Top 5 Best Welder For Beginners 2019

Are you new to the world of welding? Thinking about welding careers? If so, you need a welding machine that will give you a proper introduction to this type of work. Such machine will have easy controls, which won’t confuse you, while also having lots of features that will make your job easier. Of course, the fact that they’re meant for newbies does not mean that these welders aren’t suitable for professional use. If you get yourself the best welder for a beginner, you will be able to use it for a variety of welding tasks, including those that require a few extra amps!

Note: This article has been updated in June 2019 and currently being the most up to date post on the internet.

Don’t have time to read? Here are our top choices to save your time, otherwise, keep reading to make the best decision

The best welding machine for a beginner also needs to sturdily build and durable, so that it would serve you well for a long time. So, how are you supposed to find such welder? Well, you can try to look for good welding machines on your own, but unless you have plenty of knowledge on the subject, this task won’t be easy for you.

Luckily, there is a simple solution! In order to find the best welder for beginners, all you got to do is take a look at our top 5 picks.

Factors You Should Consider Before Purchasing a Welder

In our millennial generation, many companies have gained online platforms to advertise their products. They will do all manner of persuasion to win the trust of the buyer. Unfortunately, there are counterfeit online stores that can make you buy low-quality welders. However, the following factors will ensure that every dollar you spend in this long term investment is worth it. Once you are aware of your requirements and needs, you will be able to make a concrete decision based on the following factors:

1. The metal to be welded

You should at least have some information on which metal you will be welding. This will be a great factor that will determine the type of welding machine. Some metals that you will be welding may include iron, copper, aluminum, and steel among others. Each will require a specific type of welder.

2. The Welding process

As a beginner, you need to be equipped thoroughly with the right knowledge on various welding processes that you are going to use. The type of welding process that you will be involved in determining the model of the welder that you will buy. There are four most common processes: Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Gas Metal Arc Welding, Flux Cored Arc Welding, and Gas Tungsten Arc Gas Welding. This will end up saving your energy and time.

3. Portability

Days are long gone where we used to have heavy welders that cannot be moved. Nowadays, we have lighter welders that can be moved easily to other workstations. It is advisable you go for a light welder for portability purposes.

4. The thickness of the material

You will be involved in cutting diverse materials with diverse thickness, in that case, you need to know your metal thickness before purchasing a welder. Different welders are made for dealing with different material thickness.

5. Your Power Source

You, of course, want to save some money and looking for a power efficient and cost-effective welder is very key. Determine the voltage that you have and how much power your welder requires. This will enable you to work effectively.

6. The required welding output

You want to have the right output without much hassles which will be determined by the output of your welder. Hence, you need to know the information about a specific welder before purchasing it.

7. It’s Size

As a beginner, don’t go for large-sized welders; small-sized will be good for you. Welders come in diverse shapes and sizes and it is upon you to choose the one that suits your needs fully.

1. Goplus MIG 130 – Probably the Best Cheap Welder for Newbies

The Goplus MIG 130 welder uses a maximum output of 105 amps which is powerful enough to create really stable welds. Of course, this doesn’t mean it is recommended for fusing thicker materials because it simply doesn’t have the required amount of power. Still, this welder does work pretty well with thinner sheets of thinner metals, which makes this device worthy of the title of the best welding machine for beginners!

One of its advantages is that it is small and not as heavy as other welders. If you have a limited size workshop or you need to fuse smaller items, this type of welder should be your first choice. Of course, this doesn’t mean Goplus MIG 130 is our recommendation for heavy-duty professional use, but for beginners, it should be more than fine.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Affordable price
• Lightweight and portable

Cons:

• Not suitable for all welding projects

2. Hobart 500559 – Best MIG Welder for Beginner Looking to Tackle Big Welding Tasks

A welder that is both suited for industrial work and projects with thinner pieces of metals is Hobart 500559. With a 20% duty cycle, this MIG welding machine can join metals with a maximum thickness of a quarter of an inch. Basically, this Hobart welder works best with aluminum, steel, stainless steel or any other thick material you can think of. You can just plug in the

Hobart

500559 welder and start repairing equipment, do auto body work, use it for maintenance, and so on.

It is true that it’s not a too powerful welder but it can be used for everything from small maintenance to heavy-duty projects. People usually use it to fix panels or fences or even to create metal art. One of the advantages of this welder is its versatility, which makes it definitely one of the best welding machine choices.

Pros:

• Suitable for different kinds of welding work
• Decent power
• Easy to use
• Portable

Cons:

• None

3. Forney 29901 – One of the Best Stick Welder Machines for Newbies

For beginners, the Forney 29901 MIG welder might be the best choice. This type of welder uses a flux core wire feed, which doesn’t overheat. This machine is ideal for repair works or any DIY project because it is easy to use even by welding hobbyists without much experience in this type of work. Forney 29901 is very easy for maintenance, which is another reason why it’s on our best budget welder list.

Not only does Forney 29901 deliver clean results, but it also has a rather affordable price. Welders in a similar price range are not exactly better when you compare their specifications with this one. Basically, you can think of Forney 29901 as a professional welding machine with a price of an amateur device.

Pros:

• Suitable for different tasks
• Easy to use, that’s why it’s one of the best welder for beginners
• Affordable price

Cons:

• None

4. Hobart Handler 210 MVP MIG Welder – Powerful Welder for Pros and Newbies

A perfect combination of power and versatility can be found in the Hobart Handler 210MVP. This welder is portable and extremely useful for different purposes. It uses a multi-voltage plug, but that’s just one of many features that make it deserve the title of best starter welder. Other important features include the dual-groove driver roll with quick change and the 7 output voltage setting.

These plug options make it possible to start the machine by plugging it into either a 115 volt or 230-volt outlet. With the Hobart Handler, you can make any household repairs or even work on projects that need extra power because it operates at different types of parameters. Furthermore, you can weld a 24-ga to 3/8 steel with a single use. All in all the Hobart Handler combines convenience with an incredible amount of power.

Pros:

• Very powerful
• Easy to use and handle
• Suitable for different tasks

Cons:

• Not the cheapest welder you can find, however, you can look for cheap mig welder here.

5. 2017 EVERLAST PowerArc – Powerful Welder that’s Super-Easy to Use

If you are looking for an affordable and powerful welder, the 2017 EVERLAST PowerArc should be your top choice. The best thing about this welder is that it can operate up to 140 amp of power. The EVERLAST welder has a dual-voltage design works directly plugged into standard outlets or throughout cord extensions which won’t give you a power drop off.

The EVERLAST PowerArc is basically a DC welder that works better for stainless or steel projects. Keep in mind that while plugged into an outlet, you might receive only 85 amps of power. Still, there is one feature that makes it stand out from the crowd – the manual gas valve, which increases the power of the built-in torch.

Pros:

• Decent power
• Manual gas valve
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Not meant for heavy-duty use

6. LOTOS TIG200 Welder – With Pedal And Mask – Popular welder

If you are looking for the best welder for beginners to start your career with; then the LOTOS TIG200 will be a good choice. It is capable of welding 3/8 inch mild steel, aluminum, stainless steel, and other metal materials. This feature makes it ideal for both occasional and professional purposes. LOTOS TIG200 is a little devil, which comprises of dual automatic voltage settings i.e. 110 VAC and 220 VAC. It can also perform light industrial welds due to the heavy-duty power input.

The welder comes with a square wave inverter, which makes it one of the best starter welders that are ideal for precision welding jobs. The heat and the weld speed of the machine can be controlled by using both; hand torch as well as the foot pedal heat control option. The machine gives you around 80% efficiency as compared to 50% – 60% that is provided by standard welders. Ease of use makes it a must-have tool for beginner welders. It is a recommended product for both; beginners and professions alike; as it provides stable performance and high power efficiency.

Pros

• Provides TIG and Stick Welding option
• Capable of welding heavy metals
• Recommended for multi-tasking projects
• Easy to use

Cons

• The installation procedure is tedious.

7. ARKSEN MIG 130 Welding Machine – Cheap and Budget Friendly Welder

ARKSEN MIG 130 is a small yet powerful welding machine, which is a preferred choice for new welders and DIY craftsmen. Its thermal overload protection system protects the machine from overheating during continuous usage. It also has short circuit guard, which protects the machine from current overload. The unit is very easy to set up due to its compact and small size. The best feature of this welding machine is that it does not have any special power requirements and can run easily on simple switches.

It is extremely light in weight and comes with a handle, which makes it suitable for carrying around. It is a perfect product for welding auto parts and household repairs and is ideal for heavy-duty jobs. You do not have to purchase any extra gear as there are several complimentary necessities provided with the welding machine. You will receive the product with add-ons; such as welding mask, chipping hammer, wire brush, welding wire, torch, tip, and ground cord. It comprises of ten different welding speed levels for moderate and precision welding requirements. All these features make ARKSEN MIG 130 the best welder for home use.

Pros:

• Light in weight
• Portable design
• Adjustable speed
• Wide applications

Cons:

• Not recommended for heavy welds

8. Campbell Hausfeld WS099001AV Welder – Cheapest and Budget Friendly Welder

Your search for the best welder for beginners will end with the Campbell Hausfeld WS099001AV welding machine. The welder comprises of dual heat settings, which makes it a good-to-go welding tool for hobby welders and beginners. The thermal overheat protection keeps the machine protected from overheating due to excessive usage, so you can use it conveniently for longer hours. It comes with extra gear; such as, hammer, brush, pack of electrodes, and hand shield. All these equipment are essential for a beginner welder.

It weighs just 8 pounds, which makes it one of the most light-weight welders that are available in the market. The arc welding feature will let you complete the welding projects way before time. It comes with a duty cycle indicator to keep off excess duty, if exceeded. It is a great gear for a new welder; so, don’t just choose any wire welder; always choose the best MIG welder for beginner.

Pros:

• Easy to carry
• Convenient to install
• User-friendly operations

Cons:

• Provided attachment is not enough to weld thick and heavy metals

9. Alpha TIG 200X Welder – One Of The Most Powerful Welders

It is an extremely powerful 200 Amp TIG welder with stick function, which can be used for wide variety of applications. The machine comes with power width modulation and IGBT technology, which provides the best in class power and performance over other welders of the same price range. Alpha TIG 200X is capable of performing a good quality weld on aluminum and stainless steel as it has a dual power mode.

Ideally, TIG welding machines are difficult to learn and master; especially for beginners, but Alpha TIG 200X is different. It comprises of a foot pedal control, which ensures that you control the weld speed easily. The stick mode provides greater comfort in handling and assists in striking an effortless arc by just swiping across the metal. It has a dual power mode i.e. 110 V mode for sheet welds and 220 V mode for heavy welding operations. It is an extremely dependable machine for heavy duty tasks and uninterrupted long operations. You will get a 3-year warranty with the product, which is much higher as compared to the 1-year warranty that is provided by other machines.

Pros:

• Powerful
• Versatile
• High-quality product
• Easy to use

Cons:

• None

10. AMICO POWER DC-160A Welder – Great Choice For Beginners

The Amico Power DC-160A machine revolutionizes the welding job by incorporating a transformer and thereby producing stable voltage and power. It is sleek and compact; exactly the way it is meant to be for new welders and beginners. The best feature of the machine is that it comes with a 10-feet power cable, which provides the ease of keeping the machine at a safe distance from the power switch. It can work with greater efficiency on different power ratings of 115 and 230 V.

The Amico Power DC-160A is certainly reliable for light metal fabrication, repair and maintenance welds, and simple industrial jobs, among others. It is extremely easy to install the machine, as you have to simply plug the electrodes and start welding. It comes with an LED meter, which lets you control your weld settings as per your preference. It provides maximum efficiency due to the inbuilt dual inverter technology. It is extremely light in weight as it weighs just 16 pounds. It can be clearly ruled out that, AMCO Power DC-160A is a great machine for occasional welds and do it yourself welders.

Pros:

• Convenient
• Versatile power
• Compact and sleek
• Innovative technology

Cons:

• Not recommended for heavy welds

Final Word

There you have it – the best welder for beginners! Hopefully, our reviews will guide you into finding the one that best suits your needs. But, one thing is certain, though. If you choose one of these five, you won’t be disappointed! So what’s next? You can also read our multi process welder reviews as well.

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