Thermal Arc W1006303 186 AC/DC Portable HF TIG System with Foot Pedal

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------I am not sure how to begin.... I just purchased the Thermal Arc 186 on ebay for $1,600. Pulled it out of the box, set it up and found a problem right away. If you strike an arc with the tig torch in HF mode and you are not on the work there is a loud pop in the power supply and the display will show an error code. At this point you must turn the power supply off and on again to reset the machine.I made it a point to call thermal arc and let them know what was going on. They told me to take the entire unit to a authorized warranty/repair center. I took the machine to my local dealer where the problem was to be varified by the mechanic.During this period of time I emailed Thermal Arc asking that they replace the machine not repair it if there is a problem. They responded and I- quote "The dealer was wrong is sending you to us-They should call us and then they should call you."You might say this pissed me off so I called the local rep for Thermal Arc and his response was " It is such a new machine with new technology that this is probably a safety feature".Of coarse this makes no sense because it is not listed in the instruction manual and it is stupid to think a huge arc and spark is normal in a new machine. At this point I was hoping for good news from the local dealer but all I got was an attitude because they were 40 welders deep in repairs and only one welder tech. They told me to come pick up my machine and I was on my own.The only plus side to my job is it equipped me with the experience and knowledge to fix the welder myself. I placed a piece of heat shrink tubing on the inductor coil wire splice. Before I repaired the unit the coil splice was wedged against the heat sink and if you look closely you will see where it arced from the coil splice to the heat sink. So much for the safety feature theory!!!!!!!!!!. Luckily everything is working like it should be.One more thing to add before I get into how the machine welds and operates. This machine is made in China not Japan as previous models.As far as the machine.... welds like a dream in all modes. I have used a Dynasty 200dx and this machine is in the same class. Set up is very easy and controls are very intuitive. The problem I have is Thermal Arc, its horrible service department and poor quality control. I will never buy another Thermal Arc product again!!!I wish I had lisened to my gut and bought a Miller or a Lincoln. Live and Learn.

This is my first tig welder. I got the foot control version. I already have a red mig 220V welder. I have been learning on this 200 AMP TIG welder for a few weeks now and it is simply a fantastic machine. Easy to use, easy to adjust, and seems to be very very well made. It also comes with a very nice array of additional accessories. But the standard equipment in the box includes(1) type 26 12' tweco torch with installed thumb wheel(1) VERY NICE victor mig/tig gas regulator(1) gas line(1) 10' work lead with an ok work clamp(1) 12' stick lead, stinger, with a NICE heavy duty clamp(3) different sized tungstens, 3 collets collet bodies, and 3 cups to match, back cap,and (6) mild steel stick rodsThe only minor ( very minor) thing I found was that the work clamp is not as nice as the one on my red 220V mig machine, but it still works just fine and I will probably never replace it. It is just not as heavy duty as the other parts of the machine. It has one of the solid strips of brass connecting the two sides of the clamp instead of the braided one, the spring is heavy duty though.I read literally hundreds of reviews before buying a tig machine and IMHO this is simply the best for the money. Actually it is probably the best for twice the money. I am very happy with my purchase and it welds beautifully even after only a few practice runs!! The foot pedal is a very nice add on. It feels very heavy duty and responds instantly to control inputs. If the weld is a little cold just push down a 1/4" to give it a couple more couple more amps. I am amazed at how tight the arc is and how small you can make a weld and how tight the HAZ is. Simply amazing. My brother owns a synchrowave (hardcore blue fan)and he was impressed with this machine!!If anyone is considering this machine just do your research, dig a little and see all the satisfied owners if the previous model the 185 or the fabricator series. I LOVE mine.

I've had this machine for about a year and a half I absolutely love it. It replaced a big Miller 220 that weighed 500# I do repair work and some fabrication (mostly TIG) with this. A few weeks ago, I had a job come in that called for 7018 stick. It's been many years since I stick welded anything So I break this thing out and set it like the sticker on the top said and WOW! Beautiful vertical uphill welds right out of the gate!!! It stick welds as good as machines costing 2 or 3 times more.The only thing I would change is that it would be nice to have about 50 more amps for really thick aluminum. And the ground clamp cable that comes with it is too short. Other than that, this is one hell of a machine. I take it out on service calls, its so portable. Couldn't do that with my old Miller 220. Highly recommend it because it's so versatile and reliable.