Factors To Consider When You Are Shopping For A Suitable TIG Welder

You might be a professional or just a person who is into welding as a hobby, but you will need to get a fitting TIG welder for your job.

The TIG welders come in different brands and features, and selecting a suitable one for your work may not be the most straightforward task.

That is why you may want to consider a number of powerful features that will work for you.

The discussion below is about the features that you should consider on any product. There are those that hold more significance than others, and they can help you get a much more suitable product for your welding.

Power Ratings

This is probably the most crucial factor to consider when shopping for a TIG welder.

For one, the input power will determine the nature of projects that you will be able to accomplish with your new TIG welder. You could decide to go for one that has an adjustable and automatic AC and DC.

The input power, as well as the amperage, are significant factors to consider if you are going to work on welding different types of materials.

The materials that welders work on are of various brands and are usually of varying thicknesses and gauges. You can get a welder that has both Direct Current and high amperage, and you will be able to get work done on the hard materials.

This is recommended for hard types of materials, such as stainless steel.

However, for materials like magnesium that are not heavy gauges, you can use welders with less power input and amperage. Therefore, you will not need to spend too much on the TIG welder you get if you are going to exclusively work on magnesium.

On the other hand, for the materials that are not of heavy gauges, such as some light metals, AC current will do the trick

Duty Cycle

The duty cycle of a particular TIG welder is usually used to refer to its capacity to operate continuously.

If you are the type that uses the TIG welder for commercial or professional use, it is recommended that you get a kind that has a superior duty cycle.

This will be effective if you want to improve the duration in which your welder is without the need for too many breaks.

A TIG welder that has a much more improved duty cycle will also be worth it if you want to work on a project that has a strict deadline.

The cooling system of the welder determines the rating of a particular welder’s duty cycle. The welders that have a much inferior duty cycle would best be used for domestic welding and for those who are in it as a hobby.

This is because their tasks are not that demanding, and they do not have to spend too much on a product that has a superior duty cycle.

The welders that are sold at much lower prices have a lower rating of duty cycle, and you could get one if you are on a fixed budget. You will be able to use the product for the light tasks and on metals that are not heavy, and neither do they have high gauges.

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What Type of Welder you are

There are those people who weld for commercial purposes, and those that need the TIG welder for simple tasks at home as such their demands from a TIG welder vary significantly.

You might realize that professional welders need a product that has high power as this will be necessary for an efficient working experience.

Other features also come into play here, such as safety and even some other measures that will guarantee efficiency.

This might not be the same for the welders who are in it as a hobby. The type of TIG welder that would suit either varies. This is because for professional welders, brands that would suit them are designed to be highly complicated and, as such, are costly.

Those in it as a hobby should go for simple welders that would get their work done and avoid spending a lot of money on the more advanced brands.

Convenience When Working With the Welder

When shopping for a device like the TIG welder, you should always consider how you will carry it. This is because you are probably going to need to move around with it as you do your work.

As such, you should check the conditions of the handles fitted on it and whether they provide the needed grip, and also if they are durable.

If you are a professional welder and you have to use these machines on a daily basis, then the chances are that you would opt for a lighter device.

This will make it comfortable for you to carry around, unlike if you had a heavy TIG welder. You might also fancy one that is compact, as it will be pleased to work within areas that are not so big.

The weight of the TIG welder is determined by the size of the transformer that it is fitted with.

Automation Features

There are advanced brands of TIG welders that you can get in the market today that are designed with top technology.

This technology enables them to have automation capabilities that you can find to be of great use to you. For instance, you can get one welder that can detect reasonably high temperatures, and this will lead to it triggering a shutdown.

This will be necessary to prevent the damage of the components of the welder that may not react well when subjected to too much heat.

If you are just beginning to work with TIG welders, you should opt for the TIG welders that are designed with a digital display.

This will help you get a clear view of the voltage, power output, amperage, and also what type of materials you can work with effectively. The more experienced welders are able to determine this naturally.

The digitization and automation features are included for the sake of the maintenance of your TIG welder. Welders that have these features might be sold at a high price, but if you get them, they will be highly durable.

Spending that extra amount may be worth it if you do not want to get a totally new one because the one you bought got damaged.

Usability of the TIG Welder

There are those TIG welders that are designed to offer an excellent user experience by ensuring that they are easy to use.

The manufacturers of these brands of TIG welders create them with user-friendly interfaces that anyone can work with. This will work well for those with low experience when it comes to welding activities.

Quality is also a similar factor that you should consider when you get a welder for yourself. There are those brands that are designed with high-quality features that are also quite durable.

This will be able to be long-lasting as the components used in their manufacture are strong to withstand harsh conditions.

They are the best types of TIG welders to go for if you do not want to deal with damages every now and then. Such models will even be able to withstand high heating conditions when you are dealing with heavy metals.

Price of the TIG welder

Price is a factor that can be used to indicate what you should expect from your new TIG welder. This is seen when the advanced brands of TIG welders are sold at a costly brand that the less developed.

This may indicate that they are more power-efficient and have better capabilities than those priced on the lower side.

However, the price might not be the best angle to evaluate the performance of the TIG welders. This is because some brands of welders are sold at lower prices, yet they have a lot to offer.

They may even be more advanced and efficient than the brands of welders that are sold at much higher prices.

If you want to get a quality brand of TIG welder that is designed with top-notch technology, then you might have to pay an extra amount for the inferior ones. This is because the more advanced ones come across as quite costly. Nonetheless, they typically come with extra safety gear.

The Type of Metal you Want to Work on

There are metals and materials of different kinds that a welder might want to deal with. There are those that require high power input and thus are quite demanding.

You should consider a suitable TIG welder for the particular metal that you would mostly be dealing with.

Bottom line

As indicated above, there are many features to consider when choosing between various brands of TIG welders.

There are simple factors that you can forego, and you will still be able to enjoy your experience with the brand of TIG welder that you go home with.

This will have you covered whether you are either a professional welder or just a hobbyist.