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Are you having problems in choosing a Best MIG welders?
Do so many brands in the market haunt you?
Are you fed up to the point that you feel helpless?
Worry not! To solve your problems we bring to you the Best MIG welder series, where we suggest our best picks when it comes to beginners, home use, power, or other specifications and requirements. Say goodbye to your entire haunt and tag along to know in which category your welder falls!
Overall Best Pick
- EASY TO USE-140 FC-I MIG machine uses 0.30, flux core wire. It has infinite voltage and wire feed speed control so you...
- POWERFUL- Up to 140 Amp output that allows you to weld mild steel up to 1/4 in plate
- PORTABLE WELDER- Lightweight 19 lbs. easily carried to any Do-It-Yourself, Maintenance, Repair, Metal Fabrication and...
- RUGGED- All metal case, Built to take the day to day. Big enough to handle 2 and 10 pound rolls of wire
- WELDER INCLUDES- 8' MIG gun, 8' ground clamp, Integrated handle with torch wrap and a 20A-15A adapter. Backed by a...
The Budget Pick
- 【Household Smart Welder】compact and exquisite MIG gas welder, made of heavy duty stainless steel body, painted with...
- 【Flux-Cored Wire, No Gas Welder】uses convenient Flux-Cored wire, self release metal-inert gas while welding, prevent...
- 【4 Levels Adjustable Welding Speed】features 4 levels of current flow settings, by adjusting the 4 buttons for...
- 【Portable Design & Wide Applications】it is perfect for welding normal thin steel and iron, perfect for home DIY and...
- 【Many Complimentary Necessities】two air-vent on the machine to help heat dissipation. The welding gun with full on /...
1. Hobart 500559 Handler 140 MIG Welder 115V
This MIG welder offers MIG as well as flux welding, so you can always choose and weld thick or thin materials to your liking. Plus it operates at the standard household power input making it your top choice for starters.
Features
Struggling with a new machine and getting to learn your way around a new art can be bothersome. However, with Hobart Handler 140 you can fulfill your wishes to become a welder in no time. This user-friendly machine literally takes a couple of minutes to set up plus it is simple to use. Being small enough, you can easily carry it around your house to perform all the household-related welding projects and will not need to fumble with the controls to know your way around.
Multipurpose welder – Being a beginner, you will be interested in testing out different materials to weld. You can easily experiment with Hobart Handler 140, and weld stainless steel, aluminum, alloys, titanium, magnesium, copper, cast iron, and brass. Its capability to weld 24 gauge – ¼ inches mild steel makes the above possible so that you can play with all sorts of materials at home.
Power specification – For its compact size, the machine gives a robust power output. You can work with it in a current range of 25 to 140 Amps at 115 V with a wire feed speed range of 40 to 700 IPM. This feature also ensures a smooth arc due to the voltage control, which allows you to choose among 5 levels of operation. So that you can come up with neat welding finishes in your project.
Safety first – With this MIG welder, you can shoo away all your safety concerns as it comes with a number of in-built safety features. A thermal and current overload prevents excessive heat or current from damaging the machine or the person using it.
Easy setup – This MIG makes your life easier, as it comes with a user manual to guide you through each step. It will guide you at every point with super easy instructions that you can catch up with.
- Thermal control that resets itself
- Quick easy setup
- Portable only weighs 57 lbs.
- Swift Polarity changeover
- Stable arcs over all thicknesses
- Not suitable for commercial use
- It cannot be hooked up with generators
2. Hobart 500554 Handler 190 MIG Welder 230V: Top choice for money
Budget is one of the constraints when you are thinking to buy a good MIG welder. Well, nothing can compare to the Hobart 500554 Handler 190 when it comes to providing maximum features at the given price. The stylish and compact welder is the epitome of a great welding experience for professionals and hobbyists alike.
This power welder offers you great flexibility when welding. If you have a number of different scale projects to work on, you can easily adjust the current and voltage rating of the MIG via the control knob on the front panel. You get to choose between 7 different voltage settings and a current range of 25-190Amps to weld several different metals to your liking.
Features
With Hobart Handler 190 you get double power for the buck spent. You can make use of its amazing features for different DIY projects at your home or worksite. The simple-to-use welder will not require you to rack your brains to get it working provided its user manual. Coupled with this and the noteworthy features mentioned below it’s definitely worth the purchase.
The cool spool gun – It gets messy handling the wire, making the entire welding ordeal troublesome. In order to avoid this, Hobart Handler 190 has a spool runner, which connects to the machine and regulates the flow of the wire. The spool gun can work with aluminum, steel, and mild steel wire.
Built-in Gas valve – You don’t have to look for additional accessories when it comes to this nifty welder. The welder has a gas valve, a spool adapter, a MIG gun, and a gas hose, making life easier.
Multiple voltage setting – The 7 options to set the voltage give you ample options to work on a variety of materials. You can weld 24-gauge to 5/16 inches using this welder. This truly is awesome features and most welders look forward to it.
- A built in contractor
- Comes with a quick select drive roll
- Protected from short circuits
- Thermal over load and motor protection
- Fairly priced
- It will require a 220V adapter
3. Lincoln Electric K2278-1 Handy Core: Best for home use
The MIG welders mentioned earlier might not be suitable when it comes to small home projects. Instead of creating a mess in your home by bringing in a huge welding machine, Lincoln K2278-1 makes things easy for you. This handy welder by Lincoln will save your pocket and at the same time, give you enough power to complete your home projects in a go.
When it comes to some light-duty projects at home, you need something that isn’t full of unwanted features and does the job asked. This Handy Core welder by Lincoln does exactly that. We tested it out on a number of small projects and were amazed to know that it could handle mild steel up to 1/8 inches.
Features
Although this compact home welder doesn’t pack a lot of exciting features, what it provides is enough to get your home projects done in a clean and economical way.
Cold Contractor safety – Although you will be using the welder for small purposes, yet there is this safety feature that prevents any thermal disasters. This feature keeps the welding wire cool unless you press the trigger.
Four output ranges– You can operate in 4 output ranges to work with some materials at your home. These options are more than enough when working on household DIYs. The four output ranges are selected based on the material you are working on or on how much power you require.
In-built fan– The compact welder also comes with a small inbuilt cooling fan. This prevents your welder from over-heating when you weld up to 70 Amps with a 115V input. This safety feature adds value to the welder.
Additional Accessories– Despite its economical range you get hold of the cable assembly, work clamp, work lead, and other cool accessories upon purchase. This solves a lot of problems and saves you a lot of trips to the market, plus you wouldn’t face any compatibility issues.
- It is easy to operate and set up
- Does not require a generator to work
- Perfect size for small projects
- Not suitable for commercial use
- Does not have high output rating
- It does not use gas
4. Lincoln Electric K2185-1 Handy MIG Welder: Best under $500
Lincoln has again made it to our list but this time around as the Best MIG welder under $500! Yes, you can get this amazing and handy welder on an economical budget. True to its name, the Lincoln Electric k2185-1 Handy MIG, is extremely convenient when it comes to low-duty projects at home. With its sweet price tag, this MIG has a lot to offer in its little bundle.
With a weight of almost 46 lbs. you can move it around your house and get the welding done in no time with the minimum mess created. With its easy interface, even the newbies can rock the welding profession in no time.
Features
You might think that at the given price all you will get is the mainstream welding option that too on certain materials. Well, you are wrong. For its size, the welder packs a good amount of power and amperage range 35 to 88Amps, which allows you to weld different steel grades with minimum spatter. Fix your vehicle panels, repair your car bumpers, do custom fabrication, and much more, with these power-packed little machines.
Two operating modes – You can either make it work as a MIG or simply use flux core depending on your choice and requirement. This switching between two modes is effective and allows you to experiment a lot. However, one thing that might be a downpour for you is that you will have to purchase a separate shield gas to operate it as a MIG.
Warranty plus safety – In addition to its eye-catching price tag, the k2185 also has an in-built cold safety contractor plus it comes with a 1-year warranty on the parts; how cool is that!
Portability and affordability – Being affordable is one thing but being portable in addition to that is like a cherry on the top. For under $500 you get a welder for home use that can either be used in your garage or inside your home, owing to its condensed design.
- Compatible with household outlet of 115V and 20A
- Suitable for 24 gauge to 1/8 inches of mild steel
- High on durability
- Requires minimum maintenance
- Does not have a gas gauge
- Has small spool capacity
- Only suited for household use
5. Goplus MIG 130 Welder Flux Core Wire Automatic Feed Welding Machine w/Free Mask: Best under $300
You will find it hard to believe, but you can get a MIG welder to fulfill your welding desires by spending less than $300, now how cool is that! You can be easy on the pocket and at the same time enjoy your hobby too. GoPlus MIG 130 welder is one of the best MIG welders under $300 you can get in the market. Weighing only 35 lbs. this welder offers maximum portability on a low budget.
The low cost and the lightweight do mean that you will not get a powerful arc, but what you do get with 110V input is enough to get done with small projects at home like fixing a door panel of your vehicle.
Features
You can achieve some fine-looking finishes using this MIG welder. Normal, thin steel and iron can work just fine using this machine. You can get most of your house repairs done with this small compact machine that comes with a carry handle. This allows you to carry your machine to the repair area, rather than bringing things to be repaired to it.
User-friendly control panel – This control panel makes the job easy for you. Even if you are a newbie, the simple panel with specific knobs for specific settings is easy to grasp. The current knob allows you to shift between 4 current levels. You can also adjust the wire feeding speed using a speed knob on the panel.
Two Air vent – This feature acts to prevent the circuitry in the machine from overheating by continuously dissipating the heat. This ensures an uninterrupted weld on your house repairs.
Storage Space – The sleek design of the welder hides a small storage space on the top. This is an excellent feature and it helped us carrying our small welding tools along with the welder without much hassle.
Metal Tip– The MIG welder makes use of convenient Flux-Cored wire, and with the additional self-release metal-inert gas when in use, prevents the oxidation of the welded part.
- It comes in a stainless steel body
- A welding wire and a mask are also part of the purchase
- Adjustable heat settings
- Extremely portable
- Has storage space
- Not suitable for industrial use
- Not enough power output
- The welding wire is always live
6. Hobart Handler 210 MVP MIG Welder: Best MIG Welder under $1000
So far we considered some nifty welders that did not offer so much power, nevertheless completed the purpose they were used for. However, if you are some professional home welder, looking for some high power welding, Hobart Handler 210 MVP is the perfect contender. Not only is it the best MIG welder in the market, but also the best MIG welder under $1000.
Featuring Dual input voltage and dual welding processes, this powerful demon promises to offer, reliability and versatility. Our testing with this Hobart was simply amazing. Apart from the amazing features, the welder is easy to operate and allows you to experiment over 24 gauge – 3/8 inches.
Features
You might think considering its price and the features, the machine might be tough to handle and operate. But trust us; it is the opposite way round. You can get along with the functions in no time with its handy chart. The chart guides you through the settings to be used for different materials and the super cool gauge functionality allows you to know the thickness of the metal you are using too. It’s like all your work has been done for you!
Dual Input power – When it comes to some heavy-duty home welders, it is recommended to operate them at 230V. You have no such restriction in the 120 MVP by Hobart. 115V or 230V you can use both without the need to install multiple sockets of 230V at home to get your DIY projects done.
Experiment on a variety of materials – Hobart MVP 210 allows you to weld steels, iron, and of course non-ferrous aluminum. At 115V you can get an output amperage of 140Amps to weld steel as thick as 1/8 inches. If that does not satisfy you, you can always increase the power and the thickness, by plugging it in the 230V socket.
4-inch or 8-inch – Again the machine offers you the option of the dimension of reel you want to use. You can adjust between the 2 options by using the adapter that comes along the entire assembly.
Quick Select – This function chooses the drive roll to be used for 0.024 inches or 0.030-inch wire and 0.030/0.035 flux wire. This machine is simply loved with the tons of choices it offers. You do not need to leave your welding spot and enjoy the uninterrupted experience.
- Accepts a direct plug-in Spool runner
- Dual voltage with MVP
- Built-in contractor
- Short circuit Protection
- Self-resetting thermal load
- Current limited motor protection
- Not as portable as other welders
- Has a limited duty cycle
- Stiff ground cable
7. 140 Amp MIG Wire Welder, Flux Core & Aluminum Gas Shielded Welding with 2T/4T Switch Argon Regulator, Metal Wire Feeder: Best 110V MIG Welder
With gaining much popularity these days, MIG welders have become one essential part of households. And when buying one, the voltage specs are something that one looks for according to the work one wants to take from it. Once you have decided that you are going to use the welder for small home DIY projects, 110V input is more than enough for you.
Lotos MIG 140 is the best 110V MIG welder according to us in the market. This cool and portable welder is versatile in its working and makes the entire welding ordeal easy for you.
Features
Get hold of some amazing welds using this welder by Lotos, whether you are a hobbyist, professional, or a newbie, Lotos has got you all covered. Keeping in view your tight budget, your requirement to weld different materials, and of course the power specs we recommend the versatile Lotos 140. Going from 25 to 140 Amps and coming with a number of accessories this is your best option for 110V MIG. Let’s have a look at the amazing features the welder has to offer.
Powerful 140 Amp – Stainless steel, mild steel, aluminum, you name it Lotos 140 can weld it! Going from 18 gauge to 3/16 inches in case of steel and 1/8 inches or thinner when it comes to aluminum, the welder provides a lot of boost for the bucks spent.
Aluminum Wire feeder – The welder comes with a good quality aluminum wire feeder that gives a stable welding experience. You will not have to fiddle with the wire issues and spatter with this feature in place.
2T/4T switch – Tired of pressing the finger in case of along weld? This 2T/4T technology in the Lotos 140 MIG makes your life a lot easier. No longer need to press your fingers in case of a long weld.
Digital Display– The knobs on the front panel allow you to adjust the amperage range and the digital LED display makes it easy even for the amateurs to set the welder for the project.
- Comes with most of accessories required for welding
- Weighing 54 lbs. it is pretty portable
- Easy to set up
- Industrial Standard
- Need to separately buy a spool gun
- Placement of the gas hose can pose a problem
8. Lincoln Electric Power MIG 210 Mp #K3963-1: Best 120V MIG Welder
Since we already gave you the top choice of a 110V MIG welder, why hold you back from knowing the best 120V MIG in the market? Our top pick in this category is Lincoln PowerMIG 120 MP. This simple-to-use welder by Lincoln is your ticket to an amazing welding experience. The device offers dual voltage input, 120V, or 230V. You can attach it to the respective outlet depending on your requirement of use. However, when used in 120V mode, you can get the desired results for home welding projects.
Although a bit pricy, it’s worth the cost owing to its reliability and the dual power specs that ensure a smooth and stable weld.
Features
Coming down to its features, to be honest, these are plenty and make up for the price tag it carries. Whether you are looking for options in power supply, ease of use, portability or it is usability you are questioning you are promised the best outcome the company can offer in the size. We had an amazing time testing out the following cool features in this welder.
Multi-welder – If you are a die-hard welder or a professional requiring a number of different welding techniques, then this multipurpose welder is for you. You can either use it as a MIG, as TIG, Stick, or as a large MIG. This is like getting 4 welders for the price of one, AWESOME!!
Power specification – The power spec of this machine is also worth praising. You get a pretty decent duty cycle of 40% at 100Amps and 20% at 200Amps. Additionally, there are 2 in-built fans in the machine to keep it cool.
Flux/MIG – The capability of the welder to be used both for the flux core and MIG welding further gives you an open ground to experiment with different thicknesses. MG can handle up to 5/16 inches of stainless steel whereas for thicker metals flux core works better. The stick can handle up to 5/32 inches.
- Digital Display
- Inverter technology
- Automatically setsthe welder based on the requirements
- Used for multipurpose welding
- Suitable for home workshops
- Does not work the best as a TIG
- No AC for TIG aluminum
- Expensive for beginners
9. Hobart 500536 Ironman 230 MIG Welder With Wheel Kit & Cylinder Rack: Best 250 Amp MIG Welder
So far we delved into the world of light-duty welders and covered different categories for you guys. But what if you need a welder for some high-power heavy-duty projects? We got you covered here too, for Hobart Ironman 230 is the best 250Amp MIG welder in town. Whatever you throw at this powerful beast, it can tackle it with its max amperage of 250Amps!
Set this machine in your home workshops and do wonders. The machine is the best in its class and is perfect for the industrial projects you might want to try out. Recommended for experienced people in the field, Ironman 230 configures the perfect settings required to weld the material of your choice.
Features
Coming to its features, you will see that this beast has more to offer than its pretty price tag. With high power output, you get to experience the MIG and flux core welding to their extremes. Additionally, unlike many others, this welder had did not pose any trouble with the spatter or any post welding clean-up.
Power and Voltage tap – Giving you 250 Amps of immense power, the Ironman230 creates a stable and flawless arc for your welding projects. Additionally, you will find a voltage knob on the control panel on the machine. This knob gives you 12 tap voltage control, ensuring a smooth arc and a reliable weld.
Wire Speed and Spool Hub – Another control in your hands is the wire speed. You can fiddle through this knob and set the value on the cool digital display. This will allow you to work with the right arc on the right thickness and ensure o spatter or clean up issues. Another feature that you will find pretty smooth is the automatic spool change and wire alignment system.
Reversible drive rolls– Two-wire grooves in the machine mean less spending on replacement and more time spend on the weld. The two grooves support different sizes of wire on each making your job easy for you.
Safety Features – With the power output, of course, there needs to be some high-priority safety measure in tow. Ironman 230 has a thermal overload which shuts down the unit in case of overheating. Plus the cooling fans are operated when there is a need to reduce the power load. This inevitably improves the life cycle of the machine.
Industrial Performance – Going from 25 to 230Amps this welder allows you to work on different industrial-level projects. In a single pass, you can weld from gauge 24 to ½ inches, and let’s not forget the additional accessories you will get with this champ. You will find a 200 Amp gun, gas hose, input power cable, 030/.035 in dual groove drive roll, and much more in the package.
- Comes with 5/3/1 warranty
- Has side mounted cable hangers
- Easy to set up and use with the user manual
- Can handle industrial level projects
- For aluminum weld optional Hobart DP-3545-20 spool gun has to be added
- It has short cables
- Portability is an issue
- Requires separate power input set up
10. Miller Electric 120/240VAC, 1 Phase: Best Dual-Voltage MIG Welder
The last category on the list of best MIG welders is the dual-voltage. The Miller Millermatic 211 is great manufacture when it comes to the best Dual-voltage MIG welder. The parts and the features that come with this dual voltage welder are something worth trying for the price.
If you are someone who constantly shifts environments to work and weld, it’s better to have multiple volts input options. In the case of Miller 211, you can either plug in this welder to your house supply outlet or when working outside, patch it up with a generator to get working!
Features
Apart from giving you flexibility for the input voltage, the 211 offers several other nifty features that will come in handy once you get to welding. The machine has inverter technology in it making it portable for use between changing work setups. You don’t even have to fuss around changing the voltage input mode. All you need to do is to screw the ring on the plug and replace it with the other you want to use, as simple as that!
An easy start – The machine comes with Autoset and Quick SelectTM features to configure the setting and the welding for you. All you need to do is to select wire diameter and material thickness. Taking these inputs and making use of the above-mentioned features the machine itself sets and produces a smooth arc for you to weld.
System cooling – The machine comes with an amazing cooling mechanism that prevents your machine from over-heating. The smart Fan on-demand function checks the machine temperature and turns on when the machine tends to over-heat. This feature not only promises a smooth welding experience but also enhances the life span of your machine.
MIG and Flux core – Although small in size, the machine has another dual functionality to offer to you. You can either use it in MIG mode or make use of its flux core welding mode. Plus the switching between the two modes itself is easy improving your experience of welding.
Stable wire feed – With its versatile drive system, you don’t need to fuss around messing up the wire. In fact, you can get an uninterrupted smooth feed during the weld. Additionally, despite its 38 lbs. weight the welder has to capability to from 18 gauge to 3/8 inches in the case of mild steel which is pretty cool for the features.
- Top quality weld with minimum to no spatter
- Portable with dual input voltage settings
- Easy to start and set up due to automatic features
- Can be used by both novice and experienced welders
- A bit expensive comparatively
- Requires extra spool gun for aluminum
- Wire feeding speed might be a bit fast for inexperienced welders
- A technical fault with the driveshaft
Know More about Mig Welding Techniques
What things to look for when buying a MIG welder?
Now that you know of the top choices under different categories, let us guide you further into what to look for when buying a MIG welder for yourself. Bear a little more to see what shot and what is not.
Nature of your work
Depending on the nature of your work and projects, your choice of the best MIG welder will vary. If you happen to be a hobbyist then you do not require a MIG with intense welding capabilities as compared to a professional who requires performing some heavy-duty projects. This level can be gauged by determining the metal thickness that is in use for the particular project.
Going for light repairs at home, such a fence fixing and vehicle repairs you usually go for metals in the thickness range of 1/16 to 1/8 inches. Whereas, heavy-duty projects require you to use thicknesses up to ¼ inches. Therefore depending on your work, you can streamline your choices for a MIG welder.
Power specification
The next important thing that you need to consider is the power input and output of the MIG welder. For the input, you can choose depending on your main supply output volts, whereas in the case of the output, you need to determine the Amperage you require to weld.
Heavier welds demand up to 140 Amp of output. However, for smaller DIY projects at home, you will need up to 100 Amps at max and you are good to go.
Wire feeding speed
Want a spatter-free even weld? Opt for a wire feeding speed that is not too fast, neither too slow. A very fast speed entails too much wire which inevitably leads to spatter, something highly undesirable. Whereas a speed too low means that the wire vanishes leading to an irregular weld. So make sure you take this into account when making your choice.
Shielding Gas
The presence of shielding gas or not also determines the type of weld you want. The presence of this feature is oftentimes appreciated by the welders as it makes the welding ordeal a bit easy and simple.
However, this at the same time prevents you from outdoor welding (learn more about welding in detail) on a windy day, plus you need to spend a lot on the gas. You can enjoy the outdoor weld with the help of a Gasless welding feature. But this again comes with a cost. You will have to experience a lot of spatter.
Features and Control Panel
This basically is the main decider of your price in the end. The greater and sleeker the features you want in your machine, the heavier the price tag gets. Similarly, the control panel and its ease of use are also deciding factors. For a newbie an easy-to-use and navigate control panel is a must-have, however, for a professional more weight is given to the added features in the welder.
Safety First
Safety features are something that cannot be compromised whatever the cost. For, apart from a great welding experience, you will like to have a welder that is safe to use. Features like thermal overload and current overload protection add value to the welding machine. At the same time look for a MIG welder with a built-in contractor for a safe welding experience.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of the Best MIG welder series. Stay tuned for more updates on your favorite welder brands and reviews to help you select the best for you.
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Sean Coby is a welder par excellence and well respected among the welding community in Woodbridge, VA. He prides himself to be the fabricator and mechanic in the automotive/ diesel industry for the past more than eight years now. As the chief editor of his https://weldinginfocenter.com, he shares his experience to be safe during welding and to take proactive steps for becoming a successful welder like him.