Best MIG Welders [110V & 220V] Reviews & Buyer’s Guide 2024

Wire Feed Speed and Wire Settings

When setting up your MIG welder, you have to think about two things – the wire feed speed and the voltage. The wire feed speed is important because it controls the amperage. You will usually find the wire feed charts on the MIG machine itself. However, good advice about setting the wire feed speed is to set it at about 10% lower than the recommended settings.

But if there are no charts on the machine, just do a test run on a piece of scrap metal. You’ll know that you are where you need to be when you hear a sizzling sound similar to when frying some bacon in a pan.

Voltage Settings

If you decide to keep the voltage at the same level but lower the wire feed speed, you get more spatter and decreased penetration.

Input Power

The main focus with input power is that it has to be matched to the type of primary power available. You rarely see a DIY welder working on a piece of metal thicker than ¼ inches, which basically requires 100 amps for welding and 20 amps for plasma cutting. A 110v MIG welder to 120v can provide you with these parameters. However, for thicker pieces of metal, a machine that covers both 110v to 120v and 208v to 240v works better.

So be vary when choosing the correct input power source as your typical single-phase input (found in a home or a garage) produces 115, 200, or 230 VAC, while a three-phase (industrial work) creates 230, 460, or 575 VAC. You can find some machines that accept both single and three-phase power, with multi-voltage and no manual re-linking.

Output Power

When determining output power, welders have to have two things on their minds – the thickness of the metal and the diameter of the wire. A good piece of advice and a general rule is to use one amp of power for every .001 inch of mild steel.

Therefore, welding 1/8 in (.125 in) of low carbon steel would require around 125 amps. Stainless steel will need about 10% less while aluminum requires about 25% more power.

The diameter of wire electrodes is a bit more complicated as each one of them individually has a specific operating range. The most important thing to understand is that smaller wires carry less current while larger electrodes carry more.

Gauge	mm	Required Amps
8	4.2	165
10	3.4	135
12	2.7	105
14	1.9	75
16	1.5	60
18	1.2	48
20	0.9	36
22	0.8	30
24	0.6	24

Duty Cycle

Welding at lower outputs will increase the duty cycle of a machine. Also, a duty cycle is evaluated at a specific ambient temperature, 104o F being the golden standard. However, with multi-process welders, that have multi-voltage welding systems, the output and duty cycle will vary depending on the input power.

Wire Feeder Mechanism Durability

Also, it is important to replace the drive rolls from time to time. These are found in the push and push-pull feeders. Choosing and attaching the correct drive rolls that can feed the welder the correct wire dimensions will ensure fine and constant wire feeding. The most commonly used ones are:

V-knurled, V-groove, and U-groove.

Non-Industrial (110v and 220v MIG Welders)

Solid wire provides deeper penetration in the root and creates less spatter. Flux-core wire produces less spatter but has a larger ball-type transfer. Both self-shielded flux-cored wire and gas-shielded flux-cored wire work equally well. The main thing to focus on is how you apply it and for which type of work.

Portability and Weight

On the other side, you can weld up your own welding cart. You can find the wheels on Harbor Freight or on Amazon or in your local store. You can use ticker material and stronger metal pipes to build a cart that will never fail you.

Note: if you plan on this don’t forget to build in a gas cylinder rack on it with room for removing the gas valve (box for welding tools would be nice too).

Branding role in choosing the MIG Welders

Hobart is renowned for creating numerous reliable non-industrial GMAW welders and is a parent company of Miller Electric. And from Sweden, Europe If you want a piece of machinery that is meant to last, then ESAB is your choice.

Bigger brands make a difference when it comes to industrial machines, while lesser-known brands work equally well for smaller types of jobs and allow you to save money.

So by buying a GMAW welder from known brands like Hobart or Miller you will not make a mistake. But if you spent some time researching you can find great machines from laser-known manufacturers that will have your money.

And did you know that there are people that make pretty good DIY welders at home also?

Gas Cylinder and Gas Selections

MIG welders with solid welding wire can’t work without shielding gas. And if you want everything to work seamlessly, you want to use the correct gas shielding combination.

But the bead is not going to look as good and you will end up with more spatter. The given mixtures usually come in 40, 80, or 125 cubic feet cylinders. Choosing the one you need depends on how much welding you are planning to do. But for home use, either one is fine unless you are going to be working on a really big project.

Except for the first one the 80 and the 125 cubic feet versions of the cylinders are to heavy and are hard to move around (at least too heavy for me). You will need a cart for your welder in that case.

Spool Gun For Aluminum

Spool guns make things a lot easier and convenient especially if you are using softer or small diameter wire. It is also recommended for use for people who often switch from welding steel to aluminum.

Safety and Mantnense

Two integral parts of the skill set of every welder and metal worker are proper equipment maintenance and looking out for the safety of his colleagues and himself. The importance of keeping you and your welder at pick performance can not be overstated, especially in today’s turbulent times.
Both of these subjects require a few more words put into them, so we have written separate articles on both safety measures and maintenance of your new (or used) welding machine.

More on how to maintain your welding machine you can read here.

A full article on basic safety measures and the hazards that potentially await you at the workplace can be read here.

Welding Equipment Preparation

Before you start doing any kind of work, it is best to check everything and make sure your equipment is properly set. This means:

• Checking the cables – Check if they are tightly fitted and free of fraying;
• Select electrode polarity – DC electrode or reverse polarity for MIG welders;
• Set gas flow – Turn on the gas cylinder valve at a gas flow of 20 to 25 cubic feet per hour;
• Check tension – too loose or too tight can lead to poor wire feeding performance, and;
• Inspect consumables – remove excess spatter on the contact tubes and replace worn-out contact tips.

Metal Preparation

To perform quality welds first use a wire brush and/or grinding stone to remove dirt, filth, and metal corrosion from the weld groove and around 0.7 inches from it. Clean the metal to reach a metal shine on both sides of the metal plate. A good practice is also to preheat the spot that is about to be welded, preheating will remove moisture and allow for a better metal joining and more stable arc.

These practices are also good considering these welders that work on 120v and 220v household current are not industrial grade MIG Welders and have lower power and ability to remove dirt from the weld pool.

Wire selection

The use of thin wire .023 or .030 in. will prevent burning through on light materials. The use of thick MIG wire, such as .045 in., will allow for superior fusion when using more abundant metals. The two most common wire types are ER70S-3 and ER70S-6. The ER70S-3 is perfect for welding purposes of all kinds.

On the other hand, the ER70S-6 wire is typically for use on dirty and rusty surfaces when more deoxidizers are necessary.

The wire size that will be utilized for gas welding will not determine the type of machine you would want to purchase, but the device will play a part in determining the size and type of wire you will use for gas welding.

Push or Pull?

One of the greatest questions when it comes to welding is whether to use the push or pull technique. The push technique, or forehand, means moving the gun away from the weld puddle. A welder creates a flatter and a wider bead but with less penetration. The pull technique, drag or backhand, means pointing the welding gun back at the weld puddle and dragging away. The bead is narrower with more buildup while the penetration is deeper.

There is no definitive answer on which technique to use. The best approach does not exist and the best answer is that you will decide which ones to use based on the material, the equipment, and the process you are using.

Travel Angle and Work Angle

The travel angle is the angle that is relative to the gun placed in a perpendicular position. In normal welding conditions, it should be at 5 to 15 degrees, because positioning it at 20 to 25 degrees will create more spatter and cause less penetration.

The work angle is the angle where the gun position is relative to the angle of the welding joint. The angle varies based on the position and joint configuration. Therefore, the butt weld should be held at a 90-degree angle to the workpiece, the T-joint should be kept at a 45-degree angle, and the lap joint at 60 and 70 degrees.

Voltage and Amperage

Deciding on the voltage and amperage settings depends on a lot of factors. You have to take into account the thickness of the metal, welding position, joint configuration, wire diameter speed, and welding gas.