NEW 2024 AHP AlphaTIG 203Xi Amp IGBT AC DC Tig/Stick Welder with PULSE 110/220v 3 YEARS WARRANTY

I have owned this unit since mid December of 17 and I'm just now getting around to writing this review. I wanted to make sure I had a lot of hours of service into it so I could really get to know the machine and not write some useless 2 sentence review after using it for a couple of hours. Overall tl;dr of the review, I love it and I would highly recommend it to anyone.Stick: The stick mode in the AlphaTIG is the BEST I have ever used. I've ran Miller, Lincoln, and junk Harbor Freight welders and the AHP's stick welder is the smoothest. Striking an arc is effortless it takes a very light swipe or touch to the metal to initiate it. Once the arc is going it is extremely smooth and easy to manipulate. The unit is not picky on arc length so if you accidentally long arc on a start there are no worries about it going out.I've ran 6011, 6013, 7018, and 308l stainless rods through it in 3/32 and 1/8 and it ran them all perfectly without any issue the way it should. I haven't attempted 6010 but I've heard the machine will not run it. It's not surprising to me as several inverter machines have issues running 6010. Really though if you are on a budget buying this machine 6011 works fine because I doubt you'll be doing code work with the unit. I've let several people run beads with it and they all commented about how smooth it runs sticks. You can swap the machine over to AC while it is in stick mode which is awesome, and the hertz of AC is fully adjustable too. I've only had to do it once out of necessity because of arc blow but it is an extremely useful feature when you need it. Not many machines in this price range will let you do that.I've used the machine quite a bit on 120v with the adapter in places with no easily accessible 240v. I use a 12 gauge 25 foot extension cord with it and it runs great, there is no noticeable power loss through it. The one bad thing about running on 120v is that the digital readout and the knob readout do not match for some reason. The knob is the "correctish" amperage on my unit you just have to get a feel for the heat. Another bad thing is the unit will let you run up to full amperage while it is in 120v operation, which if you don't pay attention you will flip a breaker if you run too hot. I decided pretty quickly that unit is pretty much limited to 3/32 rods only in 120v, you can get away with burning 1/8 6011 on the low end side of it's operation. Also AC stick operation works just as good on 120 as it does 240.TIG: The machine does TIG great. I've only used one other TIG machine before, a Lincoln Square Wave, and the AHP is on par with it. The HF arc start works great and it's easy getting it initiated. The machine only goes down to 10 amps, which can bind you up on some really thin stuff. I was doing a repair on .20mm thick stainless and it was a little tricky getting that done but with the right technique it is doable. I've welded a quite a bit of carbon and stainless steel and it's worked great. I haven't done a whole lot of aluminum work but from the limited stuff I've done the machine does a good job. The AC controls work like they should and seem to be spot on. The pulse works like it should and is handy in some instances. I've only used 3/32 E3 tungsten with it and it works good and I don't plan on changing to any other at the moment.Accessories: Everything that comes with the unit is pretty good in my opinion with the exception of the ground clamp. The copper in it started breaking looses pretty quickly, and the general construction of it feels very cheap. I replaced it with a Lincoln ground clamp. I like the tig torch a lot. The hose isn't protected in any way which could be a con for some, but it makes the torch light and easy to maneuver so I like it. The torch head is flexible so you can bend it certain ways if you find yourself needing to. I see a lot of people complain about the foot pedal but I haven't had any comfort issues with it I think it works well and I like it. It adjust the amperage precisely and has a good up and down feel. I haven't used the TIG finger switch and I don't plan to so I don't have any comment on it. The flow meter it constructed well. I don't know if it's accurate I haven't used a calibration tip with the torch but I haven't had any obvious arc issues so it's working good for me. The stick stinger is good I see no reason to replace it.Overall: I really enjoy the machine it's been dependable for me. If someone was to say they needed a TIG machine it's my first recommendation. The only real con about the unit I have is the 120v operation with the digital readout not working right and not capping the machine off at 85 or 90 amps in stick and a little higher for TIG. I hate that as I do stick weld quite a bit with it on 120v. I also worry a little about the future of AHP. They're relatively unheard of to most people in the welding field. If someone goes wrong with the machine 5-10 years from now will you be screwed if they go away? It's a small gamble to take. However if the machine continues to work as great as it does and stays affordable I think AHP will start to get bigger and more known. I emailed AHP support to ask them a question about the unit and I received a reply within 4 hours so that was pretty nice. I've seen a video of the welder getting disassembled and it looks to be built with good components and assembled nicely. I know this was a long review but I feel like products that are several hundreds of dollars deserve them, and I would be happy to answer any questions if anyone has them. Hope it helps!

Like a lot of people here this is my first TIG unit. I have an older 110V Mig and have always wanted a TIG but they were always a little to much to justify for a hobbyist. I was torn between this one and the Harbor Freight ProTIG 200. Both are about the same price and the HF Protig is a copy of the Lincoln Squarewave which is a $1400-$1500 machine. In the end I went with this for a few reasons. The duty cycle on the AHP is really good...for any machine. While the HF as the same duty cycle as the Lincoln machine it copies it's only like 20-25% at full juice. The AHP is 60% and it's proven. While the HF duty is probably fine for a hobbyist I think the extra duty cycle capabilities say something about the machine. It may be why the AHP is about twice the size of the HF Protig. Also, I like that AHP has more controls for user adjustment. The HF has presets so you just input the type of welding you want to do, the amperage and it figures out things like balance and post flow for you. While this is probably beneficial for the occasional user I wanted to really learn this craft and be able to tweak settings to my personal preference.The unit itself seems solidly built. It did arrive with some UPS shipping damage to the front panel but AHP sent me a new panel right away and the Tech support person (Mike I think) was super helpful and spent extra time helping me get some settings that would be good to get started...Thanks!! I bought a Stubby Gas Lens Kit https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXWGETZ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 because I thought it would make life easier(it does). I was running off 220V on some 1/4 steel plate I had lying around and was able to put down some decent beads right away. The arch started so much easier than an old unit I tried 20 some years ago. It was very clean, easy and made me feel like I'll be able to develop some skills with this machine pretty quickly. The Torch hose is fantastic...it's light and super flexible. The adjustable head is nice and while I haven't really found that I needed to use it, surely there will be a time when it'll come in handy. Most complain about the foot pedel. I'm too new at this to really notice anything bad. I did tend to use it in a sideways configuration and had it against the welding table leg so it didn't move. The next thing to try is aluminum. I just followed weldingtipsandtricks recommendation and got some 1/8" flat plat and will start dong some practice beads. I'll update....but so far I'm happy. This things cost about as much as some higher end torches and seems to be well built. Here are some good youtube videos that I found helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlNAGYcdZlQ&lc=z220ffvwbpf5wfcrf04t1aokgald4jnbqtfdkp5woaaerk0h00410.1517360435585162https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHiuAgx16H0

As a novice, DIYer, this welder is easy to use. I first started with an Eastwood Tig welder and after a few years I had issues with it and needed to replace parts that were on back order. I purchased this welder while I was waiting on parts and wanted to get my aluminum boat repaired. The setup was easy and after a few practice welds, I went straight for the hull repair. The preset settings made it a breeze. I highly recommend this product.