Archives for October 2016

Picking The Best Welder For Beginners – Buying Guide 2016!

Best Welder For BeginnersWhen I say the word “welding”, most people will have mixed emotions.  They will either be a little nervous because of their lack of experience on the subject or they will be incredibly excited about the topic.

It seems like only a small percentage of people have much experience with welders, and I understand that it can be a daunting topic if you don’t have much experience.  However, I have been in your shoes before, and I am here to help you purchase your first welder!  That is why I have created this post about picking the best welder for beginners!

 

What Are Welders Used For?

Welding is the process of joining two different materials (usually metals or thermoplastics) together by using fusion to combine the two separate materials into one.  Welding can be considered one of the most fundamental skills used by many different kinds of mechanics and engineers around the world.

So without welders it is nearly impossible to combine two pieces of metal, wire, or other weldable materials.

Welders are incredibly important for everyone who works in construction, engineering or anyone who likes to work on hobbies at home.

What Are The Different Types Of Welders?

There are multiple different styles of welding that you will see throughout different industries and each one has their pros and cons, but in the end they are all relatively simple and produce the same outcome.

Gas Metal Arc Welder For BeginnersThe most common type of welder used is the Gas Metal Arc Welder or Metal Inert Gas (MIG).  The MIG welder uses shielded gas to heat up the two metals until they are hot enough to form together.  This type of welder is one of the best welders for beginners because it is simple to use and only requires a constant power source which is pretty easy to obtain.

Most people who do any type of welding in their garage, use these types of welders.

 

Shielded Metal Arc Welder For Beginners

The second most common type of welder is the Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) which is a form of stick welding and uses a powerful electric current to combine the two pieces of metal together.  This type of welder is used by many people, mostly for large sections of metal.  This is one of the intermediate level welders and isn’t the best welder for beginners but isn’t too complex for an enthusiastic novice to pick up in no time!

I definitely recommend a SMAW welder if you are a little more experienced with welders, and you have a good amount of metalwork you want to get done.

 

Gas Tungsten Arc Gas Welder for Beginners

 

The third type of welder that I will be talking about is the Gas Tungsten Arc Gas Welding (GTAW/TIG) which is is an industrial level welder that uses tungsten electrodes to weld the two pieces of metal together.  This is by far the most complex type of welder and It is definitely not the best welder for beginners.

That being said, if you are open to spending some money, and spending some time experimenting, these Gas Tungsten Arc Gas Welders are extremely useful if you have a lot of work to do.

The Best Welder For Beginners:

As you can tell, there are many different kinds of welders out there, and it can definitely be overwhelming for a novice.  I have been in your shoes, and that is why I have decided to put together an intensive guide to the best welders on the market.

The welders are very easy to learn how to use, they are reliable, and they are a good price!  That is what made these the best welders for beginners!

The Hobart 500559 Handler Wire Welder:

Best Hobart 500559 Handler Wire Welder For BeginnersI want to first start off by saying that the Hobart 500559 Handler Wire Welder may in fact be the number one welder on the market for the money.  This welder is absolutely incredibly and all the reviews that you see online will say the same exact thing!

Hobart has been around for many years and they have been a reliable company for as long as they have been around!  This welder is a portable welder that doesn’t take up a lot of space.  However, it is still big enough to work with nearly any construction, automotive, or industrial project.  This wire welder is an 115 volt welder, which is perfect for nearly any project!

This Hobart Wire Welder is well constructed and solid, you can rely on this welder to last and hold up to everything you can throw at it!

Pros of The Hobart 500559 Handler Wire Welder:

    • Reliably & Sturdy.
      • This Welder is incredibly well built and you won’t have to worry about it falling apart!
    • This is a very portable welder.
      • The welder is roughly 60 lbs which is on the lighter weight for most welders of this volt ability. 
    • One of the best welders for the money!
      • This Hobart Welder is a great welder that gives you a lot of power and stability for the money!

Cons of The Hobart 500559 Handler Wire Welder:

  • This welder doesn’t have many cons that I could think of.  The only thing I could think of is the fact that it requires a consistent power source, but this is the case with most welders.

Final Thought On The Hobart 500559 Handler Wire Welder:

This welder is incredible.  There isn’t much else I can say about it.  If you are looking for a quality, and reliable welder, then you will be incredibly pleased with this welder! This is by far one of the very best welder for beginners! I will give this welder a final rating of 9.5/10

The Lincoln Electric K2185-1 Handy MIG Welder:

The Lincoln Electric K2185-1 Handy MIG Welder is one of the best welders for beginners!  It is a very simple and easy to use welder while still being able to provide you with the usability you will need for nearly any project! This is a smaller welder than the Hobart well and only provides 70 volts.   I highly recommend this welder!

The Pros of The Lincoln Electric K2185-1 Handy MIG Welder:

  • Welds both MIG as well as Flux-cored welding styles.
    • Being able to welder two different styles makes the welder very versatile as well as makes it easier for beginners to used.
  • Very reliable and made out of reliable materials.
  • Capable of nearly project!

The Cons of The Lincoln Electric K2185-1 Handy MIG Welder”

  • Not the most powerful welder.
    • This is only a 70 volt unit, which makes it hard to weld thicker materials.
  • For the money I was hoping for a more powerful welder

Overall Thoughts on The Lincoln Electric K2185-1 Handy MIG Welder:

At the end this is a great welder, it might not be the strongest welder on the market, but most people don’t need more than 70 volts.  If you are looking for a smaller welder, then you won’t be disappointed with the Lincoln Welder!  This is one of the best welder for beginners!  I will give this welder a 9/10!

The Goplus MIG 130 Welder Flux Core Wire Welder:

The Goplus MIG 130 Welder Flux Core Wire Welder is the final welder that I will be reviewing in this post.  And you may not have heard of this welder before, but I am here to assure you that this is a quality welder!

This is by far one of the cheapest welders on the market!  The price is nearly unbeatable, and it really makes it possible for nearly anyone to own a welder!  This is a 110 volt  MIG welder.

The Pros of The Goplus MIG 130 Welder Flux Core Wire Welder:

    • One of the cheapest welders on the market!
  • Capable of using both MIG and Flux-core welding!
  • Easy to use for beginners!

The Cons of The Goplus MIG 130 Welder Flux Core Wire Welder:

    • Not made out of the most reliable materials.
  • Isn’t the most powerful welder
  • Won’t be able to weld thick materials very well.

Overall Thoughts About The Goplus MIG 130 Welder Flux Core Wire Welder:

This welder is incredibly good for the price you are paying for it!  I love the fact that this welder allows anyone to own a welder and get to experience this amazing hobby!  If you are looking for the best welder for beginners but don’t want to spend a fortune then you can’t go wrong with this Goplus welder!  I will give it a final ranking of 8.5/10!

Final Thoughts!

There are many different types of welders and there are a lot that goes into welding.  I know welding can be incredibly daunting for beginners and I hope I was able to help everyone understand more about welding as well as to help you figure out what the best welder for beginners are!  I hope you are able to find a welder that you love!