AlphaTIG 200X Welder Review

By Jayden Mark   

More expensive than your average DIY TIG/stick welder, much cheaper than professional grade machines, the AlphaTIG 200A TIG/Stick welder offers high-end capabilities at an affordable price. In this review, we’ll be taking a detailed look at this quite remarkable welding machine. There’s nothing average about the AHP AlphaTIG 200X. This is a potent Inverter welder with the best that modern technology has to offer. Using state of the art IGBT technology, the PWM inverter provides a perfect weld with an exceptional duty cycle, for both TIG and MMA (stick) welding tasks.

Let’s start with the important stuff. For professional welders and industrious DIYers, duty cycle is probably of most importance. After all, this determines how fast you can complete the job. In this regard, the AHP AlphaTIG 200X can rate amongst the best industrial grade machines. You can achieve 100% duty cycle at 150A, that’s 75% of the maximum 200A capacity for both TIG and MMA welding. At full capacity (200A), you have a pretty impressive 60% duty cycle. For most welding jobs, you should be able to work continuously, without waiting for the welder to cool down. That’s a winner in my book.

At 200A maximum, delivered smoothly through the wonderfully managed inverter, you can weld ¼” aluminum effortlessly. If you’re working with mild steel, it will handle ³⁄₈” sheets with ease. The torches and ground clamp are of a high quality standard, comparable to any this price range, if not better. The kit also includes a durable metal foot pedal, regulator and water filter unit with high-end brass fittings, as well as all the necessary pipes and a nice selection of welding tips. Whether you’re a professional or beginner welder, you’ll be up and running in no time. You also have the advantage of using either 110V or 220V. The required outlet adapter is supplied with the welder.

I absolutely love the general design of this welder. For starters, it is enclosed in a tough metal housing, yet weighs only 69 pounds. A very reasonable weight for such a powerful TIG welder. Flip up the transparent cover, and you have all the controls you could possibly want, laid out in a perfectly logical format. A neat array of switches, allow you to select MMA or TIG welding, as well as AC or DC. You can toggle between a 2T or 4T settings and it has a 3-digit LED display for perfect accuracy. 

Fine tune your welder settings with pots that include 3 X pulse settings (frequency, amps, and time), Start amps; main amps and end amps, AC frequency; AC balance and post flow. High Frequency (HF) TIG starting makes things all the more simple. Whether you’re welding thick material, or performing detailed welds with thin wire, you will get the perfect weld with absolute precision. Novices may prefer automatic settings, but for those who know their stuff, the AHP AlphaTIG 200X gives you ultimate control over what you’re doing.

While the AHP AlphaTIG 200X is by no means a cheap welder, it is an affordable option for those looking for a more professional grade machine. Okay, it’s not in the same league as high-end Miller welders. But, then again, look at the price, it’s a lot cheaper than any truly industrial grade machine. This TIG/stick welder is ideal for an auto shop, small manufacturing facility, or the home shop where you want to do more demanding jobs with better precision than the average DIY welding machine. The 3-year warranty on the welder and inverter are an obvious indication of above average quality. Of course, this warranty doesn’t cover the torches and spool, nor does it cover the foot pedal. For these items, you have a 6-month warranty, which is pretty much as good as it gets for any welder.