Looks like I'm delaying my TIG purchase for a bit

[EchoSixMike]

I just traded my Lincoln 175 Square Wave off for a diesel driven Miller SMAW unit, because I wanted mobility. So that left me with a hole that I need to fill, an AC TIG machine. Was looking at either a 200DX or 225LX, but just had a Thermadyne 250GSTW(Japanese) drop into my lap, with a watercooler complete for $475. It draws a lot of amps, so it's going to stay at my shop, so I'll need a home TIG eventually, but it means that can be kicked down the road a ways.

So that brings me to a question, how long do invertor units typically last? I know the tranformer stuff essentially lives forever unless you do something stupid but don't know about the invertor stuff. Any ideas? S/F.....Ken M

[Brian Ski]

So that brings me to a question, how long do invertor units typically last? I know the tranformer stuff essentially lives forever unless you do something stupid but don't know about the invertor stuff. Any ideas? S/F.....Ken M

Well... How long does anything last??? I would say if you are running it hard (full power a lot) or hitting the thermal cutoff you could put more strain on the components. If you normally run mid range or so, they should hold up well. Just like any electronic device like a tv or computer. I think any problems should show up early. Or like me my stuff hardly ever dies... I just keep fixing things and keep moving on...