Kevin opens the box of his new Longevity TigWeld 160SX and shares what’s inside. There’s a sheet with links to online how-to videos, a DVD with manuals and set-up information and an operating manual. The TigWeld 160SX is a 110 or 220 volt machine, which means you can use it at home and run it in your garage – you don’t even have to have a 220 line! It’s a 160 amp, 110 volt TIG welder that includes AC so you can weld aluminum and DC that allows you to weld almost everything else, and it’s a stick welder (arc welder). Kevin then explains what’s on the control panel, starting with the panel control / foot pedal rocker switch, which lets you control the welder from either location, depending upon what you are doing. The foot pedal lets you control everything from the foot pedal, while the panel control lets you use the panel or the finger control on the torch. The AC / DC rocker lets you switch between those two modes, and there’s a switch that lets you go from TIG to arc. The knobs include clearance effect, which is similar to balance on AC, except that clearance effect works in either mode, for cleaning. There’s also a post flow knob, which controls how much gas comes out of the torch after you let go of the pedal or trigger to help cool the weld and the torch. There’s also a preflow knob, which controls how long the welder floods the area with gas before you begin welding for a cleaner weld. Finally, there’s an amperage control knob, a power light and an overheat light. There are connectors on the bottom for your TIG torch, your “stinger” for arc welding, the panel and foot pedal connectors and your ground. On the back is the on / off switch and your gas hookup. Accessories included with the machine are the TIG torch with an on / off trigger and a cup, some extra collets and cups and an extra back for the torch, a tungsten, a stinger for arc welding, a doohickey, a gas connector with standard brass fittings to make it easy to switch from one machine to another, a heavy ground cable with copper wire that lets you get a ground on either side of the clamp, a jumper cable that lets you go from 220 to 110, a pressure regulator for your gas bottle, a metal foot pedal with a rheostat for controlling your amperage. And oh yeah, a wire brush and an, uh, “welding helmet.” Everything is included for a little more than $800, which is pretty amazing for a TIG welder. Learn more at the Longevity Web site.
