5 things to consider when buying a welder

Are you looking to buy a welder but don’t know where to start? In our latest article we explore the different types of welding, amperage needs, workspace considerations, budget and warranties. Basically, everything you need to think about before you buy. 

1. What type of welding suits you best?

ARC welding 

• Suitable for outdoor, windy conditions.
• Works wonders on dirty or rusty materials.
• Best for heavy equipment repair, it’s not the best on thin materials!
• Used across a range of industries including automotive, compact construction, agriculture, and ship building. 

MIG welding 

• All rounder for thick and thin metals.
• Good for newbies as it's easy to learn.
• Good for fixing small structures where speed and quality of the weld is needed. 

TIG welding

• One of the most difficult types of welding to learn.
• Useful for welding wagons, lawnmowers & bike frames.
• Can be used on a huge range of materials including gold.
• Great for precise jobs and gives a higher quality of weld than other types of welding. 

Spot welding

• Comes in hand held and industrial types.
• Faster process than other welding methods.
• Good for welding thin metals such as stainless steel and nickel.
• Most commonly known for being used by robots in automotive manufacturing lines.
• Used for welding two or more sheets of metal together without using filler material.
• Can be trickier than other welding methods when using different thickness of materials. 

2. What are your amperage needs? 

To work this out you need to know what type of material and thickness you will be working with. For light repair work, a 130 amp unit with a 30 percent duty cycle will do the trick. For heavier jobs, think about getting a 200 amp with a duty cycle of 30 percent or more. Before investing in a welder, keep in mind that your needs may change over the years, and future projects may need a higher amperage. 

3. How portable do you need your welder to be?

Think about where you will be welding, your workshop or site work? Or even both? Consider if you would prefer your welder on wheels to make it that little bit more moveable. Take a look at our other blogs which cover portable and nonportable machines for MIG, TIG and ARC. 

4. Think about your budget

Pricing is always something to consider. Do your research, work out exactly what you need. Do you need a welder with all the bells and whistles, or will a more standard version suffice? And with anything you purchase, if the price seems ridiculously low, it’s probably too good to be true! 

5. Warranty and brand reputation 

Following on from above, always purchase from a trusted supplier or brand. The most popular brands of welders are GYS, Cros Arc, Jasic, Kemppi, ESAB, Miller and Lincoln who provide reliable and durable machines. When you buy from a popular brand you can rest assured that you get a guarantee and the parts can be replaced when you need them. 

Once you have decided which welder you would like to invest in, take at our huge range we have on offer. We have welders to suit all needs and budgets including MIG, TIG, SPOT and ARC.

If you need any more assistance with which welder to purchase, contact our team of welding experts on 0141 375 2124.