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Are you in a rush to purchase a TIG welder that fulfills all your welding needs but doesn’t hurt your bank balance? Don’t stress as we have done this hard work for you and have selected one with the best quality welds and a reputed brand that you might not regret buying.
Many of the welders out there like you might be frustrated at how hard it is to do TIG welding and you might be even more frustrating to search for a TIG welder. Lincoln has been one brand that kept all the welders amused for their quality and the features that their welders offer. Since 1909, their 100 years of experience show the quality of their products and the services that they offer to their customers.
This is an in-depth review of the Lincoln Electric Square Wave TIG 200 which has a ton of nifty features and some functionalities that might give you a good opinion about this welder.
Description
TIG welding being one of the hardest welding techniques provides one of the best quality-weld if done right without corrosion and distortion with around the same consistency of actual metal and sometimes even better.
If you work often with aluminum and other non-ferrous metals, a TIG welder might be the only choice that you can go with. The Lincoln Electric Square Wave TIG 200 is a compact and robust TIG welder that is available at a reasonable price when compared to other professional welders.
Even though if the Lincoln TIG 200 is a long-term investment for you, it offers multi-process TIG and Stick welding options for you which cannot be found as a bundled feature in a single welder.
Features
TIG and Stick Compatibility
The Lincoln TIG 200 is a versatile machine that offers the option of doing TIG and stick welding. This gives you a wider variety of materials to weld with where you can weld thin aluminum sheets easily using a spool gun as necessary. TIG is mostly used when you require some tiny and precise bead appearance.
If you have a need to weld thicker metals, using Stick welding could be a better option to do so.
Power Options
It offers both AC as well as DC voltage options. This means that you can TIG weld aluminum using the AC current while DC currents help you weld stainless-steel and chrome-moly. It’s a dual-voltage welder that allows you to use 120V household power or else 230V for much heavier welding operations.
- 120V: TIG 10-125A, Stick: 10-90A
- 230V: TIG 10-200A, Stick: 10-170A
The duty cycles offered to have the following ratings:
- 120V: TIG 25% at 125A, Stick 20% at 75A
- 230V: TIG 25% at 200V, Stick 20% at 170A
Interface
Most of the welding equipment out there has a ton of features and controlling them is a humongous task with all the controls scattered everywhere. It is never easy for a beginner to get a command over the welder. The Square Wave 200 also has a lot of controls but they are laid out in an organized manner that makes it easy for anyone new to this welder.
- On/Off Switch
- A button in the top-right to adjust the amperage, pulse frequency, AC frequency, and AC balance.
- The big ‘knob’ at the center of the machine is used to manage and adjust all these settings mentioned above.
- Under the setting selector, a special button is assigned to select AC TIG, DC TIG, and Stick welding processes.
Portable
Weighing just around 46 lbs., this machine is sturdy and can be easily transported from one job location to another without any issues. It is very easy to power it up using even a simple generator. You can use it in your garage, shed, basement, shop, and whatnot.
AC Balance
The ‘AC Balance’ functionality lets you adjust in the range of 60%-90% electrode negative of the power supplied. If you are about to weld a thin metal sheet, then reducing the electrode negativity can be useful in getting a wider bead, greater cleaning action, and shorter tungsten lifespan.
If you need greater penetration, narrower bead, higher travel speed, and better-looking welds, then going for larger electrode negativity is preferred.
AC Frequency
The number of current changes from positive to negative is termed as ‘AC Frequency’. This welder offers us a range of 50-150 HZ of the frequency range. Changing the frequency according to the bead performance and weld appearance is your wish.
Pulse Mode
As the name suggests, the pulse mode produces a variation in the current output instead of constant output. The range for the Lincoln Square Wave 200 is from 1-20 pulses per second.
If you wish to have welds with moderate filler materials and thin sheets of metal, then choosing the lower frequency is much appreciable and a higher frequency for the welds with more filler material and less distortion in the metal.
Inverter Built-In
Much needed power for the functioning of the welder is present inside itself and this ‘inverter technology; helps it pack up to 200amps of power easily. It is also used as an internal microcomputer or UPS that stores and disperses the power.
This is why this welder is extremely portable and transportable wherever the welder wants to.
TIG Torch
The torch that comes with the Lincoln 200 TIG welder is made of solid and durable materials and is the built-in ‘flex head’ that takes it to another level. This will help you customize your angle for an attack without any difficulties.
You can create dark and solid lines that are stable along with fine penetration. The torch moreover has a good cleansing property on its own. The torch has a 12-foot ultra-flex cable making it very handy when welding at remote locations. Gives you more space and flexibility while welding in your workplace.
Accessories
- Torch Ready-Pak
- Foot Amptrol
- Gas Regulator
- 200A Stick Electrode Holder
- Ground Clamp
- 120V and 230V input cords
- Size: As already said earlier, the ‘Lincoln TIG 200’ weighs only around 47 pounds and has dimensions of 14 inches x 11 inches x 19 inches. Even if you have limited space or keep traveling for your welding works often, this would be a great choice.
- Multi-process machine: It works on a variety of objects and materials that you might want to TIG weld on. It can help you keep your bead appearance precise and consistent throughout. Beyond aluminum, it can also weld on really thick metals. The machine is more versatile with the ‘stick welding’ option.
- User-friendly: Generally, you and other welders have this mentality that welding machines have a hard orientation, and getting through them and understanding their functionalities takes a huge amount of time. This TIG welding machine has taken that thought out of most of the professional welders with the easy button layout and user manual.
- Capable: Offering versatility, this machine is a beast when it comes to TIG as well as stick welding. When you require good-quality and precise beads, you might use the TIG option. The ‘Stick welding’ option might be useful to weld thick metals and certain projects that are done outdoors.
- Small ground clamp: The ground clamp that comes included with the welder is quite small when compared to other welders in the market at this price range. You won’t find it an issue for small projects, but over time to work on large and time-consuming projects, getting a larger ground clamp is necessary.
- Strong Arc: The arc performance was too strong for most of the people making it a harsh weld. The post flow is 15 seconds which is too high for any kind of precise and detailed work. It also uses more gas than necessary.
Warranty
The Lincoln Square Wave 200 comes with a 3-year warranty on parts and labor charges. Most of the faults and damages occur only to the circuit boards of the welder. You also get a 90-day warranty on the gun and cable for easy replacement free-of-cost. You can avail of the warranty legally from the ‘Lincoln Authorized Distributor’.
Final Opinion:
It might be quite scary to purchase a TIG welder at the price range of $600-$900. But believe me, once you get used to this welder, you might find every other welder not up to its mark. Over the long run, it can handle any kind of welding workload and its being so portable makes it the perfect TIG welder to buy. It fills a lot of niches that a welder might want to accomplish even though it has minor flaws.
The Lincoln Authorized Service Facility has a diligently working staff and crew members who repair their machines with quickness and efficiency.
Sean Coby is a welder par excellence and well respected among the welding community in Woodbridge, VA. He prides himself to be the fabricator and mechanic in the automotive/ diesel industry for the past more than eight years now. As the chief editor of his https://weldinginfocenter.com, he shares his experience to be safe during welding and to take proactive steps for becoming a successful welder like him.