Best Welder For Beginners 2021: Reviews of Top 10 With Buying Guide

Lately, we have been getting tons of requests for welders. These machines, although very versatile and useful, aren’t as popular as your mainstream power tools like drills and saw.

As a result, finding the right guidance for choosing a proper quality welder is a job on its own. But that’s exactly what we’re here to do today.

Today, we will be reviewing some of the Best Welder For Beginners along with a comprehensive and straightforward buying guide that will prepare you with all the knowledge and in and outs of this machine. Sounds good?

Let’s get it started!

Top-rated Best Welder For Beginners and Hobbyist 2021

Last update on 2023-03-12 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

 

Top 10 Beginners and Hobbyist Welder Reviews for 2021

Best Welder for Aluminum

1. Miller Electric 120/240VAC

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If you are looking for a feature-packed welder machine than won’t burn a hole through your wallet, then take a look into the Miller Electric 120/240VAC.

The Miller Electric 120/240VAC is anything but basic. This machine weld through a wide array of metals like steel, mild steel, and more with a welding capacity ranging from 18 gauge to 3/8 of an inch thickness.

This MIG welder also features the Advanced Auto-SetTM and the Auto Spool gun Detect. It also offers Smooth-StartTM, Angled Cast-Aluminum Drive System, Quick SelectTM Drive Roll, and the much needed Thermal Overload Protection and Fan-on-Demand to prevent overheating.

This not-so-light welder may not be feather-light at almost 50 pounds, but it is still very portable at 23.8 x 15.2 x 16.2 inches in dimensions.

If you are looking for versatility and control in your next machine, then this is the Miller Electric 120/240VAC is the best 120v welder around!

Pros

• Lightweight and compact
• Great for indoor
• Feature-packed
• Heat control
• Easy to use

Cons

• Bad circuit board
• Minor design flaws

 

2. LOTOS TIG200 Aluminum Tig/Stick Welder

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We want to kick start our list for the Best Welders For beginners with something a little old-school and simple. If you are looking for the best dual voltage welder, then take a look into the TIG200 200A AC/DC Aluminum Tig/Stick Welder Square Wave Inverter with Pedal and Mask from LOTOS.

The LOTOS TIG200 200A AC/DC Aluminum Tig/Stick Welder, as you can guess from the name already, is a stick welder, meaning that this welder is already a superior choice for the outdoors!

First of all, it is dual voltage and can switch from the witch from 220v to 110v thanks to the additional adapter. It also measures just 28 x 13 x 17 inches in dimensions and weighs a fair 58 pounds making it one of the best portable welders.

The welder has a power efficiency of 80% and is one of the best welders for aluminium among more metals like steel, mild and stainless steel with a welding capacity of 3/8 of an inch.

The LOTOS TIG200 Welder also features some great features like the HF start hand torch control and precise foot pedal welding heat control which allow you to have maximum control over this machine.

If you are looking for some light applications for not-so-demanding-projects, then this could be one of the best welders for hobbyists

Pros

• Lightweight and compact
• Great on rusty metals
• Great for outdoor
• Easy to start
• Heat control

Cons

• Low amperage
• Vague manual

 

Best Portable Welder

3. Lincoln Electric K2185-1 Handy

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The second name to make it to our list for the Best Welders For Beginners is the very popular K2185-1 Handy MIG Welder from Lincoln Electric.

The K2185-1 Handy MIG Welder is perfect for people looking for some high-speed performance. This machine is one of the best starter welders and is perfect for hobby and light projects on light gauge mild steel of 24 gauge to 1/8 of an inch thickness.

The K2185-1 Handy metal inert gas welder is also one of the best portable welders at 18 x 10.3 x 16.75 inches in dimensions and 28 pounds in weight.

Apart from this, this MIG welding machine features a continuous wire feed with speed adjustment for maximum control.

Speaking of which, using (and learning to use this) MIG welder is comparatively easier than most other types of welder so we can easily see why it could be one of the best welders for home use as well as one of the best entry-level welders!

What’s also nice is that this mig welder comes with a 1-year warranty on the workmanship!

Pros

• Lightweight and compact
• Great for indoor
• Speed control
• Easy to use
• Comes with warranty

Cons

• Low power
• Overheats

 

Best Welder for Home Use

4. Hobart Handler 140 – budget welder

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One of our most favourite machines on our list of the Best welding machines is the Hobart Handler 140 MIG Welder 115V! If you are looking for the best all-around welder, then this just might be it!

The Hobart 500559 welder can mig weld a massive array of metals ranging from Cast Iron, Copper, Brass, Titanium, and Magnesium Alloys.

It doesn’t get any more versatile and one-stop-solution than this, does it? As for the welding cap, you weld metals from 24 gauge up to ¼ of an inch in thickness, which is quite the generous mig welding power. The 5-position voltage control selector furthermore adds a more precise arc at all welding thicknesses. Measuring in at 19 x 11 x 13 inches in dimensions and 65-pound in weight, the Hobart 500559 welder is definitely a more durable and robust machine.

Made using an industrial cast aluminium drive system and a heavy-duty work clamp, this MIG welder is made for applications a little for heavy-duty even for beginners! One of the best welders for home use without having to compromise on power.

Pros

• Comparatively heavy-duty
• Versatile
• Great for indoor
• Easy to use
• Heat control
• Durable and robust

Cons

• Poor quality components
• Short leads

 

5. Power 140C 120V Welder

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Whether you are an absolute beginner or a professional welder, and looking for a cost-effective and reliable welding machine that won’t break the bank, The Power 140C welder might just be your ultimate choice.

The power 140 is loaded with up-to-date technology to make your welding jobs simpler and easier. It is often referred to as the best 120v welder as it delivers clean and beautiful welds on both small and heavy projects at home or in the workshop.

Power 140C 120V welder features great ARC-starts, Wide voltage to give a forgiving ARC and to make setting controls much easier. It is simply great, producing an extremely low spatter when aluminum welding. In addition, this unit provides outstanding performance welding mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium and other metal. With the 120V maximum input, the power 140 delivers a maximum of 20% duty-cycle at 140amperage

Pros

• Great Arc Starts
• Extremely low spatter
• Lightweight and Compact
• Outstanding aluminium and stainless performance
• Easy to use

Cons

• Weird Layout
• Slightly erratic start

 

Best Cheap Welders for the Money

6. Forney Easy Weld 125 FC

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If you are looking for something a little less OTT and affordable, then the last machine on our list of the Best Welders For Beginners, the Forney Easy Weld 29901 125 FC MIG machine is one of the Best Cheap Welders for the money!

Forney Easy Weld 29901 125 FC MIG Welder is more or less a complete and wholesome starter pack for beginners. The machine comes with welding gloves, a helmet, and MIG wire.

It measures 24.5 x 24.5 x 25 inches in dimensions and weighs a little over 32 pounds. With a welding capacity of 24 gauge to ¼ of an inch, this welder is ideal for most mild steels.

A simple, basic starter pack of a welder that’s perfect for some light-duty use. Last but not least, it also comes with a 6-month warranty on the welder!

Pros

• Lightweight and compact
• Great on rusty metals
• Great for outdoor
• Easy to start
• Includes handy accessories
• Comes with warranty

Cons

• Splatters a lot
• Faulty wire feeder

 

7. SUNGOLDPOWER 200Amp IGBT DC Inverter Welder

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The SUNGOLD-POWER 200A inverter welder is excellent for high -frequency DC, TIG, NMA, and STICK welding. This powerful welding machine is the best budget tig welder made in a compact, lightweight and durable profile for professional as well as for personal use.

The High-frequency start guarantees a start-up at 100%. The SUNGOLDPOWER is packed with the IGBT inverter technology, LED amperage display and above all, it is generator friendly. Hence, most people call it the best all-around welder as it can be used in virtually all locations. What we love the most about this tig welder machine is its flexibility as well as versatility, it is perfect for tig welding various materials of different thicknesses like mild steel, stainless steel, copper, nickel alloys, brass and bronze among others.

This unit comes with great safety features like under-voltage, over-voltage, over-current and overload protection. All these features and more make the SUNGOLDPOWER 200Amp ideal for high-frequency DC, NMA, and TIG welding.

The strength and lightness of its components make this unit a reliable work tool for professionals as well as DIY-ERS. The over-voltage and under-voltage protections ensure the voltage remains steady regardless of the input voltage fluctuations.

Pros

• Lightweight and compact design
• High-frequency start
• Fan cooling system
• Advanced Inverter Technology
• Overvoltage protection
• Industrial quality metal chassis

Cons

• Pricey
• Few customer reviews about this welder.

 

Best Starter & Entry Level Welder

8. AHP AlphaTIG 200X 200 Amp IGBT

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Simple design and construction, the AHP Alpha TIG 200X is considered to be one of the best entry-level welders in its price range. This stick welder offers versatility and efficiency just as smooth and reliable as the giant and higher-priced welders.

It is loaded with modern-day technology that automatically adjusts itself to suit your applications. In addition to that, AC-frequency adjustment and PWM (pulse width Modulation) allow the Alphatig to give the smoothest welds.

Hence, AlphaTIG 200X is often listed among the best welders for beginners. The Alphatig 200X comes with PWM technology which automatically regulates the system uptime.

This means there will be less power lost as the system cycles, hence, giving the welder a long-lasting and more reliable power supply.

The power supply is smooth and steady giving rise to a more consistent arc. One thing I love about this machine is that it is designed to provide exceptional performance across all the power ranges.

This unit delivers 150A at 110V and for that reason; it is described as the best 110v welder. It also gives consistent performances across all the settings, plus cleaner and spatters free arc all the way up to the lowest amperage. The AHP AlphaTIG automatically regulates the output frequency in such a way as to narrow the focus of the arc to give a thinner and cleaner bead.

Pros

• Advanced Inverter Technology
• Outstanding performance across the allowed voltage range
• Adjustable Output power
• Solid construction
• Ready to weld out of box
• Great accessories

Cons

• New into the welding industry
• The front panel may be a little confusing to beginners

 

9. ESAB MiniArc 161LTS Stick Package

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The Maniac 161 is an entry-level welder having the ability to perform both Stick and TIG welding at a time. This lightweight tig welding machine is loaded with cool features to enable you to handle any welding job with ease and confidence.

One of the best welder for hobbyist, Maniac 161 Automatically operates on either 115 or 230-VAC. It features a fixed hot start to enable the user to strike the arc easily without the electrode sticking to the plate.

The fixed arc force makes it possible to achieve a deeper penetration on several metal types. In addition, the lift arc tag gives the operator the chance of lifting the tungsten, contrary to the traditional scratch starting which will deposit tungsten resulting in contaminations. Weighing less than 20 pounds; the Maniac 161 is a very powerful but portable device easy to carry to the job site, featuring a shoulder strap, 10ft Work cable with clamp and 10ft welding cable.

It also features a thermal indicator that helps prevent the welder from damaging from overheating or in a case where the airflow is blocked. The Maniac 161features simple interface, stick/TIG switch, Inverter based technology, and ON/OFF switch.

Pros

• Simple Interface
• Lightweight and Portable
• Inverter-based
• Thermal overload protection
• Automatic Voltage regulator
• The lift start works great
• Industrial quality construction

Cons

• Does not have a foot pedal
• Though the lift start works perfectly it is not as good as the HF start

 

10. Hobart Handler 125 – all-around welder

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The Hobart Handler 125 welder is a fine small welder from the famous welding machine manufacturer Hobart. This welder is said to be the best beginner mig welder from Hobart. It is very reliable, powerful and well made to meet up your welding needs.

It effectively welds 24 ga. to 3/16 inch thick steel. Hobart 125 is also a convertible welder; you can use it for flux cored welding or MIG welding. Though this unit may have a heavy price tag, it is worth the investment for your welding project.

Handler 125 operates off 115V household current and comes ready to weld with or without shielding gas using the .030-.035 inch flux core wire.

In addition, it is also MIG ready, meaning it is equipped with a built-in gas valve and regulator. The Handler 125 can be used to weld aluminum materials, steels, copper and brass. Among its features include dual voltage groove, Gas solenoid valve pre-installed, four different voltage output settings, quick-release drive roll system, built-in contractor, and Self-resetting thermal overload. These features and more makes the Hobart 125 friendlier to use.

Pros

• Convertible (Flux-core and MIG welding)
• Carrying handle
• Simple control panel
• Electrically cold trigger-switch
• Industrial quality construction

Cons

• Does not have a continuously variable power knob
• Tank and Pressure regulator are sold separately

Buying Guide for Beginners Welder

The first thing you need to know about welders is that they aren’t your one-for-all soft of machines. Different applications and metals require different types of welders that feature different processes of operation. The most common and widely popular types of welder are:

MIG welding

MIG or Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) work by using a wire welding electrode holder on a spool gun that is fed automatically at a constant and fixed speed. You can check our article MIG vs Arc Welding. You can check our article MIG vs Arc Welding. The arc then, as a result, melts the welding wire and joins it with the base resulting in a high-strength weld with great appearance and little need for cleaning. MIG welding usually more neat, easy to control and can be used on thin or thicker plate metals.

Features:

• One of the easiest processes to master
• High welding speeds
• Great on thinner metals
• Cleaner welding results
• Flexible with flux core welding

TIG welding

In the TIG or Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) process, a non-consumable tungsten electrode is used to produce the tig weld. The weld area is protected from external contamination by using gas and filler metal. Then, a constant-current welding power supply creates energy that is absorbed across the arc via a column of highly ionized gas and metal vapours called plasma.

Features:

• Offers very precise welding results
• Very nice welding beads
• Allows for heat control via foot pedal

Stick welding

Stick welding is one of the most common and widely used processes of welding there is. It is also one of the oldest and has been used massively for lightweight home-use and lightweight applications. Stick welding uses an electric current flowing from a gap between the metal and the welding stick which is also known as an arc welding electrode. This process of welding is an ideal and efficient method for welding most alloys or joints. Thanks to the mechanism, the process is also great for indoors and outdoors or in drafty areas. Apart from this, stick welding is a fantastic process that works comparably better than any other process on rusty metals.

Features

• Ideal for windy, outdoor conditions
• Great for welding on dirty, rusty metals
• Ideal for welding thicker metals

Here’s the thing though.. . .How does one determine the right welding processes for their projects?

Well, you don’t. We do! Mind you that the welding process will vary from the type of metal you choose to weld. Here’s a chart with some of the most common and popular metals that will help you select the right welding process for your

Type of metal	Proper welding process
Stainless steel	MIG; TIG; Stick
Steel	MIG; TIG; Stick
Aluminium Alloys	MIG; TIG
Copper	TIG
Cast iron	Stick

Welding capacity

Something very, very important that most people forget (or don’t know!) when trying to purchase a welder is the welding capacity. We have said it before, and we will say it again: one size doesn’t fit all! You can’t expect one welding machine to weld through all metals, of all thicknesses, etc. It is very important that you buy your welding machine very well after knowing its welding capacity. Some welding machines are best for thin, sheet metal while others are powerful enough to take on thick metals.

Size and weight

The size and weight of your welding may not be a monumental factor in the purchasing of the machine, but believe us when we say that it matters. Using a bulky and heavy welding machine is fine as long as you are stationary. But having a proper size and lightweight machine becomes very important when you tend to travel a lot or are a professional who needs to travel with the machine to remote places.

What Is Dual Voltage Welder?

Dual-voltage welders are those welders with more than one input voltage option. Practically, a dual voltage welder will run perfectly on both voltages. For example, the Miller 190 operates only on 240V, whereas, the Millermatic 211 operates on both 110V and 240V. Therefore, the best dual voltage welder such as the Millermatic 211 will operate efficiently on both 110V and 240 voltages, and this saves you the cost of having to purchase another a separate welder for areas where the voltage required to operate is not available.

Inverter vs. Transformer Welder

So, how exactly do Inverter and transformer welders stack-up against one another? Nowadays, Inverter based welders are considered the industry standard. However, some welders still prefer transformer welders, why? In this review, we shall be looking at the comparison between the two types of welders.

Reliability

For over ten decades, transformer welding machines have undergone extensive R&D to produce reliable and efficient welding machines. And by comparison, inverter welders have had only a small fraction of this, roughly 30 years. Therefore, transformer welding machines are more reliable than Inverter based welders.

Versatility

Before now, many manufacturers adopted the idea of combining the two technologies to create what was thought to be a super welder. However, this technology is very expensive and complicated. Then, some manufacturers thought of creating inverter welders on which you can regulate any electrical variable using software to create unmatched versatility.

Arc quality

When we are talking about welding machines, arc welder performance is something we cannot easily ignore. We live in an era where there is a high demand for welding perfection, and as such, the Inverter based welders are widely considered the best.

Inverter-based welding machines are programmed to just about everything good; we can find Advanced pulse GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) as well as high-skilled GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc welding). In the world we live today, things are changing continuously and so are the welding machines. In this regard, we recommend the inverter welders for weld quality and innovation.

Price

There was a time when inverter welding machines were incredibly expensive, and this was attributed to component costs, engineering costs and manufacturing costs. However, those costs have now changed dramatically over the years. Inverter-based Welders are now becoming less expensive than transformer-based welders, even though they are generally more complex.

Common Mistakes Beginners Do While Buying a Welding Machine

When you go out there to purchase a welder, there are lots of factors you need to put into consideration before making such an investment. However, so many people especially beginners likely to make the mistake of not considering these factors. Below are some of the common mistakes beginners do while buying a welding machine.

Power

Most first-time welders do fail to check the output power of the welder they want to buy.

When you go out there to buy a welder, one of the very first thing you are expected to do is to check the output power. For simple home projects and welding thin metals, a welder capable of delivering 100 amps is sufficient. For 18 ga. metals, welders with a minimum of 30 amps will be just fine. But in the case where you need the machine for welding thicker metals, machines capable of delivering higher output power is more preferred.

Duty-cycle

This is a very important factor one must consider before buying a welding machine; however, a lot of people do ignore this factor.

Duty-cycle mainly explains how long a welder can work at a certain current on a nonstop basis. Generally, duty-cycle is expressed in percentage. For example, a welder with a 40% duty cycle at 200A will weld for 4 minutes at 200A before overheating and shuts down. Then it will have to rest for 6 minutes before it can be used again. Nevertheless, it is very important to note that, reducing the current output will automatically improve the duty-cycle. We recommend you go for a welder about 20% above what you need.

Portability

As the performance of the welder is very important, so is the portability. However, most first time welders do ignore this factor as well.

If you have limited space, you will have to consider the size of the welder in order to avoid the liability of carrying around a voluminous machine. Welding Machines range in size and weight from 20 to hundreds of pounds. Therefore, if you are going to be carrying your welder to different locations, a compact and lightweight welding machine is most recommended.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is welding?

Welding is a process of joining two metals by heating until the two ends become molten. Usually, a filler material is added to the molten materials and the two metals joined together forming one solid material when cooled.

Q: What are the different types of welding?

There are various types of welding processes, these include:

• The MIG Welding

In the MIG welding method, usually, a gas flame such as MAPP gas, hydrogen or acetylene is used to ignite the torch providing a shield. Basically, a wire filler is used to join the two metals together.

• Arc or stick welding

This process uses a consumable electrode to support an arc between the two metals. In this process, the current is carried by the electrode to form the arc, producing a gas that shields the arc from the surrounding atmosphere. When a coated electrode is used to strike the arc, the intense heat melts the top of the electrode. And then drops of the metal from the electrode get into the arc stream, and it is deposited on the base metal.

• Gas Tungsten Arc (TIG) welding

In this process, the arc is created between the workpiece and a non-consumable tungsten electrode. A filler material is used though not necessarily, and argon or any other inert gas mixture is for shielding. The TIG welding process produces high-quality welds and can be used to weld magnesium alloys, aluminium, cleanest, mild and stainless steel.

The other two types of welding are Oxygen and arc cutting, and plasma cutting.

Best welders for beginners should at least be able to perform two or more of these processes.

Q: What are the advantages of inverter welders over transformers?

Though both have their advantages and disadvantages, the Inverter welding machines have so many advantages over the transformer-based welders. They are more portable, and lightweight, making them easier to carry around the job site. Additionally, they offer high-quality multi-process welding capabilities in such a way that one machine can handle MIG, TIG, FCAW and even pulsing.

Q: But how can a switch to an inverter save in energy consumption?

Inverter welders are packed with better transformer cores, transformer windings as well as power electronic switching components to minimize operating losses, Hence, saving energy consumption.

The inverter transformer coils are generally smaller than the common transformers. A smaller coil signifies less wire wrapping around the core, and less wire wrapping means fewer losses and greater efficiency. Additionally, the power electronic components for inverter welders are designed to minimize losses and to extend operating life.

Price of a beginner welder

The prices of welding machines, beginner or professional grade, will vary directly with factors like the type of welding process it uses, its welding capacity, construction value and of course, the brand.

The price of these things can easily go from little to nothing to skyrocketing into space! Having said that, modern-day welder machine manufacturers are making it more and more affordable and within reach even for the most tight-budgeted of beginners.

You can expect the most quality and proper performance entry-level welding machines to cost anywhere from $500 up to $800 to $1000.

Final words

And that’s all and everything, in a nutshell, that you need to know about choosing the right beginner welder!

Welding machines are, we admit, difficult to understand and select at first. But with our proper and straightforward guidance, you are set and ready to go!

Apart from this, our detailed reviews of some of the Best Welder For Beginners is has everything you would want in your ideal machine.

Speaking of which, we have a favourite of our own: the Hobart 500559 Handler 140 MIG Welder 115V! This is one of the best welders for home use and isn’t going to burn a hole through your wallet either. High recommend it!