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what's best tig machine?

TeenSpirit

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Joined
Mar 25, 2025
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23
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California
My bro and I want to start a welding project from home and lookin' to pick up a TIG welder, mainly for aluminum.

Don't need to go hog wild or anything, but we want the best tig machine that'll do the job right, ya know?

I'm thinking about getting a The Eastwood Elite 200 Amp LCD Digital AC/DC TIG Welder, clockin' in at a cool $999.97 right now.

But my bro's eyeballin' a regular Eastwood 200 Amp AC/DC TIG Welder for Steel and Aluminum, which is a bit easier on the wallet at $699.97.
And the ARCCAPTAIN TIG Welder AC/DC 200Amp with all the bells and whistles – pulse, different waveforms, stick, MMA, spot – for $799.99.

Has anybody out there kicked the tires on any of these machines?

Which one do you think we should pick? Lay it on me, thanks!
 
What type of aluminum are you guys working on? You might wanna consider 250amp to your options if you'll work on aluminum a lot.
 
All three are great, but for aluminum TIG, the Eastwood Elite's LCD and settings give you more control, you can't go wrong either way
 
My bro and I want to start a welding project from home and lookin' to pick up a TIG welder, mainly for aluminum.

Don't need to go hog wild or anything, but we want the best tig machine that'll do the job right, ya know?

I'm thinking about getting a The Eastwood Elite 200 Amp LCD Digital AC/DC TIG Welder, clockin' in at a cool $999.97 right now.

But my bro's eyeballin' a regular Eastwood 200 Amp AC/DC TIG Welder for Steel and Aluminum, which is a bit easier on the wallet at $699.97.
And the ARCCAPTAIN TIG Welder AC/DC 200Amp with all the bells and whistles – pulse, different waveforms, stick, MMA, spot – for $799.99.

Has anybody out there kicked the tires on any of these machines?

Which one do you think we should pick? Lay it on me, thanks!
For aluminum TIG on a budget I recommend
ARCCAPTAIN (it's great and affordable) or Eastwood Elite LCD (great control and helpful feature)
 
My bro and I want to start a welding project from home and lookin' to pick up a TIG welder, mainly for aluminum.

Don't need to go hog wild or anything, but we want the best tig machine that'll do the job right, ya know?

I'm thinking about getting a The Eastwood Elite 200 Amp LCD Digital AC/DC TIG Welder, clockin' in at a cool $999.97 right now.

But my bro's eyeballin' a regular Eastwood 200 Amp AC/DC TIG Welder for Steel and Aluminum, which is a bit easier on the wallet at $699.97.
And the ARCCAPTAIN TIG Welder AC/DC 200Amp with all the bells and whistles – pulse, different waveforms, stick, MMA, spot – for $799.99.

Has anybody out there kicked the tires on any of these machines?

Which one do you think we should pick? Lay it on me, thanks!
If you're working with aluminum, the Eastwood Elite 200 Amp LCD is a great choice. It features both AC and DC capabilities, an LCD screen for accurate adjustments, and it's lightweight, though it does come with a higher price tag. On the other hand, the Eastwood 200 Amp model is more affordable and performs well on both steel and aluminum, even though it lacks the fancy display. The ARCCAPTAIN TIG200P provides added versatility with pulse and stick settings, but it might not be as polished for aluminum work. If aluminum is your primary focus, I'd definitely reccommend going with the Eastwood Elite
 
My bro and I want to start a welding project from home and lookin' to pick up a TIG welder, mainly for aluminum.

Don't need to go hog wild or anything, but we want the best tig machine that'll do the job right, ya know?

I'm thinking about getting a The Eastwood Elite 200 Amp LCD Digital AC/DC TIG Welder, clockin' in at a cool $999.97 right now.

But my bro's eyeballin' a regular Eastwood 200 Amp AC/DC TIG Welder for Steel and Aluminum, which is a bit easier on the wallet at $699.97.
And the ARCCAPTAIN TIG Welder AC/DC 200Amp with all the bells and whistles – pulse, different waveforms, stick, MMA, spot – for $799.99.

Has anybody out there kicked the tires on any of these machines?

Which one do you think we should pick? Lay it on me, thanks!
If your budget allows, I'd lean towards the Eastwood Elite or the Arccaptain. The extra control you get from features like pulse and adjustable AC frequency and AC balance will make a noticeable difference when you're learning to weld aluminum and striving for clean, strong beads. The Arccaptain seems to pack a lot of features for its price, so that's definitely worth a closer look!
 
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