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Best Welder for a Beginner: MIG or TIG Welding?

Date: 10-08-2022
Welding

Best Welder for a Beginner - Alphaweld

 

As you enter the tough trade of welding, you’ll be faced with all kinds of equipment and techniques that will be vaguely familiar from your time in training. 

While your years of training can teach you many things, nothing can give you a totally true sense of what it’s like to be on the tools, that is, besides actually working with them. 

When you begin your first job as a welder, you may be overwhelmed with all of the new tips and tricks being thrown at you. The last thing you want is to be faced with a complicated new piece of equipment while you’re trying to impress the boss. 

The experts at Alphaweld present this blog to boil things down and discuss what welding for beginners looks like. If you have any more questions after reading, get in touch and we’ll be sure to help you out with all your welding equipment and accessory requirements.

MIG Welders

There are many different types of welders, but metal inert gas (MIG) welding is generally considered the most suited to beginners or hobbyists. Why MIG welding might be the right choice for you? This process involves feeding a consumable wire electrode through the welder into an electric arc generated at the end of the welding gun. An electric arc between the electrode and the workpiece heats and melts together to create a weld pool. Once this cools and hardens, a solid weld is left to hold the piece together.

A good welding machine for beginners is the Unimig VIPER 185, suitable for work with mild steel, stainless steel, cast iron, silicon bronze, and aluminium. The machine’s lightweight construction makes it easy to transport while its simple design of just three dials keeps things simple for beginners.

Another great MIG welder for beginners is the Kemppi MinarcMig 190 Auto which includes a large LED display to guide users through the welding process.

The Kemppi Minarc packs a huge punch from either mains power or a generator, making it suitable for at-home hobby work or on-site professional projects. This model comes with a 3-year warranty, giving those beginners some certainty in their equipment.

Unimig Viper 185 - Alphaweld Kemppi MinarcMig 190 Auto - Alphaweld

 

TIG Welders 

The main difference between MIG and TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding is that it uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to create heat and melt the surface of the workpiece. The Weldmax 225 Pulse Welder is the most suitable of its kind for beginners as it also has a simple interface and offers versatility for work with sheet metal, boat building, trailers, tanks and boiler making. This powerful, versatile welder offers superb welding qualities at incredible value, making it accessible for welders of any level.

Weldmax 225C Pulse Inverter - Alphaweld

 

Portability

This may be an important factor to you as you begin your welding journey. Lugging a welding machine from home, to classes or workshops will no doubt take its toll if you don’t have a portable welding machine.

Some smaller welding machines, like the Weldmax 185 Digital MIG/TIG/MMA Inverter, weigh less than 12kg. These models come with a handle making them relatively easy to carry around.

Larger units however, like the Weldmax 380i Inverter MIG Package, are fortunately built with wheels for easy mobility as they come with multiple parts to keep in check.

Weldmax 185 - Alphaweld Weldmax 380i - Alphaweld

 

Need to Know More? 

Alphaweld offers an extensive range of welding gear catering to welders with all levels of experience. If you’re still unsure which welder is best suited to your needs, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to put you on the right path.

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