Mig or Tig for auto stuff

[superdave99gt]

I am a total car guy but a complete welder newbie.

I am ready to buy a welder and my wifes uncle (pro welder by trade) says get a tig but he is not a car guy.

I always see guys using mig for most car stuff like body panels unless its trick stuff like intakes.

The Tig I was looking at is the dyn 200dx. I want something that is not gonna hold me back for the garage mech in me.

Mig would be a 250 or something that size.


Can I do anything auto related with tig? I dont mind if its gonna take a little longer if I can do it and it be as strong.

Also could you just use the stick for body panels or is that totally different from mig as an end result.

Thanks

[StillBoostin]

Anything that will be seen by a scrupulous I should be TIG welded on a vehicle. Mig is much faster. It is up to you. Both are a must for a car nut to own. I have both.

James

[MAC702]

...I dont mind if its gonna take a little longer...

Define a "little" longer.

How thin do you expect to be the thinnest you will have to weld and what kind of joint will that be?

[superdave99gt]

James, could you please tell me why I would need both. that is the problem I am having now is where I really need both if I do.

I cant spend the 3k + for a dyn and then get a mig too and I dont want a machine that im gonna say in 2 yrs I wish I would have got the bigger one.


Mac, I would say 1/4 would probably be the thickest I would ever weld and it wouldnt be anything structural if that thick.

Thinnest would be a body panel probably so 1/8".... maybe a 1/16" when I get better.

Like I said, im a newb welder so a little longer is just what ive heard it adds to tig opposed to mig.

[superdave99gt]

Also can you weld suspension stuff with a tig or do I need a mig.

[Craig in Denver]

I'm a TIG fan. If you can afford the Dynasty 200DX, you'll be set for a long time. It will not hold you back. And it will do thin alum, a MIG will NOT. MIG is faster on mild steel and works very well for panel replacement (LOTS of tack welds). There's no way in Hades that you're going to do body panels with stick. The Dynasty will do anything that needs to be done with stick electrodes, but you can't; because it's really, really hard.

One thing that you have NO clue. Welding is VERY difficult. You don't just buy ANY welder and start welding. I'm in my third welding class, basic MIG sheet metal, O/A and TIG this time; and I embarrass myself EVERY night ; I started O/A welding in 1977. Welding is a VERY difficult art form, learned over years of experience.

You need both, a TIG and a high quality MIG. I'd start with the TIG.

Edit: TIG will do very well on suspension stuff, IF YOU HIRE SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT.

Good luck Rookie, maintain your sense of humor; because you're going to need it.

Welcome to the incredibly complex world of Welding.

[superdave99gt]

Thanks Craig, luckily I got the uncle who is an awesome welder. He actually just bought a 350 sync with all the goodies so he will be doing my hardcore stuff.

[KS2K]

I'm a TIG fan. If you can afford the Dynasty 200DX, you'll be set for a long time. It will not hold you back. And it will do thin alum, a MIG will NOT. MIG is faster on mild steel and works very well for panel replacement (LOTS of tack welds). There's no way in Hades that you're going to do body panels with stick. The Dynasty will do anything that needs to be done with stick electrodes, but you can't; because it's really, really hard.

One thing that you have NO clue. Welding is VERY difficult. You don't just buy ANY welder and start welding. I'm in my third welding class, basic MIG sheet metal, O/A and TIG this time; and I embarrass myself EVERY night ; I started O/A welding in 1977. Welding is a VERY difficult art form, learned over years of experience.

You need both, a TIG and a high quality MIG. I'd start with the TIG.

Edit: TIG will do very well on suspension stuff, IF YOU HIRE SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT.

Good luck Rookie, maintain your sense of humor; because you're going to need it.

Welcome to the incredibly complex world of Welding.

The picture is the Dodge Assembly line building Carryalls. The body was stick welded. The welder in the picture is welding on 16ga interior panels with stick. I dont share this ability nor care to try stick welding 16 ga, but it was done on the lines back then. When I rebuilt my Carryall, you could see all the welds had been ground smooth with NO Lead or filler. I cheated and used my Miller 250X with .023 wire. I cant imagine the skill level needed to weld 16ga with stick.

Paul

[griff01]

I am a total car guy but a complete welder newbie.

I am ready to buy a welder and my wifes uncle (pro welder by trade) says get a tig but he is not a car guy.

I always see guys using mig for most car stuff like body panels unless its trick stuff like intakes.

The Tig I was looking at is the dyn 200dx. I want something that is not gonna hold me back for the garage mech in me.

Mig would be a 250 or something that size.


Can I do anything auto related with tig? I dont mind if its gonna take a little longer if I can do it and it be as strong.

Also could you just use the stick for body panels or is that totally different from mig as an end result.

Thanks

You can weld ANYTHING with tig. Mig will be faster but not as versatile.

Griff

[Champagneracing]

A solid Tig welder requires some skill to make a strong weld. A monkey can make a decent weld with a Mig unit. While your learning to be a good tig welder you will need a mig unit to patch stuff up until you get the skills to not need the mig unit. When that day comes and you are welding anything and everything with your tig unit the mig unit becomes a very good shelf for all the tig consumeables.