Welding is done professionally worldwide for manufacturing purposes. It is also one of the coolest hobbies for any DIY enthusiast. As a mechanical engineer, I had to learn to weld in my course. So I know very well what kind of welder is the best starter welder for a beginner.
If you want to get a welding machine as a beginner, you have to pick the right one. There are both professional-grade and home-use welders available in the market. Choosing the right type of starter welder from all these options is a bit difficult for any beginner. This is why I wrote this article for you.
Here you will find a few options to start your welding projects as a beginner. Before I give you my starter welder reviews, I think you should know why you need a starter welder.
Why You Should Have a Starter Welder
Learning the process of welding theoretically is one thing, but applying it in the practical field is completely different. You can read a lot of books or articles on welding to learn how it is done.
But to master different welding processes, you have to do welding practically. To do so, you need a welding machine at first. If you want to start learning to weld practically, you must own a starter welder rather than a professional-grade welder.
It’s All About Safety
A starter welder has more safety options to avoid risks. I’m not saying that a professional-grade welder has no safety options. It’s just when a professional worker is welding, they are usually aware of some common risks and they can always avoid them without any indications.
But as a starter, you may not always be aware of those facts. For example, voltage fluctuation, temperature control, over-power, etc. are some common things that you may miss as a beginner. This is why you should first start with a starter welder.
Starter Welders Are Easier to Use
Starter welders are comparatively easier to use than any professional-grade welders. No one becomes the master of any job on the first day. To master any task, you have to practice and practice. The best way to do this is to start easy.
You have to start learning to weld with a machine that is easier to handle. And gradually you can go for the professional-grade. This is why you need a starter welder so that you don’t face difficult problems at the beginning of your learning.
Best Starter Welder Reviews
Now I will give you my starter welder reviews that I have prepared through a lot of research. If you go through each of these reviews, I am sure you will find your desired welder as a beginner.
Hobart 500559 Handler 140 MIG Welder
Specifications
Weld Capacity: Up to ¼ Inch (Mild Steel)
Input Voltage: 115 Volts
Output Amperage: 25 to 140 Ampere
Duty Cycle: 20% at 90 Ampere
Net Weight: 57 Pounds
Overview
If you are looking for a versatile welder as a beginner, the Hobart 500559 is perfect for you. With this welder, you can work on household repairs, auto bodies, and even heavier projects that need more welding power.
This welder includes a tapped voltage control with 5 positions. It helps to fine-tune the arc for having a smoother thickness. Industrial cast aluminum is used to make this welder. This is why it can withstand heavy-duty works.
As a beginner, you will find it very easy to set up this welder. It only takes a few minutes and is really easy to use. You will get a setup guide with this welder to make everything easier for you.
There is a built gas valve with this welder. It also includes a MIG gun with liner, gas hose and dual gauge regulator, power cord and work cable, spool adapter flux-cored wire. All these accessories will help you master welding operations as a beginner. Click here to get this from amazon.
Lincoln Electric K2185-1 Handy MIG Welder
Specifications
Net Weight: 26 Pounds
Build Material: Metal
Power Source: Corded Electric
Input Voltage: 115 Volts
Power: 2300 Watts
Type: MIG welding
Overview
The Lincoln K2185-1 is one of my favorite welders and as a starter MIG welder, you will love it too. This welder is lightweight and compact, making it easier to carry and store easily at any place you want. It’s a great choice for hobby projects or home repairs.
It gives an output current of 70 amperes which is great for DIY home projects. It has a clamp cable and power cord long enough to let you perform your welding operations from at least a 6 feet distance. You can adjust the speed of the wire feed of this welder.
With this welder, you can perform flux-cored welding too. There is a gasless nozzle to help you in this case. But for performing MIG welding you can use the gas nozzle that is also included.
There are four voltage settings for this welder that will allow you to weld mild steel that has a thickness of 1/8 inch. Unfortunately, this welder doesn’t come with shielding gas and so you have to get it separately. Other than that this is the best starter wire feed welder to own. Find out its price on Amazon.
ESAB 0558101694 MiniArc 161LTS Stick Package
Specifications
Net Weight: 18 Pounds
Input Voltage: Dual, 115 Volts or 230 Volts
Build Material: Brass, Steel, Nylon, Plastic
Type: TIG Welding
Current Range: 5 to 160 Ampere
Overview
The ESAB 0558101694 is one of the best starter stick welders you can find in the market. It can automatically select either 115 volts or 230 volts. That means it will automatically configure to the initial input supplied. So, you don’t have to worry about voltage fluctuations.
The electrode of the welding often sticks to the plate if you weld with an ordinary welder. But this welder has a fixed hot start that prevents it from happening. It also includes a fixed arc force for you to achieve deeper penetration into the job.
Lift arc tag gives you the luxury of lifting the tungsten as opposed to traditional scratch starting which can deposit tungsten into the plate resulting in contamination;
With only 18 pounds of weight, this welder is very easy to carry and is quite compact. You can take it directly to your job place as it is a portable welder. It is also a cheap starter welder compared to others.
As a beginner, you will find it difficult to use traditional welders. But you can certainly rely on this welder as it has a shoulder strap to make it easier for you to carry this welder. Click here to know the price of this welder on Amazon.
SUNGOLDPOWER 200Amp DC Inverter Welder
Specifications
Input Voltage: AC 110/220 Volts
Frequency: 50/60 Hz
Input Current: 34 Ampere
Output Voltage: 18 Volts (TIG), 27.2 Volts (MMA)
Output Current: 10 to 200 Ampere
Net Weight: 22.1 pounds
Type: TIG welder
Build Material: Ceramic
Overview
The SUNGOLDPOWER DC Inverter Welder is one of the best starter TIG welders for its great features and advanced technology. This welder is suitable for high-frequency MMA and TIG welding. As it is very lightweight and sturdy so it is very reliable as a good starter TIG welder.
It is very easy to start this welder and it improves the lifespan of the tungsten you use for your welding. It includes a fan cooling system that keeps the welder cool when not in use. And the compact design allows you to keep the welder safe anywhere you want.
With this welder, you can weld different materials like stainless steel, regular steel, copper alloys like bronze or brass, nickel alloys, etc. But unfortunately, you cannot use for welding aluminum. So if you want to get a welder for aluminum I wouldn’t recommend this welder.
The SUNGOLDPOWER DC Inverter Welder has under-voltage and over-voltage protection. So, too much or less power won’t harm the welder. It also includes under-current and over-current protection which increases the lifespan of the welder as well.
Moreover, this welder can automatically compensate for any kind of fluctuation of voltage and works normally with such a power source. For a small starter welder, it is one of the best ones to own. Check out its price on Amazon.
Ansen Portable IGBT Inverter Welder
Specifications
Input Voltage: 115/230 Volts
Output Current: 20 to 160 Ampere
Frequency: 60 Hz
Duty Cycle: 60%
Net Weight: 14.7 Pounds
Type: TIG Welder
Overview
The Ansen Portable IGBT Inverter Welder is a great starter welder for having an advanced control module called IGBT that has a dual voltage input of 115 volts and 230 volts.
With a 60 Hz frequency and 60% duty cycle you will have improved performance from this welding machine. This starter gas welder saves energy by allowing two different voltage inputs and by avoiding the fluctuation of voltage.
It has a handle as it is a portable welder. Carrying it is a lot easier with the handle and because of its lightweight. It is also quite compact so that you can store it at any corner of your garage.
Some of its functions like welding temperature, speed, gas time-delay, current decay time are adjustable. It allows multiple welding methods which is why it is one of the best starter multi-process welders. It has both non-self-locking and self-locking technology for safety.
This welder is applicable for alloy steel, stainless steel, copper, carbon steel, copper alloys like brass or bronze and some non-ferrous metal too. If you are liking its features, you can check its price on Amazon.
A Quick Buying Guide for The Best Starter Welders
When you are about to purchase a starter welder, there are some features that you should check out first. These features are the ones that make a starter welder better than the others.
Multi-Process Welder
There are many welders that are made for a particular type of welding. For example, MIG welder, TIG welder, Stick Welder, etc. But in the market, you will find some welders that can perform multiple welding.
As a beginner, you should go for that type of welder. I am not saying a single type welding machine is not suitable for a beginner. But as a starter, you need to learn different types of welding.
If you have a multi-process welder, then you can learn all the types with a single machine rather than switching to different ones.
Easy to Carry
A traditional welder is usually stationary. But there are portable welders available in the market too. An industrial-grade welder is heavy and you cannot carry it around. But as a beginner, this type of welder is not suitable for you.
As you are just learning to weld, you should own a lightweight and compact welder. These are easy to carry and you can store these anywhere you want. So, while choosing a welder to keep this feature in mind.
Able to Withstand Voltage Fluctuation
Welding machines require electricity to run and a particular power has to be supplied. There are some welders that can withstand voltage fluctuations and some cannot.
If you are a beginner in welding, voltage fluctuation is not something you want to handle. So in this case, you can let the welder handle it for you. To do this, choose a welder that can take different levels of voltage fluctuation.
User-Friendly
The welder you choose as a beginner has to be simple. Industrial grade or professional welding machines are usually a little harder to use. These are not the kind of welders you want as a starter. So how do you know if a welder is user-friendly or not?
It’s very simple. As the easiest welding is the MIG welding so most user-friendly welders are usually MIG welders. But there are other features that make a welder easy to use too. Like temperature control, easy to carry and store, over-voltage and over-current protection.
FAQs on The Best Starter Welders
What is the best welder for a beginner?
As a beginner, you don’t want a welder of professional-grade because they are more difficult to handle. You need a kind of welding machine which is very easy to use. A starter welder is basically for small DIY projects and home use. So, if you want the best starter welder, you must choose one which is very simple to operate.
There are some properties that you should look for when you choose a welder as a beginner. For example,
- The welder must have the ability to perform different types of welding like MIG, TIG or Stick welding.
- It should have the feature to handle voltage fluctuation.
- There is a possibility of facing high frequency so the welder should have the ability to handle such frequency.
- It has to be lightweight and compact for easy portability and storage.
- Different types of metal should be compatible with the welder for a beginner.
- A starter welder must have the property to handle high temperature.
In my starter welder reviews, you will see that all the welders have these facilities and more. But I personally think that the SUNGOLDPOWER 200Amp DC Inverter Welder is the best of the best. If you like any other one from this list, you can surely get that one too.
What is the easiest type of welding to learn?
There are four types of welding, TIG, MIG, Stick and Arc welding. TIG and MIG stand for Tungsten Inert Gas and Metal Inert Gas accordingly. Among these four types of welding, MIG welding is the easiest type of welding to learn as a beginner. Here’s why it’s so easy.
- At first, you have to wear a welding helmet and gloves for safety. It is a must for any type of welding.
- Now start the welding machine.
- Next, you have to adjust the voltage and wire speed. Make sure the welding torch has a sufficient amount of wire.
- After that, start your welding and weld until the metal parts are joined fully.
- When finished, turn off the welder and let the metal cool down. Soak it into the water to make it cool down faster.
You can see how easy the steps are. There are some advantages of MIG welding too. In MIG welding, you will need an electrode that you have to continuously feed to the metal parts you want to joint. As it has a higher efficiency of the electrode so it reduces the amount of waste created. A waste-free environment should be your priority.
After MIG welding is done, you need less effort to clean the metal. There is a very low amount of welding fumes produces here and it requires lower heat inputs. This is why it is the easiest welding technique to learn and great for DIY enthusiasts or beginners.
My Final Words
When I first started welding, it was hard for me to find the best starter welder as there are so many options to choose from. So, I did my best research and found these welders. I shared these with you guys so that you don’t have to go through any troubles as a beginner in welding. I can assure you that if you choose any one of these welders, you will surely love using it. If you have any questions related to this subject, you can ask me in the comment section.