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If you do a lot of work with thinner-gauge metals, buying a TIG welder has probably crossed your mind. With the numerous brands out there, finding the right one for the job can seem confusing for hobbyists and professionals alike. Read on for my Eastwood TIG 200 AC/DC welder review.
The Eastwood TIG 200 AC/DC welder gives you pro-quality TIG welding without breaking the bank. It can weld mild-steel sheets, tubes, and bar stock, stainless steel, and aluminum. It can also precisely weld thinner-gauge materials up to 1/4″ thick.
The TIG 200 AC/DC comes with a kit including a WP-17 torch, a gas regulator, a foot pedal, and a finger control. It also has a starting amperage of about 25 amps, which then settles down to 10 amps.
It can weld up to 1/8″ steel on 110v but you’ll be able to weld the 1/4″ steel on the 220v setting only. It’ll also work with 208 volts. It can weld aluminum up to 1/8″ thickness. With that thickness, 220v should give you the best results”
The new version of this TIG welder has one five-pin connector for the foot pedal and the finger control. This replaces the original Eastwood TIG welder that came with a two-pin and a three-pin connector for the foot pedal, and one two-pin connector for the finger control.
This necessitated using both wires. When welding the trigger on the torch, you needed one wire only. Another upgrade is the stick-welding option, which wasn’t available in the older model. That said, the electrode holder is sold separately.
This AC/DC welder is the same as the TIG 200 DC version except for its AC capability. When welding on 110v, you’ll need a 20-amp breaker. On 220v, you’ll need a 30-amp breaker.
If your shielding gas line is bad, make sure to get the new TIG AC/DC torch. The WP-9 torch will fit directly in this welder as well, but the trigger plug won’t. For that you’ll need the finger switch.
Here’s a quick rundown of what I like and what I don’t like about the Eastwood TIG 200.
These are the features that really stood out to me about the Eastwood TIG 200 AC/DC welder.
If you’re a novice welder or someone coming back to welding, you’ll learn your way around this welder fast. It’s extremely easy to set up and use. This saves you a lot of time and helps you focus on the welding itself.
Even on 220 volts, you need no more than 30 amps to this welder. Like most modern welders, it has the necessary capacitors to pump out a 200-amp output. These capacitors will create that higher amperage for a duty cycle of 60% at 190 amps or 220VAC.
You can wire a receptacle for this just like you would for a clothes dryer.
This TIG 200 AC/DC welder is capable of making a single-pass weld in 0.25″ material, although this is limited to butt joints. You can still achieve the same ultimate penetration with thicker materials with beveling, making multiple passes, and similar techniques.
This welder doesn’t come with a pulse setting, which can be a serious disadvantage for those working with aluminum like me.
However, you can use your foot pedal to fluctuate the heat output. The foot pedal is fully exponential. Push it to the limit and you’ll get the amperage you set the welder at. Take your foot off the pedal to decrease the amperage.
If you need to weld aluminum, fix an arc blow, or do any of the countless other things that DC welders can’t, you can do it now. The AC/DC feature means you won’t need to alternate between two different welders to get the job done.
Keep the DC setting on to work on thinner materials, stainless steel, or stick welding. If you work in shipbuilding or you need to weld materials with a magnetic field, simply switch to the AC setting.
It’s very simple to switch between AC and DC. All it takes is the switch on the front of the unit. It’ll change from negative to positive or vice versa when you switch the leads.
Inverter technology is relatively new to the welding scene. It’s far superior to transformer technology because it gives you a much more efficient and stable welding. Inverter welders are also lighter and more compact.
Chrome-moly is widely used in motorsports and aerospace thanks to its strength, ductility, and weight. A welder that’s compatible with chrome-moly as well as other materials saves you money and inconvenience.
When welding titanium, always shield your weld on the back with argon and back-purge your welder. You can do that by connecting a second regulator and capping your titanium tubing with aluminum foil on both ends.
Poking a few holes at the end is a good idea to make sure the gas purges completely.
Even though this TIG welder doesn’t work with a spool gun, TIG welds look much better than spool-gun welding. You can also melt your weld over and over if you want. You can’t hope to do that with a spool gun.
You don’t have to shop around and compare gas regulators for this welder. It arrives with a compatible gas regulator and saves you additional time and effort.
This welder uses only Argon, which is known for its numerous benefits in welding. It protects your weld from porosity and weld spatter caused by oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen.
It also helps maintain arc stability, leading to improved filler wire transfer, deeper weld penetration, and a more polished appearance.
The three-year warranty covers all shipping both to and from Eastwood. This means you won’t get stuck with shipping bills.
After scouring the internet, here are a bunch of reviews from users who liked the Eastwood TIG 200 AC/DC Welder.
This welder’s extreme user-friendliness has resonated with many, like the user who left this testimonial.
This user is happy in spite of what they consider to be heavy foot control.
This user shares the adjustments they made to the welder as well as their biggest projects.
This user isn’t just happy with the welding results but also thinks the TIG 200 AC/DC gives you the best bang for your buck.
When I look for a TIG welder that can handle thinner-gauge materials and find one that can satisfy beginners, hobbyists, and pros, I consider it a great welder. With AC/DC features, excellent maximum thickness, and a reliable warranty, it checks all the boxes in my book.
Versatile and powerful, the Eastwood TIG 200 AC/DC welder gives quality results and will probably be the last TIG welder you’ll buy for a very long time.
Regardless of the type of welding you do, a TIG weld is usually the finishing touch to your project. It’ll give you a clean weld and save you time and money in the process.
This welder lets you make all kinds of joints, such as butt, corner, lap, and T joints. You can also buy an electrode holder and stick weld if that’s your preference.
If you work with 7018, 7016, 7024, or any other low-hydrogen rods, make sure you run them on reverse polarity. This means switching your stinger to the ground side and your ground to your stinger side.
This welder can weld 22-gauge aluminum. The company recommends using a 1/16 purple tungsten, plugging the welder into a 110v outlet, and using the foot pedal for better puddle control.
That said, this welder isn’t designed for spool guns. If that’s the way you work, then this isn’t the ideal TIG for you. If you usually use 0.023 wire, you’re better off buying an Eastwood MIG welder instead.
Likewise, this welder isn’t compatible with the CK18 WP torch. If you prefer a welder with a scratch-start feature, Eastwood offers that in their MP line. Their digital TIG welder also comes with a LIFT start feature.
The digital TIG is also Eastwood’s only TIG with pulse control, if that’s what you prefer. If you’re working on something super-thin like eyeglass frames, this TIG’s amperage might be too high. A better option would be Eastwood’s digital TIG, which has a lower starting amperage.
This welder won’t suit you if you use a water-cooled torch. Also, it only uses 100% Argon, so if you work on the specific group of metals that need another gas, this won’t work for you.