Hobart Tigmate

[ziggy]

Anybody own hobart tig-mate 165amps?
How does it work, especially with aluminum?

I have project to built, T-top for my boat, using I belive marine aluminum series 5000. The pipe will be dia 1,5" and the thickness of the wall 1/8", anybody did anything simmilar?


Thank you very much for any advice

ziggy

[want2weld]

I'm very new to TIG but I can tell you that neither the Tigmate or Econotig are worth you time. For slightly more money you can get a much more functional machine.

Oh yea.. I live in NJ too.. Freehold to be exact. I have a boat (a.k.a Money pit) myself in Bayonne NJ. Tomorrow's gonna be a nice day to go out on the boat before the end of the season..

[Splatterboy]

Zig,
There's a bunch of guys on here from NJ. Several of us just got the T/A 185, but I'm sure that most of us would not mind a bit if you wanted to swing by and try anything out. I know I wouldn't.

I'll be around for a few more days, but am then off to slay a few dragons.

[ziggy]

tigmate vs. TSW

thanks for respond want2weld!
I think you have on your mind tsw185 as a better tig?
coud you explain the diffrent betwen those two tig's?

ziggy

[ziggy]

tsw

Thank you splaterboy.
Where are you from? I am from roselle park.
How can I get touch with you?

ziggy

[Splatterboy]

about 45 mins away, but I'll have my tig the next town over from you in 2 weeks at least it will be there for about another 2 weeks. Email me through the profile - I don't post my email on the forum cause then I get spammie emails

[Dan]

Re: Hobart Tigmate

Originally posted by ziggy
Anybody own hobart tig-mate 165amps?
How does it work, especially with aluminum?

I have project to built, T-top for my boat, using I belive marine aluminum series 5000. The pipe will be dia 1,5" and the thickness of the wall 1/8", anybody did anything simmilar?


Thank you very much for any advice

ziggy

The Tigmate (Econotig) works fine on 1/8" aluminum, however for about $200 more you can a Miller Syncrowave 180 that will perform even better yet . Then of course there are the inverter machines that will out perform both of these. A 180 to 200 amp AC/DC inverter will cost some were around $1700 to $2500+ though.

By the way, the DC side of the Tigmate (Econotig) has a pretty smooth arc. If you are on a tight budget and this entry level machine is all that you can afford you might check out Ebay. You can usually find an Econotig on there for around $800. I personally wouldn t pay the $1250 price that I m seeing advertised acrossed the internet for a NEW Tigmate (Econotig) when the Syncrowave 180 give you so much more in a machine for about $200 more.

By the way, I have to mention that I own an Econotig, because if I don t I know for certain that Scott V will probably remind me. However, i didn t pay $1250 for mine. i wish my salesman would have quoted me that price though because then I would have a 180 instead. I ve test drove the 180 and it is a very nice machine. It is a transformer based machine though so it does draw more current then the lower current drawing inverters.

[davesisk]

Re: Re: Hobart Tigmate

Originally posted by Dan


A 180 to 200 amp AC/DC inverter will cost some were around $1700 to $2500+ though.

Just FYI, I got my ESAB Heliarc 161 AC/DC new for $1450 (the full kit with power supply, regulator, foot pedal, TIG torch, stick electrode holder, etc.) from Holox in Morrisville, NC (local, but I'm sure they'd ship). At 160 amps, it draws 27 amps from the wall, and it's duty cycle is 40% (vs. the 25% for the TIGMATE). Between the ESAB and the EconoTIG/TIGMATE, I chose (and would choose again) the ESAB for $200 more. IMHO, inverters are the way to go, at least for home shops. If I could have justified an additional $250 for the extra 25 amps, I'd have probably given a close look the T/A 185.

Just FYI on the dollars issue, the TIGMATE draws 52 amps max from the wall. For me, I'd have had to get an electrician to run a new 220V 50 amp circuit. I can run the ESAB off an extension that I ran from the 220V 30 amp dryer circuit. I think my machine paid for it's additional cost over a TIGMATE by not having to pay an electrician to run a new circuit, and I got a better machine to boot.

HTH,
Dave

[ziggy]

tigmate

Thank you DAVE for advice.

I am going for t/a 185

ziggy

[Bobster]

RE: Hobart Tigmate

Good Choice!

I started looking at the Econotig or Tigmate when I decided to but a Tig machine. The price/performance difference between these machines and the Syncrowave 180 had me almost buying that machine, until I found that the line draw was ~70 amps.

The good reviews, on this and other boards, of the T/A 185 got me looking at that machine and I'm VERY glad I went with the T/A 185.

You should be happy with this very capable machine.