TIG · same money, different sheets
At €459 and €460, which machine tells you more about itself?
These two cost the same to within a euro, and they publish different halves of the specification a TIG buyer needs. Between them they describe a complete machine; separately, each leaves a gap.
| Compared on | TIG-200ACDC | WE 200P ACDC eco |
|---|---|---|
| Current range | 200 A maximum | 10–200 A published |
| AC frequency | 20–100 Hz adjustable | Not published |
| Pulse frequency | 0.1–99.9 Hz DC, 0.5–99.9 Hz AC | Pulse present, ranges not published |
| Spot mode | 0.01–9.99 s | Present |
| MMA current | Not published separately | 10–170 A |
| Weight | Not published | 9.5 kg (20.9 lb) |
| Warranty | 7 years, address published | 5 years |
| Listed on amazon.com | Yes | Yes |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these machines answer different questions.
Prefer the IPOTOOLS if aluminum is your main work. The AC frequency range from 20 to 100 Hz is what steers the arc on aluminum, and no other machine at this price publishes it.
Buy the WELDINGER if you weld thin material or need to carry the machine. A published 10 A minimum and 9.5 kg (20.9 lb) are the two figures that decide fine work and portability.
It depends on the material. For aluminum, AC frequency changes the shape of the arc and therefore where the heat goes — that is the IPOTOOLS. For thin stainless, the minimum current decides whether the arc is stable at 15 or 20 A — that is the WELDINGER. Neither machine is better in general.
Less than on a plasma cutter, more than you would like. TIG is intermittent by nature — a bead, a reposition, another bead — so thermal limits are reached less often than in cutting. At €460 a published figure would still be reasonable to expect, and neither manufacturer provides one.
200 A AC/DC · AC frequency 20–100 Hz · spot 0.01–9.99 s · €459
The first machine on this page that publishes its AC frequency range and pulse frequencies — the controls aluminum actually needs.
Best for: Aluminum work where the arc has to be steered, not just switched on
10–200 A TIG · 10–170 A MMA · 9.5 kg (20.9 lb) · €460
The only machine here that publishes a current range starting at 10 A — and the lightest AC/DC on the page at 9.5 kg (20.9 lb).
Best for: Thin stainless and aluminum, and anyone who has to carry the machine upstairs
Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
