i-Tig-201

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01-29-2018, 02:06 PM
BillN

i-Tig-201

I noticed some activity on the forum here pertaining to the i-Tig-201, so I thought I would chime in. I purchased my i-Tig-201 in Nov 2016 mainly for antique/classic car sheet metal. I had not been having much success with MIG and associated burn thru, tall welds requiring a lot of grinding, and brittle welds. My new tig machine solved my problems beautifully – after a lot of welding videos and practice. I have also used it for 6011 stick welding with no problems.

Right after receiving my i-Tig-201, the on/off switch on the back failed in the “on” position. I contacted Everlast and they sent me a new switch. After a few on/off cycles, it also failed in the “on” position. Since then, I have just been using my 220 V circuit breaker switch in my garage panel to turn the machine on and off.

The discussion on garage wiring concerns me a little. Should I pull the panel off my circuit breaker box and check to make sure “red wire is connected to white wire”? I have noticed some weird noises from my radio while welding. Is this normal? Mark?
01-29-2018, 05:43 PM
aland

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillN

I noticed some activity on the forum here pertaining to the i-Tig-201, so I thought I would chime in. I purchased my i-Tig-201 in Nov 2016 mainly for antique/classic car sheet metal. I had not been having much success with MIG and associated burn thru, tall welds requiring a lot of grinding, and brittle welds. My new tig machine solved my problems beautifully – after a lot of welding videos and practice. I have also used it for 6011 stick welding with no problems.

Right after receiving my i-Tig-201, the on/off switch on the back failed in the “on” position. I contacted Everlast and they sent me a new switch. After a few on/off cycles, it also failed in the “on” position. Since then, I have just been using my 220 V circuit breaker switch in my garage panel to turn the machine on and off.

The discussion on garage wiring concerns me a little. Should I pull the panel off my circuit breaker box and check to make sure “red wire is connected to white wire”? I have noticed some weird noises from my radio while welding. Is this normal? Mark?

Bill,

I guess a long overdue welcome to the forum is in order, but I think I saw your thread about the on/off switch previously, not too much info on the i-Tig 201. I also have one I just got a month or so back, and yeah that on/off switch is a real POS, but maybe it can be replaced with a better one. That I haven't looked at yet as mine seems to be working.

The HF is normal as I understand it, with bleeding through to radio and/or other computerized components, I don't think that is unusual.

I did see another person mention recently, on another forum, that their i-Tig 200 (predecessor to i-Tig 201) needed to have the point gap set so that it would arc nicely on all materials. I haven't checked mine yet, but will be doing that soon.

I was originally having some stick issues, mostly in regard to restarting and/or too low of an Arc Force setting, but adjusting that seems to have taken care of my restart issues with 6011 and 7018.

The i-Tig 201 seems to be positioned in an odd sector, I really don't understand how Everlast markets their machines, but in some ways it seems the i-Tig 200t is more useful at some things, like cellulose electrodes, but the 201 doesn't seem to do too bad. I know there are more settings for the 200t in regard to having hot start, that is one advantage, and it goes slightly lower start amps, a bit more pulse, mostly stuff that is not very useful for me. I rater like being able to see the knobs at a glance, but just starting my first tig project with it, a welding cart (yeah yeah how blahzay). I have a few stick projects that will help my welder earn it's keep, but tig will be my long term goal to learn with the machine.

Are you still using the factory torch? Did your machine include the older stiff black torch cable? I was lucky to get the newer flexible 200 amp red cable they ship with them now, and got the Nova pedal. Eventually I'll get a 150 amp flex hose torch, but for the time being I'll be using the stock 26 torch that shipped with the unit. I bought a size 26 flex head on Amazon for about $10 which I can swap out on the stock flex cable, and have been eying that 150 amp RotaFlex torch to compliment my 26 torch. My plan is to use the 26 torch for tack welding with the switch in the long run.

Glad to see another i-Tig 201 owner on the forum. I kind of feel like a loner in regard to there not being too many of these, I imagine Everlast has a specific customer that requested and/or buys them.

Alan
01-29-2018, 11:36 PM
BillN

Quote:

Originally Posted by aland

Bill,

I guess a long overdue welcome to the forum is in order, but I think I saw your thread about the on/off switch previously, not too much info on the i-Tig 201. I also have one I just got a month or so back, and yeah that on/off switch is a real POS, but maybe it can be replaced with a better one. That I haven't looked at yet as mine seems to be working.

The HF is normal as I understand it, with bleeding through to radio and/or other computerized components, I don't think that is unusual.

I did see another person mention recently, on another forum, that their i-Tig 200 (predecessor to i-Tig 201) needed to have the point gap set so that it would arc nicely on all materials. I haven't checked mine yet, but will be doing that soon.

I was originally having some stick issues, mostly in regard to restarting and/or too low of an Arc Force setting, but adjusting that seems to have taken care of my restart issues with 6011 and 7018.

The i-Tig 201 seems to be positioned in an odd sector, I really don't understand how Everlast markets their machines, but in some ways it seems the i-Tig 200t is more useful at some things, like cellulose electrodes, but the 201 doesn't seem to do too bad. I know there are more settings for the 200t in regard to having hot start, that is one advantage, and it goes slightly lower start amps, a bit more pulse, mostly stuff that is not very useful for me. I rater like being able to see the knobs at a glance, but just starting my first tig project with it, a welding cart (yeah yeah how blahzay). I have a few stick projects that will help my welder earn it's keep, but tig will be my long term goal to learn with the machine.

Are you still using the factory torch? Did your machine include the older stiff black torch cable? I was lucky to get the newer flexible 200 amp red cable they ship with them now, and got the Nova pedal. Eventually I'll get a 150 amp flex hose torch, but for the time being I'll be using the stock 26 torch that shipped with the unit. I bought a size 26 flex head on Amazon for about $10 which I can swap out on the stock flex cable, and have been eying that 150 amp RotaFlex torch to compliment my 26 torch. My plan is to use the 26 torch for tack welding with the switch in the long run.

Glad to see another i-Tig 201 owner on the forum. I kind of feel like a loner in regard to there not being too many of these, I imagine Everlast has a specific customer that requested and/or buys them.

Alan

Hi Alan, thanks for your reply. Yes, I do still have the original “stiff black” cable. I didn't realize it was stiff until you mentioned it. Everything on the machine is “as received” including the foot pedal. The only ID on the pedal I see is a tag reading “FT-22K-CL”.

A couple of months prior to purchasing my i-Tig-201, I had purchased a 160 STH. After much practice, I simply could not weld 18 Ga (.040”) sheet metal with this machine. I just knew there had to be something wrong, and there was (although I don't know what). So I traded it back in to Everlast for the i-Tig-201, the reason being it was the next machine up that had pulse control which is a “plus” for sheet metal. After receiving it, I could weld much better, even without the pulse control turned on. After studying many videos and much practice, I can now butt weld in patch panels to my satisfaction. Like you, I don't understand why this is a “loner” machine. I'm very happy with it (except for the switch) – not only for sheet metal, but it has plenty of amp capacity for heavier work as well.
01-30-2018, 12:41 AM
aland

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillN

Hi Alan, thanks for your reply. Yes, I do still have the original “stiff black” cable. I didn't realize it was stiff until you mentioned it. Everything on the machine is “as received” including the foot pedal. The only ID on the pedal I see is a tag reading “FT-22K-CL”.

I heard they used to ship the stiffer black cable, that is how I knew that. Most online recommendations are to get a ck 17 w/superflex cable, and the new Everlast cables are similar, however, they ship a larger 200 amp cable that is suitable for the size 26 torch they ship with the unit. The 200 amp flex red cable as I have is still quite a bit stiffer than a 150 amp cable, but it's not too bad.

You must have the Everlast pedal, I think it was either an SSC or SSC clone. The Nova is similar with a different potentiometer

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillN

A couple of months prior to purchasing my i-Tig-201, I had purchased a 160 STH. After much practice, I simply could not weld 18 Ga (.040”) sheet metal with this machine. I just knew there had to be something wrong, and there was (although I don't know what). So I traded it back in to Everlast for the i-Tig-201, the reason being it was the next machine up that had pulse control which is a “plus” for sheet metal. After receiving it, I could weld much better, even without the pulse control turned on. After studying many videos and much practice, I can now butt weld in patch panels to my satisfaction. Like you, I don't understand why this is a “loner” machine. I'm very happy with it (except for the switch) – not only for sheet metal, but it has plenty of amp capacity for heavier work as well.

Here's where it gets stranger, I wonder if you're a long lost cousin of mine ???

I originally bought a PowerArc 200st with the intention that I would use it to take care of a couple stick welding projects I have which need to get done. I live about 30-40 miles from the office in South SF, so drove up and bought it direct from them. I took it home, and started to study what I needed to weld, and soon found out that a unit with HF start with was preferable...so a couple days after I sent an email asking if it was ok if I exchanged it for a PowerArc 160sth. But as I continued to do my research I realized that something with pulse would be nice. For me at the expense of stick support, the original PowerArc 200st was the best if stick was my main concern. Then I saw for a tad more I could get the i-Tig 201. When I drove up the next morning, I ended up with the i-Tig 201...truth be told, I would have rather had the 185dv or the 200dv to get AC, but I am not working and while I do have the money, I need to save as much of it as I can to build a foundation and septic for a much larger project. The i-Tig 201 was the cheapest way for me to get into that, they were on sale during the holiday season for $550. At the time it would have been $100 more for the i-Tig 200t, and it came with a pedal, but not the Nova. My plan was to replace most all of the accessories anyway, so for better or worse I decided to stop my expense and the i-Tig 201 is it. I just won't be able to do aluminum, which does suck in some ways as I do occasionally use aluminum to machine...more often than not I tend to use tool steel or even 1018 if it needs to be welded, and 8620 is also good to weld/machine. For weight though, aluminum is preferred. The price difference is quite a bit different now as they are not on sale like during the holiday season.

As far as being a "loner" machine, I was told not and the 201 is much newer than the 200t is. As noted, this is an interesting machine as it has a digital controller that is front ended with an analog interface. It is slightly limited to the 200t in regard to stick, and the pulse seems to be slightly broader. The better stick would have been preferable for me. However, I am not crazy about the digital UI, but most all modern inverters do use it. I do prefer the pots, maybe my Cali upbringing....we were weened on pot out here! LOL Seriously though, I just prefer that.

When I spoke with the owner I was told they developed the 200t for an aerospace client and sell large QTYs to that sector, and the i-Tig 201 was intended for a slightly different market, he implied professionals...but that's kind of odd to me as I'm not a professional, I'm a hobbyist. You sound like you may be also...maybe I misunderstood him, but even on the web page it says it's intended for professionals and gunsmiths, yada-yada-yada...at the end of the day it's all a bunch of lip service with 80 different models with different features and accessories...so is it no wonder it's so difficult to understand? I think not...

Alan