Portable Mig
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What should I know before buying a MIG welder?
I want to buy a MIG welder for my husband as a graduation present (he's a sculptor who works in steel and will soon be losing his studio space along with all the equipment that goes with it), but I know next to nothing about welders and wouldn't even know where to start as far as brands and quality are concerned. The only specification I have is that he wants it to be somewhat portable.
Can anyone help me? Maybe suggest a good brand? Thank you!!!
I think you shouldn't buy it as a surprise. I agree that surprises are great, but a welder is expensive enough that you don't want to get it wrong. The best welder for his purpose would depend on what kind of work he does. Does he want to continue to work only in steel, or is he considering using also other metals? How thick are the pieces of metal he wants to work with? Is he familiar only using a MIG welder or does he also know how to use an oxyacetylene welder or TIG welder? If you really want to keep it a surprise you could find out which one he has been using in the studio and get pretty much the same one. Though you also need to consider what outlets you have, some welders run on 110 other need 220V outlets. But it is also an issue how much power the welder can provide, it needs to be enough for the planned projects.
As to brands Lincoln and Miller are generally good ones (though not cheap).
And while Harbor Freight is a great source for tools you need just once in a while it is most certainly not a place where you want to buy a frequently used welder. So don't let anybody talk you into buying a tool from there. They are cheap but they are mostly crap as well. Which is fine only for a tool you use rarely.
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