Buying your first welder can seem a daunting task with so many different types of welding and a never-ending number of terms and acronyms. But fret not, we have put together this article to eliminate some of the stress and demystify this process of choosing your new welder and get you up and learning to weld as quick as possible..
Three Main Types of Electric Arc Welding
There are three main arc welding processes you will have access to with your typical home/DIY level welder: MIG, STICK and TIG. Some welders will be multi-function which means they can do multiple of these three processes, and some can only do one.
Just to note, Plasma Cutting is also an Electric Arc Process, but for cutting metals. Officially known as Plasma Arc Cutting (PAC).
1. MIG WELDING
Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is a welding process that uses a continuous solid wire electrode heated and fed into the weld pool from a welding gun.
This can be done with or without gas by using different types of wires. Some people equate this to being the hot glue gun version of welding.
This has quickly become the most common form of welding due to its high versatility and ease of use.
2. STICK WELDING
The oldest and in many cases the simplest type of electric arc welding and is formally known as Manual Metal Arc Welding (MMAW) or simply, STICK welding. To stick weld, you have a welder that has an electrode holder that you put an electrode into and you use that to “strike an arc”. This simply means that the electrode and your work piece form a current and the electrode is melted and deposited onto the work-piece welding the metal. This is a simplified description, but we are trying to keep it simple.
Everything needed to weld is stored within the electrode. You don’t need to worry about gases or welding consumables like tips, nozzles etc.
3. TIG WELDING
Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding is formed between a pointed tungsten electrode and the workpiece in an inert atmosphere of Argon Gas, sometimes Argon+Helium mixtures. The small intense arc provided by the pointed electrode is ideal for high quality and precision welding. The tungsten electrode is not consumed during welding, the welding person needs to add metal into the weld pool by manually feeding straight lengths of filler rod as required. In some cases, you don’t have to use filler rod and two pieces of metal can be “fused” together forming an autogenous weld (from the same metal).
This welding is highly precise and is usually the type you see on social media when someone is showing off perfect welds with the rainbow of colour in them, which would be Stainless Steel or Chrome-Molly Steel.
TIG is more difficult to master and is a type of welding that people strive to become good at. It takes a lot of continued practice and use to master the process.
Which Type do I Want?
This is the big question. Ideally, we would recommend getting a multi-function machine and having access to all three processes. That way which ever type of welding you want to do or learn, you can. This however comes at a cost. It is not a huge jump in price like it used to be, but it is a factor none the less.
If you are looking for a simple no fuss, easy to pick up machine to do some quick welds kind, then maybe getting a Stick welder is the way to go. These are perfect for the home DIYer that just wants to do some repairs now and then and wants something small and portable. They will work with most metals, but not aluminium.
What if you want to build things as well? Maybe you want to weld up some table legs or build that dream smoker for the backyard. Well then it is time to look at MIGs. These are the most common for this application as you have a gun that dispenses the wire and are nice an easy to build with. They don’t take a huge amount of time to become proficient with either.
Maybe you are planning on doing some precise custom fabrication work or want to make metal sculptures. Then it is time to consider a TIG. Favoured by people welding stainless steel exhaust systems, metal art and Aluminium, a TIG Welder is going to give you those perfect welds… after a bit of practice of course. Also, in TIG Welding there are different welding currents used AC for Aluminium and Aluminium-Alloys and DC-Current for welding Steel, Carbon Steels, Stainless Steels etc. Not all TIG Welders come with both AC and DC Currents, so be wary of this, it catches a lot of beginners out. If you want to weld Aluminium then you will need a TIG machine that is AC/DC High Frequency (HF) enabled, DC-HF will not weld Aluminium successfully.
Like the sound of all of the above? Then as we initially suggested, you might be better off with a multi-function machine. Buy a machine with all on board you will also save money in place of buying a TIG and then down the line deciding to add a whole second machine to add MIG to your repertoire.
How Many Amps?
So, you have a bit of an idea of what type of machine you want, now what output power do I need.
If you have spent anytime looking at welders you will have noticed that they come in a wide range of output power, referred to by the amperage or amps.
CIGWELD welders generally start around the 130amp range, which is ideal for thinner metals that more suited for home DIY usage then jump to the 160-185amp range which is ideal for your professionals and then jump again to 200 through to 300 and beyond, which is more ideally targeted at the industrial user.
We like to recommend going one step up from what you think you will need. You can always use less than your machine has, but you can’t go above it. And you don’t want to be halfway through a project only to realise that your machine is not up to the job.
There are a lot of people that buy an entry level machine and complain when it can’t do heavy duty workloads. You don’t want to be that person.
Input Power Supply
Welding machines that produce different output Amps also consume different levels of input power from the wall outlet. Typically welders that are 185 amps or less are going to be single phase and work on your typical domestic house power of a 10A socket.
From 185A to 220A you will typically find that machines are going to require a single phase commercial 15A socket. This is something that an electrician can easily and relatively affordably install in your house/workshop, but it is something to take into consideration.
Machines with power outputs of 250A and above, are likely going to require more specialised power requirements like 20A or 32A single phase through to three phase. For these you should talk to your CIGWELD account manager and/or electrician for more information.
So I Have My Welding Type and Power, Now What?
Now it is time to find out what fits your budget and what deals there are out there.
There are going to be a lot of machines that meet your desired specs for a range of prices. This is usually due to the extra features and add-ons they might come with. We can’t really tell you what to pay for as every person’s situation is different. We do recommend buying what you can afford. Welding machines, much like most products today are based on “you get what you pay for”. So, if you want a machine that will last through heavy use and torturous conditions, you need to buy the more expensive models that are designed for heavy use.
If you are looking for that once in a blue moon use, then you can probably get away with buying an entry level machine. Check out the warranty offered and the important conditions of the warranty. Check out where the welding machine must go to for a warranty issue, you can trust the local well established welding brands/companies, but be very careful of buying from overseas directly, as spare parts and even everyday consumable items may not be available in Australia/New Zealand.
Anything Else I Need to Buy?
Safety Equipment: Do not skimp on your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)!
Welding in all forms exposes you to some pretty nasty stuff and you need to make sure you are not doing long term damage to yourself.
Primarily, the main risk is UV and Infrared radiation exposure. That bright arc you are creating is releasing UV rays that will blind you and burn you much worse than the sun will on a bright summer’s day. You are going to need a Welding Helmet. CIGWELD makes a large range of helmets from the Weldskill range, Prolite range through to the top-of-the-line Arcmaster range. Make sure you are protecting your eyes and face with an approved welding helmet to Australian/New Zealand Standards.
Cover up any exposed skin. Long sleeve, long pants and boots are a must. Sorry Territorians, Queenslanders & West Australians, no singlets and stubby shorts. Arc Radiation from welding can cause long term skin damage and skin cancers, so take our advice – cover up all skin.
Gloves: You are about to have your hands right up against extremely hot metal and Arc rays. You need to protect those digits. Anyone who has had a lump of hot slag or spatter hit their hands will tell you, that welding can burn through to the bone very quickly. MIG and TIG gloves are designed to keep your hand protected and are not very expensive.
Respirators & Masks: Welding is carcinogenic and in the last few years there has been a big push to get people to mask up. The fumes released from welding are not good for you, especially from stainless or galvanized steel or gasless MIG Wires. A good quality Disposable P2 or P3 mask/respirator (approved to AS/NZ Standards) is a must for welding. For serious welding you can even run with an Air Supplied PAPR (Powered Air Purifying Respirator) Welding Helmet, that supplies clean filter air to the welding hood and keeps the fumes away from the user. Make sure to check what you need before welding.
The Extras: We could go on for pages of more safety equipment like hearing protection and safety glasses, but those above are the absolute bare minimum to be welding.
Welding can seem scary, but with the correct safety practices in place, welding is an enjoyable art that allows trained people to build and repair metal objects that regular people can never imagine doing. Once competent in welding the possibilities are so vast to what can be welded together in metal, the sky is no limit, since aircraft and spacecraft are welded too.
Now most importantly, get yourself a welder and get practicing and then welding!
