Looking for a suare wave TIG welder

by andy
(pennsylvania)

I'm looking for a square wave TIG to weld steel or aluminum.
The chinese models are about 30-50% of the cost of a miller or lincolin or ESAB. I dont plan on making a living with it. I am having difficulty finding someone who has used both versions, i.e. quality vs price . What are your thoughts on buying a chinese TIG vs an american branded model?

--------------------------------------------------


Its a personal decision.

here are some things to think about.

with a miller, lincoln, or esab, you will probably be able to take your machine back to a local welding supply where you bought it and get it fixed if it breaks.

with everlast, longevity, and others, you may be required to troubleshoot over the phone or pack up the welder to send it to a repair center.

you might be without your welder for a while.

but the cost is a big factor. The quality of the arc is sometimes better with miller. But for some tig welding applications there is not much difference in the final weld.

it is apples and oranges because you dont get the same grade of torch, foot pedal, etc.
the import accessories seem to work ok, but there is a difference.

for hobbyists, the everlast line of tig welders can save a bunch of money and in my experience are a good value.