If you’re looking to get into welding, then you might find yourself troubled by all the different types of welding and welding machines on today’s market, and you might be faced with a couple of difficult choices. Personally, I find the MIG welding process to be the most beginner-friendly out of all welding processes for a couple of reasons.
The MIG welding process, or otherwise known as metal inert gas process uses a wire welding electrode which is fed automatically on a spool at a constant speed which is previously selected. You can easily find cheap MIG welders for sale online, or in metalworking or hardware store in your town. The arc created by the current between the wire and the base metal melts the wire and joins it together with the metal, producing a high-quality, strong weld with little need for cleaning and amazing appearance. MIG welding is easy, clean and can be used on both thick and thin plate metals.
There’s a similar process to MIG welding known as the FCAW, or flux-cored arc welding. It’s similar in that it’s also a wire-feed method, but it doesn’t require a gas shield. The reason for this is the fact that the flux-cored wire shields the arc, which is an effective, efficient and simple welding approach. This is especially helpful when welding outdoors, welding dirty metals or in windy conditions. The FCAW method is commonly used in construction because of its portability and fast welding speed.
When it comes to power, there are welders that are considered light-duty (for light industrial applications and DIY projects) which have a 20% duty cycle and are rated at about 200 amps, and heavy-duty welders who have a 40-60% duty cycle and are rated at about 300 amps. For this reason, planning ahead is essential in order to get the best value out of your welder.
As aforementioned, you can find cheap MIG welders for sale online, which I would recommend for beginners. However, even if you’re a beginner, but have a larger budget, it may be worth getting a more advanced model, which can last you more than the beginner’s one, because you’ll be able to perform more complicated tasks with more accuracy. Simply put, think about your end-goals and the power and amperage needs you’ll have in the foreseeable future.
Welders typically have a very beginner-friendly interface, and can easily be set up and operated. Usually, the process involves powering the welder up, selecting the material type and setting the material thickness range. Some extra features like inverter technology can be present in some models, which basically makes them more energy-efficient and gives them a constant welding arc.
