Getting Started Welding: A Comparison of 14 Flux-Core/MIG Welders
By Chuck CageOur Recommendations
We recommend following the following procedure to select your welder:
- Decide on your budget. The units listed here range from $200 to right around $800, but they generally fall into three categories: sub-$350, $350-$600, and $600 and up. In the sub-$350 range, you can expect to find welders with lower duty cycles and limited capability. Stepping up into the $350-$600 range gives you the option of MIG conversion (and even some MIG-ready units) and offers a selection of welders with 20% @ 90A duty cycles. Jumping into the $600 and up range opens the door to MIG-ready units from big-name manufacturers.
- Consider what you plan to do with the welder. If you’re only going to weld mild steel for basic fabrication projects, you’ll be fine with a flux-core only unit. If you expect to weld thinner or thicker material or to weld other metals such as aluminum or stainless, you’ll need a MIG unit. If you want to start with steel, but retain the option of MIG later, seek a convertible unit.
- Read the specs carefully. Avoid welders that offer very low duty cycles. This is often an indication of an inferior power supply. After you’ve weeded out the specs to compare like units, select the welder that best fits your particular needs.
- Finally, speak to the retailer or manufacturer about what else you’ll need to buy to use the equipment you intend to purchase. If you’re buying a MIG welder, make sure you know what type of gas and wire you’ll need and where you’re going to get it. If any accessories are needed to start welding, be sure to factor them into your price. comparisons.
Understand that our list of 14 units is by no means the ultimate list of every unit available, though we do believe it to be a strong representative sample. We located these 14 online and in our local retailer’s/distributor’s stocks. Depending on where you live and which store you visit, you may find numerous other wire welders that fit your budget.
That’s why we (as always) seek to provide guidance in reading and understanding the specs as opposed to recommending a specific unit.
Where to Buy/Service
Now that you’ve picked out the unit that’s right for you, where should you buy it? Beyond looking at the simple specs, consider the service and support offered by each unit’s manufacturer and the retailer or distributor from whom you’ll purchase it.
Distributors/The “Welding Shop”
If you haven’t visited your local welding shop yet, we definitely advise doing so before you purchase a welder. As you can imagine, service varies dramatically from business to business – they range from Mom ‘n Pop shops to nationwide chains — but welding supply shops commonly offer a level of personal service you can’t find elsewhere. Not only can they offer advice in selecting a unit, they’ll also serve as your source for welding consumables (wire, gas, tips, etc.). Many of them, if asked nicely, will also offer welding advice, and some even offer classes.
Retail/Service from the Manufacturer
Though retailers (such as Home Depot and Lowes) can’t provide the same level of direct welding support that a specialized distributor can, you’re not entirely out in the cold if you buy from these venues. Hobart and Lincoln – two big-name manufacturers whose units comprise the majority of our sample set – both offer units through retail, and consequently offer a wide range of support on the phone and online.
Conclusion/Resources
We hope this helps you select a welder to get started, and look for our “how-to” tomorrow with a hands-on review of one of the listed welders along with a step-by-step walkthrough of a great starter welding/fabrication project.
Of course, we’d love to hear about your welding experiences. Why not tell leave us a comment and tell us about it?
Complete Specs for the 14 Listed Wire Welders [PDF]
Manufacturers
Flux-Core/MIG Welders [Hobart]
Flux-Core/MIG Welders [Lincoln]
Flux-Core/MIG Welders [Miller]
Retailers
Flux-Core/MIG Welders [Harbor Freight]
Flux-Core/MIG Welders [Lowe's]
Flux-Core/MIG Welders [Home Depot]
June 15th, 2006 at 8:07 am
[...] In yesterday’s comparison post we gave you the information you need to select an entry-level flux-core/MIG welder for your shop. In today’s follow-up, we’ll walk you through using one of the welders from the comparison to build an inexpensive game chair to make playing GT4 or Forenza a lot more fun. [...]
June 15th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
The water tower analogy with the duty cycle in this article isn’t correct - the welder doesn’t have any significant amount of energy storage inside it. The reason the current is higher is because the voltage has been stepped down. The duty cycle is because the wires and components aren’t rated at full current and would overheat if used all of the time.
June 15th, 2006 at 3:18 pm
You may want to dig a little deeper into the theory of operation for welder power supplies. Duty cycle is dependant on the ability of the welder to cool it self, not the amount of electricity it is “storing”. MIG welders work by taking wall voltage and stepping it down (usually with a transformer) to the voltage you are going to be welding at, then rectifying it to DC. Other than the energy stored in the magnetic field of the transformer and perhaps a few capacitors here and there, no energy is stored for later use.
June 16th, 2006 at 8:30 am
The Hobart Handler 125 EZ can be had for $354.89 at Sears. Thanks for the article, I’ve been looking for some advise like this as I really want to buy a welder.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@0143703178.1150464535@@@@&BV_EngineID=cckcaddidekhhemcegecegjdghldfom.0&vertical=SEARS&sid=I0093600100004900085&pid=00946848000 ” target=”_blank”>Here’s the Sears link.
June 16th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
[...] Getting Started Welding: A Comparison of 14 Flux-Core/MIG Welders (June 14, 2006) If you’ve been wanting to jump in and start welding, now’s the time. Wire welding’s a whole lot easier than stick welding, and prices have dropped to the point where we found a number of great wire welders for under $500. [...]
August 2nd, 2006 at 9:59 am
You should do an additional story on welding aluminum with a MIG welder. Do the same chair but with aluminum.
August 31st, 2006 at 7:41 pm
Excellent article !
Now I don’t have to spend hours explaining welding to my brother !!!
December 23rd, 2006 at 10:28 am
actually you are wrong in stating that a mig welder will weld thicker material than fluxcore. fluxcore will weld thicker metal better with better penetration than mig all other things being equal
March 10th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Thanks, even with the small error’s re stored energy and flux vs mig for penatration and weld material thickness your explanation is very helpful. It should make a newbiees decision easier!!!
July 20th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Great article - helped me a lot. Yeah, there’s a couple of factual errors that should be fixed… but they don’t affect the target audience (welding newbies) - so lighten up people. I get tired of the know-it-alls who just HAVE to make believe they’re smarter than they guy who did the research. Let’s see YOU crank out some articles that help others, instead of just blowing smoke up everyone’s arses. Bottom line, this was an informative, info-dense piece that is going to help a lot of people who want to get in to welding. Good job!
July 20th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Oh…and PS…. let’s see you know-it-alls do all of the above for what Chuck got paid for this.. probably $0.
August 29th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Thank you for posting this entry level welder comparison article. After reading this article and the Lincoln electric manuals/literature I still cannot figure out the difference between the Lincoln 140C and 140T models. I understand that the C is for “continuous start” and the T is for “Tap start”. Please explain what this means and how it applies to welding.
Thanks;
Scott
January 4th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I’m coming in a bit down the road, here, but I’ve been researching for a bigger 110v welder. I just read (somehwere) the ‘C’ stands for rheostat. Brand wise I’m leaning toward a lincoln either the Weldpac 3200hd, Power mig 140, or Pro mig 140. Cept I can’t quite see the significance between these verses the money difference. If in doubt go for the middle one, I guess. Enjoyed the comment’s.