thanks mate!

here's my story:

SHORT VERSION

i bought the cheapest brand-new-piece-of-crap i'd found. but it's held on pretty good, in these 7 months.
with it i'm welding 4-10 hours a week, (swich on - swich off time).
i have something to complain, but overall i'm really satisfied of the purchase.
it came for very very very cheap, i'm having pretty good results and looks quite reliable.
i just could've been lucky...


LONG VERSION (pop a beer, this is a long one)

i'm a beginner too, giving you full description, just so you know what you have to expect...
i'm using this one:
tig mig 200 hf, it came for 250 euros. not watercooled, just a 220V inverter and hf (hi-frequency) start.
DC (direct current) machine, just mild and stainless steel. (maybe copper or others, never tried).




bought from this web site:
http://www.tigmig.it/default.asp?l=2

you might find the product specification here:
http://www.tigmig.it/default.asp?l=2...Prod&cmdID=442

i was told it was made in italy, but then i found out it's china-made italian-stickers...
or it might be kinda assembled here with chinese components.
check here...
http://www.jinslu.com/

this has become an issue when i broke the 6mm ceramic nozzle.
i've found them only on aliexperss, (10 pcs for 9usd), but delivered in a month, with free ordinary mail.
they're using different attachments from the european standards, as you can see in the torch pics.
so it's the same story for the other parts. they don't exist on ebaay, and i still haven't found an european distributor.

this machine is not compatible with pedal switch. actually i don't feel like i need it...
the swich is this:
looks shit, but it can be rotated and moved up and down on the torch.
this means it's a looot more comfy way to work, than with the ones fixed on the torch. (that's why i don't need pedal)




the heat melt down some of the wire insulator, but the rush-patch-up i made 2months ago still holds.
(this is what's inside this switch).




they can also provide you mask and pressure reducer for cheap.
mask works fine, but my advice is to avoid to purchase the reducer from them,
they let you see this:




then you find this in the delivered box.




a friend of mine dumped it after 2 weeks, but mine's doing its work.
also recently, argon cylinders come with an integrated reducer, (down here is fantascience).
before buy one, find a good and cheap argon distributor, and ask him...

they also have AC (alternate current) machines for aluminum, they start from kinda 700euros.
can't say any about those...

you also have to put in budget:
-argon (a 14lt cylinder lasts me kinda 3months, 4-10 hours a week...)
-consumabiles,
-tungstein electrode.
-anything you find to grind surfaces

a good results depends on:
-start (hf start is the good one, avoid scratch starts).
-accuracy of the surface cleaning, especially on mild steel.
i'm experiencing more difficult welding mild rather than stainless, due to rust, anti-rust and zinc coat.
with mild, the surfaces must be througly grinded top and bottom (not just brushed).
(you'll also need dremel grinders for the pipe inside surf_).
this is the ass-aiche of tig. it steals lots of hours just for the clean up. lot of people prefere mig on mild because of this.
-set up of the machine, 15-25amps per mm thick would work, (to be regulated with the span of the surface).
potential of the machine => max thickness weldable.
-hand. start with junk, not too small pieces 'cause they're too difficult to be cleaned.
don't worry ! in a couple of week you'll start growing. in a month or two, you'll be able to make pressure-water-proof welds .
-for non pros, cost of the machine is marginal on the results, just on the reliability...


hope this helps you find out a way to stick metal.
any other tip you need, just holler, glad to be helpful if i can! (...in my bad english, sorry)