Add a wire feeder to a Tig power supply?

[Paul Seaman]

I will go with the various others opinions. I started with a solid mig and then added a Dynasty 200DX and later added a XMT 300 and S64M feeder. I have Mig capacity out of this world and AC and DC Tig.

Trying to buy one machine to do both Mig and Tig neither will be superior. Miller made a machine years ago called the Shopmaster 300 and it was a fair welder but not the best in any catagory. Definently better in Mig than Tig but I saw the worst of it in AC Tig simply weak at best.

My MM210 is awesome. The Dynasty 200DX fantastic, and my XMT is very nice.

Buy the best you can afford, if one machine has to do all of that then do not try to do aluminum as the XMT's do very well in DC Tig and Mig with the right feeder that is.

Good luck,
Paul

[rbucchino]

Wow. Thanks for all the good info. I can definately get the boss to buy two seperate machines if needed. Now if I can just find a machine that will plasma cut and make coffee, LOL. Oh yeah and TIG by itself while I have a coffee. Thanks again!

[c wagner]

Miller made a machine years ago called the Shopmaster 300 and it was a fair welder but not the best in any catagory. Definently better in Mig than Tig but I saw the worst of it in AC Tig simply weak at best.

Hey Paul I somewhat disagree with what you said about the Shopmaster 300. Our shop basically started with about 5 of these machines. We had the high frequency boxes, and the 30A spool guns. They were very decent machines that certainly got the job done but lacked the bells and whistles of today's machines. Personally I think the largest downfall they had was switching from one process to another, it always seemed that you forgot to flip that one switch or change the 14 pin connector.
Having said that I think for a home user it would be the answer since time isn't such a concern, for a business dedicated machines are the answer!!!

[Paul Seaman]

c wagner, No disrespect intended. This was only my experience, I am also comparing it to the Dynasty 200 DX and Dynasty 300DX which are much more technologically advanced.

Paul

[c wagner]

c wagner, No disrespect intended. This was only my experience, I am also comparing it to the Dynasty 200 DX and Dynasty 300DX which are much more technologically advanced.

Paul

Yes I understand that, we actually upgraded to the Dynasty 300's and later 350's once they quite making the 300's. The inverter machines are great for aluminum, I really enjoy not having a large balled tungsten that arcs where it wants in tight quarters! For mild steel or stainless steel unless it is really thin material or you are absolutely hooked on pulse the Shopmaster 300 with High freq box is any bit as good as the new machines.
Anyway no offense taken Paul, we all come here to get/ give opinions and everyone is entitled to their own.

[Paul Seaman]

Thanks, I welded mostly aluminum at that time. Now it seems to be alot of stainless, runs in spurts I guess.

Thanks,
Paul

[MR.57]

You can add a wire feeder to any TIG - it's called cold wire TIG welding.
They take some experimentation to set up correctly so they usually aren't worth it for small jobs, but if you are laying long continuous beads they are the cat's meow.

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