Tig amperage control

[crucks]

Foot pedal or hand control on the torch, which is most popular with the pro tig welders?

[fabricator]

i would say foot.more versitile.less problematic.

[tasslehawf]

Foot provides the most control. I have been using foot for 6 years. I have used the miller N-S finger control for some tasks that require it, but haven't liked it. I have been looking for a better design. I think the one that might work best for me would be a switch on-lock-off, but miller only sells a momentary on and I haven't seen any 3rd party like this for the millers. I wonder if something like that would damage the machine..?

As a side note, the reason I don't like the N-S rotary control: the starts are fine; you ramp up the amperage, but when you're done with the weld you can back off fast like a pedal so it can mess up the end of the weld a little. Also using the control limits how you can hold the torch.

I have sometimes used the pedal with my knee or simply manipulated the piece I'm welding to avoid having to use the fingertip control.

[abprt]

Most the time you can get by with just the foot control but if you have to lay under a pontoon boat or bend excessively to weld a commerial sink and anything else that is out of postion then the finger control is nice to have. It all back to what your jobs are but being in a field that requires a lot of different tasks, it is nice to have the convience of both that is why I have both in my operation. I personally use the hand held slider control all the time so that I don't get too use to just the foot control. You might get rusty by not using the finger controller if you use the foot controller all the time and when you need to switch because of a certain job, you you could have a problem for a short time. Trials of variations are good to know.

[tasslehawf]

I am frustrated by the lack of variety in finger controls for 6-pin. It seems like there could have been a standard or adapters.

[TIGweldr]

I've been TIG welding for 15 years, and there's nothing like the control a foot pedal delivers. Amperage control on the torch means less dexterity during welding and less control of heat output. I've used the torch mounted amptrack and found it only useful for tacking out of position, or when a pedal is not going to fit in a tight work space. It's all a matter of preference, I'm sure there's alot of guys here who would swear by it. That's my 2 cents!

[arrowside]

You can even use a foot pedal while laying under something. I put one foot behind the back side of the pedal, with the pedal on it's side, then operate the pedal with the other foot. Where there's a will...........

[Nitro_Pirate]

with the foot control you can stop a bead and move around then start the bead right back where you were, but with my experience with the finger control if you try to add on the back of a worm bead then you will get burn marks and it will be harder to get the arc set right.

I also prefer foot over finger any day.

[tasslehawf]

I've been looking at the mastar 150 sth and 200 dx and discovered that they both have a software function that makes the miller momentary finger control work as an on-click off-click type switch with ramp up and ramp down. I could almost live without the foot control if I had this.

[fun4now]

tasslehawf I've been looking at the mastar 150 sth and 200 dx and discovered that they both have a software function that makes the miller momentary finger control work as an on-click off-click type switch with ramp up and ramp down. I could almost live without the foot control if I had this
i think all the new inverters have that option....... ok maybe just the good ones. from what i have heard its fairly nice with the momentary switch. i tried it once with my foot control (by mistake) but have not put much time into it, those that have really like it. if you are learning i would start with a foot control then move on to the others. the foot is the easy-est to learn on.