Thermal Arc Fabricator 3 IN 1
 

What is everyone's opinion on this welder. I have been thinking about getting one.
http://airgasoutlet.com/products/tac...d2&fo_s=gplaus

Bad link.

I don't have the thermal arc 3 in 1 but I do have the thermal arc 186 and love it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again.

I have owned the thermal arc 181i for close to a year know. I am very happy with it.

After looking over and getting a demo session with a TA 211i at Madco Welding supply in Mtn View, CA I did some soul searching but, in the end I went with a Miller Multimatic 200. The miller is easily reconfigured to do DC TIG and it's already set up with a gas soleniod for running TIG, where the TA isn't set up nor did they make any retro fit provisions to add a TIG gas soleniod later. The TA 252i has provisions for both but didn't have the portability or dual voltage ability of the 211ii/Miller MM200. Madco has both a Miller and TA in stock if anyone else wants to compare the 2 machines.

As USUAL you get what you pay for....


Welders and Plasma Cutters etc are items that you really only want to buy once. IF you buy a machine that isn't capable to doing what you GROW into doing... you'll end up unhappy. Having said that - there's no reason to buy a TIG machine that's capable of welding 1/2" aluminum when you're NEVER going to weld something like that. If the need arrises you can always take something like that to a welding shop and have it done. That would be like buying a Bridgeport Mill for shaving off an 1/16" on three parts....


There are REASONS for machines being "less expensive" (i.e., CHEAP) -- and it has to do with duty cycle.... and arc stability.... and wire feed motors... and the torch that is or isn't included... or the cart and on and on. All companies are competitive whenever possible... but the good ones can't possibly compete with some offshore Chinese import.

BTW -- Thermal Arc is a good company and makes good products.

The fact that it's "3 in 1" is just a marketing/sales material ploy. Many of the good machines can do ARC/TIG/MIG.... Not sure why anyone would want to ARC but if you look into it many machines have that capability. Just know that something that does multiple "things" -- there's going to be trade offs... such as set up time -- or things that while it can do "TIG" for example - it may not have a pulse option or slope settings... or any number of other functions that you might want down the road. So when comparing - make sure you know WHAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING... rather than what it "can" do. The THERMAL ARC machine you asked about can NOT do A/C TIG.... so you can not do aluminum. To me that is why I own a TIG machine... so that I can make or repair something that is aluminum. But that's up to you to make that decision. I'm just giving you food for thought.

To me ARC welding capability is like my Gas welding set up.... the only time it ever gets used is to heat something I need to bend. Weld with it? WTF would I want to do that for? LOL

Jack of all trades... Master of none....

Never been a big fan of "multi-tools" in general...

Thanks for the advice GregWeld, I had my mind set on buying a Miller 180 autoset but saw the Thermal Arc that can tig weld also for about the same price. I've never tig welded before but would like to learn and by your post i've got a lot to learn because I don't know what pulse option or slope settings mean. I can do pretty good at mig and arc welding though. It will be a while before I can buy anything so I've got time to learn.