Need recommendation for good TIG flowmeter

[Turbo Dog]

I just ordered a homey style AHP Alpha TIG 200x welder. The reviews say one of the best things to do to it is to upgrade the flowmeter and pedal. I'll give both a try when it arrives next week but since there seems to be a lot of experienced fabricators on this site I would like your thoughts.

Haven't run a TIG in quite a few years, and back then it was a nice Miller Synchrowave. I'm not a professional welder, but I need to make an aluminum cat walk and the estimates I got make it worth while to buy a welder and make it myself.

 

[Turbo Dog]

Also...is it AC with the red electrode for aluminum? Saw something about a new purple one, is it an improvement for aluminum.

After this it will probably need to do some stainless steel work...DC with the green electrode, same argon gas?

 

[green787]

All welders work better with all the gadgets...

 

[partybarge_pilot]

I used the lanthanated "gold" tungsten. Works with aluminum and steel. No need to switch or remember whats in the torch.

The OG stand-by's, Green is for aluminum, red for steel.

 

[MC@ Performance Fab]

Any proper flowmeter should do. Tungsten's, depends a lot on how much amperage your running and how often you want to clean the tip. Green=garbage. Red is still a good all around choice. Lanthanated is kind of the new wave red, works pretty good over a wide range of material and amperage. Ceriaited, on light weight, thin stuff I found it had the most accurate arc, very smooth and stable. Down side is it needs cleaned up quite a bit more then say lanthanated. I would suggest running a argon-helium mix on your cat walks, it will help a lot. And personally I run a gas lens for EVERYTHING, 7-8 for everything but SS, go to one of the new style #12 for SS.

 

[vegasloki]

I bought this guy when the gauge on my Squarewave bit the dust. http://www.usaweld.com/Flowmeter-Hose-p/flowmeters.htm

I've been using the lanthanated as well. Prior I had a few different kinds and for as often as I use the machine it's easier for me to have one go-to tungsten.

 

[gwizz]

green balls much better low amp ac. higher amperage lathnated or even thoriated work. if you were solely doing aluminum you would want green all day. but would need to tailor electrode size to the amperage you were welding at aka not to small cause you will drip the ball.

lathinated is alright but gets deposits on the tip after time doing DC so you need to clean and grind it fairly regularly even if you dont dip vs throiated being much more stable and long lasting which why its sorta is the DC standard.

the whole not changing tungsten is a mute point cause i would never want to weld DC on an electrode that had AC stuff done on it.. plus you should be changing cups anyways from a lens to a cup going from DC to AC cause there is no reason to fry a gas lens when you dont need to.