Miller Tig welder attachment

[Dave123]

Recently I've decided to to purchase a Tig welder, I have a Miller XMT 350 CC/CV welding machine. Apparently this model can be equipped do Tig welding by adding the proper attachment from Miller.
The local Miller dealer tells me the cost would be about 1400.00, he also said this attachment requires some internal connection to the circuit? which Miller recommends I have a dealer install.
Also this setup is DC only, so I will not be able to weld aluminum? which is not a huge concern.
My main use is not production welding, more hobby shop stuff. Likely the heaviest material would be 3/16" or there abouts.
What I am wondering is, how does this set up perform? I believe Miller makes pretty good tools, but the local dealer does not have one is stock , so I can't even look at the design of the torch.

The other option is to buy a dedicated Tig welding machine, the one that was recommended is a CK Worldwide model MT 200 cost is about $2800.00

 

[dkmc]

Primeweld 325 $1350 with accessories.
Or the 225 for $870

 

[gustafson]

I am not a welder but I own a welder
A 25 year old version of this:

Square Wave® TIG 200 TIG Welder

Square Wave TIG 200 welder for AC/DC stick and TIG welding uses Square Wave Technology.

www.lincolnelectric.com

Comes with everything but the bottle.

Never gave me a problem

It lacks the grunt of a 'real' power source, so welding thicker aluminum requires preheating and patience. I bought a water cooled torch that I ran total loss for the one job that needed it. Since you have a 'real' welder at your disposal perhaps a lighter duty for TIG work would work for you


Looks like they have a rebate or something going on

 

[memphisjed]

I am team blue. There is a dynasty in the for sale section. The Lincoln square waves cost about what the attachment ( not sure what that is?) miller is trying to sell you. Nice little welder, and has better control than the cc/cv dc add ons.

 

[gtermini]

I tig on my xmt304 often enough. I bought a HF-251 Hi-Freq starter box so I wouldn't have to scratch start on stainless. I also bought a standard miller foot pedal. The pedal hooks to the 251 box, which hooks to the 14 pin on the xmt and 120V wall plug. I use a CK hand gas valve 17 torch with the super flex red braided lead. I don't think I spent $600 to set it all up buying the components off feebay and online. You can tig without all the extra stuff if needed. Just scratch start with a hand valve torch and run at a set amperage. It's a lot easier to get clean starts and stops with the addons though.

 

[William Lynn]

When I was in the deciding phase for welders, I scratched off the all in one welder for the simple reason if something failed, I had no welder except OA. So I went with a Miller 252 and a Lincoln 175.

 

[mjr6550]

I am team blue. There is a dynasty in the for sale section. The Lincoln square waves cost about what the attachment ( not sure what that is?) miller is trying to sell you. Nice little welder, and has better control than the cc/cv dc add ons.

I have a Lincoln 200 square wave. I bought it several years ago for about $1400 after about a $400 rebate. Its a nice welder.

 

[Scruffy887]

I bought one of those XMT power supplies because it can do most anything. Have it set up with a dual gun digital wire feeder. Idea was to have two wire types ready to go with a cart that holds 2 bottles too. Cart does not like dual wire feeder and from day one never used the other side as the bottle is in the way. And I bought a Dynasty 350 full setup with wireless foot pedal at the same time.
If at all possible I would go with a separate TIG unit.

 

[dana gear]

Recently I've decided to to purchase a Tig welder, I have a Miller XMT 350 CC/CV welding machine. Apparently this model can be equipped do Tig welding by adding the proper attachment from Miller.
The local Miller dealer tells me the cost would be about 1400.00, he also said this attachment requires some internal connection to the circuit? which Miller recommends I have a dealer install.
Also this setup is DC only, so I will not be able to weld aluminum? which is not a huge concern.
My main use is not production welding, more hobby shop stuff. Likely the heaviest material would be 3/16" or there abouts.
What I am wondering is, how does this set up perform? I believe Miller makes pretty good tools, but the local dealer does not have one is stock , so I can't even look at the design of the torch.

The other option is to buy a dedicated Tig welding machine, the one that was recommended is a CK Worldwide model MT 200 cost is about $2800.00

DC output, your XMT will scrach start GTAW all day long. GTAW torch with a gas control valve on it and the proper shelding gas/ flow meter.

 

[BT Fabrication]

basically need the gas bottle, a regulator, a connector to hook any flavor of scratch start torch to it(aka you need to touch the tungsten to the metal to start the arc)
CK worldwide has all the torch and pieces for a couple hundred bucks.
to be honest, its basically good as a power source then you add on other units like wire feeders on top, or a seperate tig box etc.
better off to get a dedicated unit that does tig directly, use a power tig 200 here for 90% of things, was $2000CDN or probably 12-1400 usd for the whole kit that gets you everything and aluminum welding also on ac.

 

[Ries]

I have had an XMT since about the year 2000. Long long ago, we set it up to do DC tig on steel, stainless, and copper alloys.
you need an air cooled torch, a regulator, and a tank of argon, and you can do scratch start tig- thats about $150 for a torch, and then maybe another 300 or so for the tank and regulator, depends on your dealer.
Next step up, is a foot pedal. Thats probably $250 to $400, depending on the age of your machine and what kind of sockets it has for remote controls.
Then, if you want to use it a lot, you need a water cooled torch- similarly under $200 for the torch, but the radiator to cool the water is $1300 to $1800 new from Miller these days. Plus hoses.
And if you want HF (high frequency starting) then a new HF box from Miller is no longer available, as far as I know- used ones are $600 to $1000.
Add it all up, and you are talking $2500 bucks to get the whole shebang.
I have all this stuff on mine, and it makes tig welding very easy. New, a welding machine with all this built in that will do what my XMT will do costs over $10,000.
Is it worth it to you? Dunno. You could watch ebay, and maybe get setup with HF and a water cooled torch and radiator for a bit under 2 grand.
You could buy a cheapo chinese tig machine new, as some here have suggested.
You could sell the XMT, and buy a Miller machine used that is designed from the getgo to do both stick and tig, like maybe a syncrowave. Depends on how much tig you do.
I have 3 tig machines in the shop, and couldnt be without em.

 

[pat pounden]

I have had an XMT since about the year 2000. Long long ago, we set it up to do DC tig on steel, stainless, and copper alloys.
you need an air cooled torch, a regulator, and a tank of argon, and you can do scratch start tig- thats about $150 for a torch, and then maybe another 300 or so for the tank and regulator, depends on your dealer.
Next step up, is a foot pedal. Thats probably $250 to $400, depending on the age of your machine and what kind of sockets it has for remote controls.
Then, if you want to use it a lot, you need a water cooled torch- similarly under $200 for the torch, but the radiator to cool the water is $1300 to $1800 new from Miller these days. Plus hoses.
And if you want HF (high frequency starting) then a new HF box from Miller is no longer available, as far as I know- used ones are $600 to $1000.
Add it all up, and you are talking $2500 bucks to get the whole shebang.
I have all this stuff on mine, and it makes tig welding very easy. New, a welding machine with all this built in that will do what my XMT will do costs over $10,000.
Is it worth it to you? Dunno. You could watch ebay, and maybe get setup with HF and a water cooled torch and radiator for a bit under 2 grand.
You could buy a cheapo chinese tig machine new, as some here have suggested.
You could sell the XMT, and buy a Miller machine used that is designed from the getgo to do both stick and tig, like maybe a syncrowave. Depends on how much tig you do.
I have 3 tig machines in the shop, and couldnt be without em.

-look around a bit- i got this about 5 yrs ago for a few hundred-complete w/ chiller and pedal,no bottle..-its way better than i ever will be!

 

[Bondo]

I have a high frequency box that would work on your welder. I haven't used it in over 10 years.

You can tig weld off that welder with just a simple field setup. It's just a tig torch connected to a brass block that you clamp the stinger to. Obviously only scratch start, but that would only cost you the torch and the block

 

[Cole2534]

The Primeweld cooler is only $400. If I had to buy a new torch, there is no way in hell I'd skip water cooling for that little amount of money.

A CK20, gas lens and a FUPA is my go-to, even ran 405a through it once. Very briefly, just to see if it would do it and it did. That's also when I learned that bare skin is NOT AT ALL TOLERANT of big welding for any duration. The area between my gloves and shirt sleeves got red enough to peel after only a few minutes of tinkering with a maxed out Lincoln 355.

 

[just Dave]

Recently I've decided to to purchase a Tig welder, I have a Miller XMT 350 CC/CV welding machine. Apparently this model can be equipped do Tig welding by adding the proper attachment from Miller.
The local Miller dealer tells me the cost would be about 1400.00, he also said this attachment requires some internal connection to the circuit? which Miller recommends I have a dealer install.
Also this setup is DC only, so I will not be able to weld aluminum? which is not a huge concern.
My main use is not production welding, more hobby shop stuff. Likely the heaviest material would be 3/16" or there abouts.
What I am wondering is, how does this set up perform? I believe Miller makes pretty good tools, but the local dealer does not have one is stock , so I can't even look at the design of the torch.

The other option is to buy a dedicated Tig welding machine, the one that was recommended is a CK Worldwide model MT 200 cost is about $2800.00

For the lite hobby work you describe I would go with a little Diversion 180. This will weld all metals and is very handy /portable. The convenience will make you smile.

 

[G-ManBart]

Another vote for a Primeweld for what you're doing. I think the new 325 is the best bang for your buck going right now. The 225X is a great machine, but a little light on power if you start messing with aluminum.

I have recommended PW machines to a number of friends and coworkers and all have been thrilled with them.

I'm almost entirely a blue guy and have a Sync 250DX TIGRunner, Millermatic 350P as my big machines and I've had over 40 other Miller welders previously. I still have a Regency power source with a wire feeder on it as a small MIG, and a Hobart (made on the same production line as Miller) engine drive.

Still, I may replace my one smaller TIG (won't mention the brand as I hate them) with a Primeweld 325X.