Before we even start this story, a little disclaimer: Yes, we know our test monkey should have on more than shorts and a T-shirt when welding. But Hank Van Gaale is one of those stubborn guys who fabs all day like this. To ask him to put on protective gear would be like offering a snow jacket to a penguin; it just wouldn't happen. And you know what? That's fine; it's his choice. But please don't use him as an example, as most of us don't have the epidermal layers capable of handling constant hot metal and UV light burns from welding. You should always wear pants and a big protective (non-flammable) jacket. So why did we go to see such a bad example of proper welding gear? Because he is one of the best welders we know, and if anyone would give us an honest opinion, it would be him. And even though the Miller's new Diversion 165 AC/DC TIG welder is priced so the every-guy can afford it and it's easy enough for the beginner to use, we wanted an experienced professional's opinion on the quality of the product and the welds it makes. Without getting into all the neato marketing slogans Miller's advertising team has come up with, we'll just tell you that this is the newest, simplest, and most affordable TIG welder on the market to date. For about $1,600, you can bring home a TIG welder that easily burns excellent welds into thick aluminum and super-thin sheet metal (Hank's words, not ours). Van Gaale was stoked to see us show up with a tiny TIG welder like this. He's been TIG welding for a while, but always with a machine that takes four guys to move and costs more than the vehicles we drive. For an average guy who can't afford 10 grand for a TIG welder, or even a skilled fabber who needs to get into tight areas to weld up body panels or rollcages, this is the perfect machine.Van Gaale was stoked to see us show up with a tiny TIG welder like this. He's been TIG wel Miller provides a standard foot pedal to control the heat of the AC/DC TIG welder, but it's much more compact (pictured right) than most other standard pedals, only adding to the Diversion 165's portability.Miller provides a standard foot pedal to control the heat of the AC/DC TIG welder, but it' Miller went a step beyond (especially for such an affordable welder) and added thumb controls on the torch that you can use in lieu of the pedal. The thumb controls take a little getting used to, but they are great to have when you're leaning into some tight spot and can't reach the pedal comfortably with your foot.The torch also has a swivel on its end so you can weld in tight spots and don't have to worry about the cable getting in the way.Miller went a step beyond (especially for such an affordable welder) and added thumb contr No other TIG welder operates as easily as the Diversion 165. Seriously people: three controls are not rocket science. There is an on/off switch, an output knob to choose the amperage/material thickness, and an AC/DC switch to choose from aluminum or steel.No other TIG welder operates as easily as the Diversion 165. Seriously people: three contr Van Gaale spent a few minutes getting accustomed to the hand controls on the torch before he let us take a picture of his work. Welders are such sensitive guys sometimes.Van Gaale spent a few minutes getting accustomed to the hand controls on the torch before Here's an example of two steel plates welded together by the Diversion 165. This was Van Gaale's first try too. The '165 is so easy to use, that you can usually do well the first time you use it.With an amperage range of 10-165 amps (150 amps at 20-percent duty cycle), you can weld super thin sheet metal or thick aluminum.Here's an example of two steel plates welded together by the Diversion 165. This was Van G Here's an example of two steel plates welded together by the Diversion 165. This was Van Gaale's first try too. The '165 is so easy to use, that you can usually do well the first time you use it.With an amperage range of 10-165 amps (150 amps at 20-percent duty cycle), you can weld super thin sheet metal or thick aluminum.Here's an example of two steel plates welded together by the Diversion 165. This was Van G For tungsten welding steel, you want a nice sharp tip on your tungsten electrode. For welding aluminum, you need pure ground tungsten and want to have a little ball on the end of the rod to start with.For welding corners of sheetmetal, you can even use the Diversion 165 to fuse weld them together (not really using filling material).For tungsten welding steel, you want a nice sharp tip on your tungsten electrode. For weld Even super-thin sheet steel is easy with the amperage knob on the '165. You can weld mild steel, stainless steel, or chromoly steel with this unit.Even super-thin sheet steel is easy with the amperage knob on the '165. You can weld mild Check out how this aluminum was welded together with perfect penetration. This was done by an experienced TIG welder, and we're not guaranteeing that our welds would come out this clean had we been demonstrating it ourselves. The Diversion 165 is a great and easy little machine to use, but it won't perform miracles!Check out how this aluminum was welded together with perfect penetration. This was done by Sources Miller Electric Mfg. Co. Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
