Intro TIG for Aluminum? 120V possible?

I 100% feel as if this question has been asked, possibly by me.  Please link to the previous thread if so.

I need to step up to TIG.  The spool MIG I have is pretty solid, but I need better control.  I don't have the dosh to snag an adult welder so I'm going to have to go with an Eastwood, Harbor Freight, or something similar.  Weldpro keeps coming up as a leader in top 10 intro/cheaper TIG welder lists.

I want something with some growth potential so a welder that can switch between 120V/240V would be stupendous. 

I know Eastwood has a couple users here, but what about any of the others?  What features should I focus on?

Mine is on a 100A 240V line as a reference.....aluminum is a great conductor with qa lowish melting point so you really need to hit with a low of power and just go.  Generally you want something with a 350-400A output.  I have a big old machine and don't really even need to think about duty cycle....it the torch hasn't melted the welder is fine 

I recently got the Primeweld 225X for about $800 on Amazon. Dual voltage machine and AC capable. Make sure whatever you get can weld AC, not only DC. Aluminum is welded with AC current to keep the torch cool. After watching some videos on YouTube, the "pros" all seem pretty impressed by the machine for the price. It's got way more features than I'll ever need and it's done a great job raising the roof on my ambulance. Probably 150-200 aluminum welds. 
 

With that said, I haven't tried it on 110V simply because I have 220V available and I was welding 1/8" aluminum which needs more juice than the equivalent thickness of steel. 
 

Make sure you get the right Tungsten for Aluminum. There's about 6 different types and not all are compatible. I forget the details. 

I've owned both a PrimeWeld 225x and a  Vulcan ProTIG 205. Both are great welders and can do AC/DC and run on 110/220v for under $1000.  The primeweld comes with a really nice CK Worldwide torch and a few more dials to fine tune settings or rather to confuse you even more if you are learning TIG. 

In reply to WillG80 :

Part of what I need it for is to weld on my chopped up LS head.  So I'll need the 220/240V for a decent amount of work, but I predict most of it will be stuff that's 110/120 capable.

If you are welding heads you will need amps and a water cooled torch.  I paid $1300 for my whole setup on ebay, 400A welder, regulator, pedal, chiller,  and torch.  Its probably worth looking around a bit to see what can be had before buying something new but  probably inadequate.  There are a lot of the big old machines to be had and they weld great.

I was welding steel motor mounts today on 150A full pedal to get rolling.  For Aluminum I've NEVER set it below 150A...200-300 for most stuff....not say you can use less power but then you are preheating everything and kind of hoping it flows well because you've got nothing in reverse to flow contaminants out of the puddle. 

People complain the welder takes too much space but never that its got too much power......

The few dual-voltage TIGs I've used cap your current to 125A when on 100V.  That's theoretically enough to do a piece 0.125" thick.  I love having dual-voltage; I love the versatility.

There are some really basic AC/DC TIGs out there.  You are going to want to be able to adjust Electrode Negative as well as Frequency. Adjustable Post-Flow is also nice.  Most of even the cheap machines out now can do this.

In reply to SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) :

What do you do with a unit that small....I guess sheet metal for body work? 

Is it enough power for chassis work?  125A max meaning its flat out and a ...10% duty cyle?  I remember I fried my 1st 220V mig doing frame work on a project car I'm trying t5o wrap my head around how that would go with 1/2 the power?

Going to ask a crazy question that is sort of rhetorical; if you have a machine that does 220V, and you've got the outlet providing 220V on the wall, why are you that interested in a dual volt machine?  I understand there might be that one off time you take it to some buddy's house to buzz something together but that sounds like MIG time.  I'm not saying avoid dual volt machines, I'm just thinking that the focus should be on making sure you get enough machine to do the heaviest welding you can think to throw at it.

I like how mke is focused on making sure you have enough machine/power/etc to do the heavy stuff you really want to do.  I think I would listen to him pretty hard.

In reply to mke :

The Primeweld machine mentioned above claims 140A/120V input and 225A/240V input, both with a 40% duty cycle. If you need 100% duty cycle then you are limited to 108A/120V and 155A/240V. I think for someone learning and using it at home around the shop that seems like pretty decent capabilities. I'd love to get one of those machines up here in Canada but by the time I pay shipping, taxes and worst of all, UPS's brokerage fees it just doesn't pencil out at the moment, at the same time I don't think there is a setup that can touch this for the same price or less unless you can get lucky on the used market.

To your point about your first 220V mig, I think these more entry level welders have come a long way as solid state technology has come down in price. I have the smallest 120V Everlast inverter mig and I haven't come across a project in my garage where it hasn't been enough (I guess my heaviest project was a 4 point roll bar with 0.134 wall 1.75" tubing and 0.1875" base plates). Is it a good solution for a production shop, no but it gets such occasional use for me that taking a bit more time with it when I am using it is not a big deal. 

The Primeweld 225 I bought recently is second only to a Dynasty as far as machines I've used. That's your answer. 

1/8" and under material is fine on 110v, remember aluminum takes a lot to get a puddle formed but as it heats up requires surprisingly little power. LaYzR tungsten with a point, maybe a little clean flame to start it (or wash your parts in hot water post acetone and oxide removal) but you'll be fine with 110v to start. 

In reply to Byrneon27 :

Good to hear- I'm looking at Primewelds MIG180 for all my welder duties because I hear their support is like second to none.

I've had a Primeweld 225X for two years, it's been a great machine for the (very) little I've asked of it. I've only run it on 120, which is enough to do 1/16" aluminum and I second what Byrneon26 said -- lots of heat to make the puddle, then once the work gets hot it's very easy to burn through.

FWIW, my biggest surprise has actually been with how much I like TIG on steel: I've run waaay more mild steel than anything else with it, and it just never gets old. It's hard to go back to my MIG for any actual fabrication (the MIG rules for unsticking frozen nuts and bolts, and quick and dirty jobs). I did specifically pay more for a machine with AC capabilities, but tbh knowing what I know now I would get a lower cost DC machine and spend the difference on a water cooled torch setup, consumables, and materials. I think these regrets will pass if I get the chance to build the sort of custom intake setup I bought it for, however.

So I didn't believe it but you guys were right.  I turned the welded down to 140, put in a sharp tunsten and it welded 1/8 fine, 3/16 pretty ok and with a little patience to heat the puddle it ran a fine bead on 1/4....it laughed at 3/8 so I'd say 1/4 under idea conditions is the 140A limit.

The other day on steel I had trouble with my 1/8 motor mounts with the machine set to 150A.  It was fine   in general but in the corners where 3 pieces met it needed 200.

This is an old non-inverter though, I think the inverter square wave types are putting out more power at the same amperage and might do a bit better.