred US dollars (USD) up to US$5,000; however, new welders can start with thousands of dollars and go up from there, depending on the model.

A few additional features you may want to consider in a used TIG welder can make welding easier and more efficient. For example, a push-button control panel provides convenient access to all available controls and functions. The wave output provides control over the shape of the wave bead. Pulse mode allows you to set parameters for fine control over the shape of the weld, while TIG modes provide control over slope, repeat, spot weld crater and weld cycle.




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