Miller Bobcat 225

[rjcamper7]

Hey guys it's my first time on here. I would like to know what equipment is needed to tig weld with my new bobcat welder. I've been told that I can't weld aluminum with it so would I be better off with a mig attachment or suitcase extreme? Thanks for any info you can give me.

[cruizer]

Well, scratch start tig is fine, nothing critical though. And yes a X-Treme would be fine for Mig

[rjcamper7]

Well, scratch start tig is fine, nothing critical though. And yes a X-Treme would be fine for Mig

Thanks.

[duaneb55]

Who said you can't TIG aluminum with the Bobcat?

By itself for AC no, but just add an HF-251D-1 high frequency arc starter and have at it. You won't have remote amperage control with a Bobcat which can limit your aluminum TIG options. The TIG torch will be hot all the time unless the HF-251D has the optional contactor and you use a foot or finger control to activate it.

If you want to hook it up you can use the HF-251D-1 on DC too for HF start instead of scratch but you still won't have remote amperage control or contactor.

[rjcamper7]

My local air gas where I purchased my Bobcat told me that it was probably not a good idea to tig with it. But the Nex air down the road gave me the same info you have. Before I worked on the Railroad I worked in machine shops and tig welded, but have never tig welded in the field. I was pretty sure you could just didn't know what equipment would make it possible. Thanks for the info.

[duaneb55]

They may have meant "it was probably not a good idea" from the standpoint of what was pointed out above with regard to no remote amperage control, no contactor and no high frequency when used for TIG by itself. I would have asked them to be a little more specific in their claim.

But the manual itself confirms TIG is a process the Bobcat is capable of only it states "Non-Critical TIG" as cruizer mentioned earlier.

[snoeproe]

That machine will DC tig ferrous metals with excelent results. No need for fancy hf start and remote amp control with DC tig.

[duaneb55]

That machine will DC tig ferrous metals with excelent results. No need for fancy hf start . . .

That's why I stated "If you want to hook it up . . . " if the OP ever got one for AC aluminum TIG with his Bobcat.