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!

I like it a lot its a nice welder very glad I got it!! All the positive reviews and you tube video reviews etc really sold me. Especially like the duty cycle that is the single most important thing to look for in any welder this one is very good. I did a ton of research on this welder. I was a bit skeptical of pre-buying something that was a month or so out. But I saw day after day watching the ETA dates kept getting further ahead so took the chance and pre-payed for it. Plus the pre-buy price was very reasonable to me, saving a $120 over in stock prices is awesome. The welder came at least 2 weeks early and was in perfect condition. All the included accessory's are perfectly suited for the type welding I need this for. I highly doubt I will change anything. I started torch welding in late 60's in VO-AG in jr high and all the way thru high school even before I learned stick welding. This is just about the same it was very easy to pick up and start tig welding steel. The ac aluminum took me just a bit to get familiar with and was my big reason to buy tig in the first place. I am at least competent with the settings etc now so I get better every time I weld. You tube has great instructional videos on this welder!!. I use it on 120v all the time I really appreciate the fact I can do that and not stuck needing a 220 outlet. Cant comment on the stick I may not use it for awhile? I have a commercial mig for the big projects but I am quite sure this AHP will burn rods with the best of them. Edit: I said I wouldn’t change anything but I forgot to mention I did buy a stubby gas lens kit and that’s what I am welding with and it works great. I can’t comment on included cups etc but pretty sure they would be fine plus you can start welding soon as you get gas and rods.

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=z220ffvwbpf5wfcrf04t1aokgald4jnbqtfdkp5woaaerk0h00410.1517360435585162 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHiuAgx16H0

I bought this welder originally for stick welding and eventually to play around with tig. I am a fairly new welder so my point of view will be different than the experts. I bought the unit about 7 months ago and was holding off reviewing until I was able to use most of the options. I have used the stick and DC tig to weld steel. I have not done any AC tig welding with it. So far I am completely satisfied. In a welding class I was able to use a wide variety of big name welders and honestly this machine works just as well and even better in some cases. Now, I dont weld for a living and do not need to weld huge projects...but for home diy, ornamentation projects its awesome. Set up and switching between stick and tig is easy. The kit came with both a foot and hand pedal for tig, which I love. I have only used the foot pedal....wanting to get good at it ...but plan to switch to the hand once I feel comfortable with everything else I need to do with my hands! I also played with the pulse..works well and is really good for a newbie like me. eliminating the need to think about pulsing by foot while trying to concentrate on not contaminating my tungsten, tungsten angle, the puddle, the filler rod, keeping my line straight, etc. The price is really reasonable. I didn't want to spend a ton of money on something that is a weekend hobby and didn't want to end up with a cheap unit that I would be struggling with (dealt with those in welding class too). The only negative is the spring in the ground clamp broke about 5 months in. I replaced it with a heavy duty one. Besides that, everything else seems well made and I am very happy with the unit so I'm still giving it a 5 star...I should have called them up for a replacement to test their service..might still do that.

Bought this machine just before Christmas 2017. Haven't TIG welded in like 40 years. First I tried stick welding as I did not have the Argon yet. This machine stick welds fantastic. You can actually use the frequency control when on AC for stick! A welcome surprise. Soon I got the Argon and proceeded to TIG weld steel. Took a couple tries and 2 stuck tungsten's but soon the method came back. Next I tried aluminum knowing that's a bit harder. After about 10 or 12 tries and adjusting the frequency, post flow and AC balance, I was getting the stack of dimes. Since then I have welded several projects including stainless steel and simply love this machine. The torch is very nice as is the cable for it. The dense connectors are large. Knobs turn smoothly. I have heard that the graduations on the panel don't agree with the read out but mine is spot on, so I guess they addressed this minor issue. The included flow meter works great. The only reason for not giving it 5 stars is the foot pedal which is a little gamely and likes to slide around. I mounted it to a board and added skateboard tape to resolve that problem so rather minor. On the positive side the foot pedal works smoothly and offers great control so I doubt I'll replace it. The duty cycle is 60%, at max amperage, which is higher than the blue and red machines. I don't believe you can buy a better TIG/Stick machine especially when you factor in the cost of it.

I have been mig and stick welding a long time but this is my first tig. When the machine came in it had a cracked torch. I contacted the manufacturer and sent them pictures and they promptly without question sent me a replacement. The learning curve wasn't bad. This speaks to either my understanding of welding or the quality of the machine itself. Within 10' of welding aluminum practice tabs(making approx. 4-5inch welds at a time) I was stacking dimes with decent looks and heat penetration. The machine itself was easy to setup once you figure out the buttons. The auto setting was very good for me being new to tig. I was between this and a Vulcan welder from HF. I am very happy I bought this one. I believe the quality of this welder is amazing, especially for the low cost.

Nice quality but too hard to learn how to use

EDIT: I've now owned the machine for a year and am very happy with its performance. I did purchase an aftermarket pedal for it and a stubby gas lens kit. The TIG arc is awesome and I've been experimenting with the pulse feature quite a lot and really like it. I used the stick welding feature more and have to say it's the best stick welder I've ever used. Smooth arc and easy starts. I've run 6011, 6013, 6014 and 7018 rods and the machine has performed flawlessly. I wouldn't hesitate to buy this machine again. I've used it for about 30 hours of TIG welding and tried all the functions and it works well and has a stable arc. High frequency AC is great and pulse feature works well. I've only tried the stinger once just to test it and it laid down a nice weld and stable arc at 90 amps with 7018. I think this is a great welder for the money. I don't like the pedal that comes with it. The pedal works fine but is very heavy and scoots around the floor. Mount the pedal to wood or something, or buy another pedal, as I did.