Best 120v Welders MIG, TIG, Stick & Flux Core Reviews and Buyer’s Guide for 2024

120V Welder Buying Guide

Before you can buy a welding machine, you really need to establish what kind of welding process you will need for the materials you want to work with. Let’s take a look:

Gas Metal Arc Welding or MIG on 120v

With MIG welders you feed the welding wire (electrode) out through the welding gun and it comes out at the contact tip of that gun. The protective gas that flows through the welding gun protects the molten pool and the welding arc (usually Argon or carbon dioxide) from contaminants in the air like O2.

The wire is then melted and acts as an adhesive between two players of metal. It’s a very fast way to weld.

MIG machine is best used for welding aluminum (with spool gun or aluminum wire feeder) and mild steel, sometimes stainless steel. It’s much faster than stick or TIG welding. It’s also kinder to your lungs as it doesn’t produce a lot of smoke (when you don’t use). You can weld light-gauge materials and thin metal sheets like on auto body or fences without too many issues on 120v but with ticker materials, you will need to run multi passes or get a stronger welder

Tungsten Arc Welding or TIG

In TIG Welding they use an electric arc and a tungsten electrode. This electrode won’t be consumed during the welding process, and it is shielded with helium gas or other inert gas. It’s harder to learn than other forms of welding because you have to use both arms in conjunction to operate the TIG welders.

However, TIG welding tends to create the highest quality welds and if you need to weld aluminum, stainless steel, nickel alloy, chrome alloy, magnesium, or gold and you want the best results, it’s your best option.

Usually, TIG welding on 120v household current will be basic DC welding with scratch start (there are exceptions), but usually, GTAW on 120v will be used for basic stuff or learning on a cheap machine.

Shielded metal arc or stick welding

Stick welding utilizes a hard flux instead of an external supply of shielding gas.

SMAW consume the electrode and the flux as it goes.

Throughout the process of metal arc welding the heat from the welding arc melts the flux from the electrode and creates a gas bubble that protects the welding pool and arc from contamination.

It tends to form a large amount of “slag” though which must be removed once the work is done, simple stick welders are extremely cheap.

You can work on any material with manual metal arc welding from mild steel to titanium (aluminum, copper, cast iron, everything) note that: You will not do titanium on a 120v welder I was just saying.

You can work in any position and in any condition except for rain and. The downside is that its slow welding process and that it’s somewhat hard to learn and the hardest to master.

Multi-process Welder

If you want the function of more than one welding machine then the easiest way to do it is to purchase a machine that offers more than one.

It’s possible to get 3 – in – 1 machines that allow you to do everything in your workshop at a lower cost. But these machines are often geared more at the hobbyist end of the market and you may opt for separate devices if you are doing heavy-duty work of a specific kind.

Welder Power And Welding Thickness

You need to be clear about the thickness of the metals you will work with before you invest in a welder machine. If you’re not certain about this then the best rule of thumb is

Pick a welder that has a high potential output in amps. You should also ensure that it has an adjustable range or you’re going to be stuck with a welder that only does one job well.

You should also pay attention to the performance at low amperage because this will dictate your ability to work with the thinnest of materials. Low amperage can cause impairments during the arc strike and that can damage the weld quality.

Duty Cycle

A duty cycle is 10 minutes long and the percentage that is given tells you how many minutes out of 10 it will run for before the welder must be left to cool down before it can be used again. So, for example, a 70% duty cycle means, 7 minutes of use, 3 minutes of rest every 10 minutes. Easy, right?

Price, Quality, And Warranty

This pretty much boils down to common sense, you don’t want to spend far more than you need to on a machine if you only have occasional requirements for it. But you also shouldn’t buy a welder that costs next to nothing and then breaks the first time you use it.

Balance price and quality around your own requirements and look at your welder as an investment but not as the best way to spend every penny you own.

You should always make sure that it comes with a half-decent warranty too. A 1-year warranty for cheaper machines but the more you spend, the more warranty you should demand.

Weight And Portability

This should be fairly obvious. If you want a high level of portability from your welder then you want to make sure it’s light enough to move around. You may need to buy a welding cart if it’s too heavy. The lighter the welder, the easier it is to move around when you work.