After dropping the Smootharc TIG 200 ACDC machine to Jimmy Sullman from SWAT Fabrications for the week, I wasn’t expecting to hear from him for at least 3 or 4 days. When the phone rang 2 days later I thought there might have been an issue or question. Instead I heard, “I love this machine. We’ve been doing a few onsite installs on a few boats and it’s performed extremely well. It’s half the size of our existing equivalent TIG, and as it’s an ACDC machine, we can use the one machine for both our aluminium and stainless jobs. For us that often happens on the same boat,” exclaimed Jimmy over the phone. “I’ll be buying one of these straight away,” was Jimmy’s next comment.
I was thunderstruck.
IDEAL
The Smootharc TIG 200 ACDC is a simpleto- use 15A inverter TIG welder that suits light industrial, maintenance and DIY jobs. Ideal for all materials, its variable balance control means you can select the amount of cleaning or penetration required for aluminium welds. Its pulse capability allows the control of heat input when working on thin materials, and its simplistic control panel makes it easy to use. It’s excellent for sheet metals, stainless steel, and aluminium fabrications. An optional foot control, sold separately, is also available to regulate current while welding. Take it anywhere.
Included in the package is not only the machine, but a TIG torch, gas hose, regulator and work return lead. The Smootharc TIG 200 ACDC complies to AS/NZS 60974-1 and IEC/EN 60974-10, and comes with a conditional 18-month warranty.
It’s this flexibility of material and very compact size and reduced weight that make this unit the perfect onsite machine.
Hell’s bells. Every welder needs one of these.
FEATURES
Looking at the features it’s no surprise Jimmy was so impressed with the Smootharc’s performance and capabilities. With an adjustable AC frequency between 50Hz-200Hz, pulsed TIG welding, a spotwelding/ tack function, pre- and post-flow gas adjustment, upslope and downslope time adjustment and more.
The package includes everything you need to get started. Weighing in at an impressive 11.5kg, and with dimensions maxing out at 430mm x 160mm x 300mm. When Jimmy sat the Smootharc TIG 200 ACDC beside the machine he normally takes out on his marine installations, I quickly realised why he was so impressed. It was a third of the other machine’s size, and that other machine could only do stainless and not aluminum. That meant a second machine was required on those marine jobs.
The result was a lot less gear need to be taken onsite and significantly reduced setup time, along with a powerful machine which delivered a pile of juice for a top-quality weld.
No need for high voltage, I guessed.
BEST
Over the week or so Jimmy had the machine and produced a pile of stainless rails, stanchions and the like for multiple vessels. Along with numerous aluminum patch jobs and repairs on the hulls of various aluminum boats. Jimmy’s feedback was, “The size and power of this unit are very impressive. The more machines and equipment you must carry down the marinas and onto the vessels adds to the setup time and the risk of scratching something onboard. The fact that I can achieve quality stainless and aluminum welds from the one machine, one that’s a third of the size, is massive.
“This is the best onsite TIG welder I’ve used or seen.”
One last great feature worth mentioning is the customisation of various settings and programable 10 favourite settings for specific use. Another great example is switching from FP8 to FP9 to stop balling of the tungsten electrode in DC. The factory setting FP8 provides a DCEP start for cleaning.