Apr 19,

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MIG welding, or Metal Inert Gas welding, is one of the most commonly used welding processes for good reason: it's fast, inexpensive, and welders can be easily trained to produce quality welds. With the proper setup and knowledge, even a small MIG welding machine can handle most repair and basic fabrication needs, such as fixing your kid's bicycle to restoring an old car.

Whether you're a beginner who's just learning to weld or a hobbyist looking to take your projects to the next level, investing in your first MIG welder can be an overwhelming process. After doing a bit of research, you'll likely find hundreds of different machine options ' including different sizes, different amperages and different duty cycles, and you may not know where to start. 

With these things in mind, here are six considerations to take into account when making your purchasing decision. 

1. Understanding Your Needs 

The MIG welder you choose will depend on your welding objectives. You may need it for repairing auto parts, bicycles, boats or perhaps you need a machine for various household tasks. Whatever your objectives, you will need to be aware of the typical thickness of the parts to be welded as they will greatly influence the welder you choose.

2. Welding Amperage

After identifying what your needs are, consider your power requirements. The MIG welder you buy should have enough amperage to accomplish the tasks you plan to do, and it's best to purchase a machine with at least a little more power than you think you will need. Buying a MIG welder that doesn't provide enough power for your tasks can slow you down and complicate projects.

3. Input Power Voltage

The voltage is the power your welder draws from your current outlet. If you're working with small DIY projects or amateur home repair jobs, a 115 V machine will be a good fit, as it can be plugged into the usual domestic socket. But if you're planning on working with bigger projects or working in an industrial setting, you will need something like a 220 V machine and an available socket to power it. Don't forget that 220 V outlets come in a number of configurations and that you will need the correct matching plug installed on your machine's input power cable.

4. Duty Cycle

The duty cycle of a welder is important when welding thicker material. It refers to the continuous running time, out of ten minutes, of the welder before it reaches its peak temperature. For example, a 40% duty cycle means you can weld for 4 minutes continuously before the welder overheats and needs 6 minutes to cool off. 

It's important to note that the duty cycle will change at different amperages. At a higher amperage output, the machine will heat up more rapidly, and the duty cycle will reduce. At lower amperages, the duty cycle will increase.

5. Budget

Anything of good quality doesn't come cheap, and the same holds true for welding machines. Don't sacrifice quality for quantity. Determining your budget will help you find a welder that includes the specifications you need and excludes the ones you don't need for your type of applications. You don't want to waste your money on a welder with functions you probably won't use.

6. Portability 

Where are you planning on using your welder? If you're working in a welding shop or your personal garage where you don't have to move the welder too often, you can go with a larger MIG welder. But if you're planning on moving it around, it would be smarter to go with a compact, lightweight welder you can carry by hand. Large, bulky MIG welders will require a carrier to put it on and move around.  

Linde Knows Welding

Linde provides welding equipment and accessories from the most popular manufacturers, as well as our own ProStar' line of products. Our ProStar AVENGER 140 MP MIG Welder is a portable, multi-process welder ' a great option for light fabrication, repairs, projects and hobbies. It is ready to weld mild steel and stainless steel out of the box and features an optional spool gun for welding aluminum. It is a great first machine as well as an effective, portable welder for experienced fabricators. For more tips on how to choose the right MIG welder for your application, and for more information on the MIG welders Linde offers, contact your local Linde representative or call 1-800-225-.

 

What To Know About Purchasing Used MIG or TIG Welders

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Laying down a good weld bead relies on a lot of factors, one of which is the quality of the welding machine. A brand-new welding machine with the most advanced feature will have the most reliable and consistent outputs, but has the downside of being very expensive.

Fabrication shops have a limited budget for new equipment. This has them often looking to the used market to purchase welding machines. There are many places to buy a used MIG or TIG welder but, it is best to find a trustworthy retailer like Red-D-Arc.

The Bad and the Good of Used Welding Machines

Buying a used MIG or TIG welding machine has some risks. Especially when that machine is several decades old. That being said, as long as you are aware of the pros and cons of purchasing this type of equipment, you can buy a good MIG or TIG machine at a significantly discounted price.

Some cons of purchasing used MIG and TIG welders are:

• You may not know the maintenance history
• The machine could have been abused or damaged
• Regular cleaning of liners, feed rolls, and circuit boards might never have been done
• There could be problems with the stability of the power output, gas delivery, or other settings, such as pulse frequency
• A machine with the features you want might not be available in your area
• You must take the cons of used machines into consideration, but there are several pros that make purchasing a used MIG or TIG welding machine a great option:
• You can sometimes find a machine with more or better features than a new machine at the same price point
• Welding machines which are several years old will have a history of customer reviews, which you can read to get a good idea of how well they perform
• The cost of a used machine is lower
• If you purchase the machine from a reliable retailer, you will get a machine which is 'like new' but at a significant discount.
• Reliable retailers like Red-D-Arc conduct thorough maintenance and inspections to ensure that the machine will work perfectly

Regardless of where you purchase a used MIG and TIG machine, test the machine first, ensuring that you use every feature and setting to get a feel for how the machine preforms. You should also do a complete visual inspection both inside and outside looking for any damage to the components and circuit boards.  

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Key Things to Consider When Selecting Used MIG and TIG Welders

When you are looking for a used welding machine there are several things that you must look at and consider. These aspects differ between MIG and TIG machines because of the nature of these welding processes. The important aspects to consider on a MIG machine are not those you would look at on a TIG machine.

MIG Welding Machines

MIG welders use a consumable roll of wire as both the electrode and the filler metal for the weld. Because of this, the critical elements of the welding machine to inspect are the parts which deliver this wire to the weld puddle.

• Inspect the feed and drive rolls for damage or poor operation
• Check that feed roll tensioners are in good condition and provide the right tension to the rolls
• Inspect the welding gun liner or have a new liner installed
• Check gas lines and fittings for leaks
• Inspect the welding gun for damage, trigger operation, and gas leaks
• Inspect all electrical connections and cables for corrosion and damage

TIG Welding Machines

TIG welders use a tungsten electrode and shielding gas to produce a weld puddle, to which you add filler metal with a filler rod. They do not have the number of moving parts that MIG welder has but still require inspection of many components.

• Ensure the gas lines and fittings are not leaking
• Inspect the TIG torch for damage
• Test all the settings to ensure proper operation
• Check the stability and quality of the welding arc
• For machines with a water-cooled torch, inspect the water lines for damage and leaks
• Check the condition of the coolant in the water-cooling unit
• Inspect all electrical connections and cables for corrosion and damage

Purchasing a used welding machine is often a stressful experience but going through a reliable and trustworthy retailer like Red-D-Arc will take a lot of the stress out of the process.

Protecting your Investment

When you buy a used MIG or TIG welder you must ensure that your investment is protected. Maintenance and inspection are an essential part of owning a welding machine but aspects which are often ignored.

A good welding machine will operate for decades and deliver good welds as good as the day it was first fired up. The key to this is a robust preventative maintenance plan which includes the following:

• Regular blowing out of metal dust from the inside of the machine, feed rolls, liners, and exterior surfaces
• Inspection of all components
• Cleaning of electrical contacts
• Inspection and replacement of O-rings, fittings, liners, electrodes, and other consumables
• Conducting repairs only through reliable welding machine repair companies

Red-D-Arc is the Best Option

Red-D-Arc provides a great selection of used MIG and TIG welders that are high quality but at a price point that is attractive for shops with tighter budgets. Whether you are opening a brand-new shop or need a good welding machine but don't have room in the budget for a brand-new one, you can count on Red-D-Arc to deliver the best quality product at a price point you can afford.

Red-D-Arc, an Airgas company, rents and leases welders, welding positioners, welding-related equipment, and electric power generators ' anywhere in the world. Our rental welders, positioners and specialty products have been engineered and built to provide Extreme-Duty' performance and reliability in even the harshest environments, and are available through over 70 Red-D-Arc Service Centers, strategically located throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands, as well as through strategic alliances in the Middle East, Spain, Italy, Croatia, and the Caribbean. From our rental fleet of over 60,000 welders, 3,700 weld positioners, and 3,700 electric-power generators, we can supply you with the equipment you need ' where you need it ' when you need it.

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