Best Products to Consider Buying
The best welder should not be those which are high in price or cheap MIG welder, built with robust engineering or is portable enough to be carried easily. The best welder should be the one which matches your requirements. Capacity is one of the major factors of the welder. You should know the type of welding you want or the metal you are going to pick and choose the capacity accordingly. The capacity for heavier metals will be more than for lighter ones. Why would you waste your money on high performing welder when you are going to weld mere steel? Other factors that should be considered are durability, portability, etc. Let us move on to the detailed discussion on the best welder we have on our list.
What to Know Before Buying the Product?
Knowing about some products is not enough if you do not the factors that should be considered to buy the best welder for you. We have your back, and thus we thought of including this section in our article. So, the factors are:
Nature of the metal
Check the nature of the metal first before you weld. People usually use the welder on carbon steel for its compatibility and minimum heat requirements. Stainless steel can also be used with TIG or MIG welding machine as it needs less power. On the contrary, aluminum needs complex welding machine like MIG or a high-end tig welder. So, pick a welder based on the nature of the metal.
Location
Selecting a perfect location for a suitable welding machine is important. If you are going to weld inside your home or store machines that have 115 volt AC or a 220-240 volts supply are fine. A 115 volt supply is considered as the normal supply that any commercial or domestic location receives and also welding machine operates at this voltage on its own.
The ideal ampere range
Choosing an ideal current generation capacity is necessary because prices depend to a large extent on it. If you are the act of departing to weld thicker metal, you will need more current for perfect welding. Thin metals would only need machines providing the proper amount of heat. So, the thickness of fixtures and metals are to be taken into consideration before going for the final product.
Cater to the compressed gas requirements
Oxygen, argon and carbon dioxide are the most common compressed gases that are used for welding. However, different welding process needs different gases. So, you should check if your welding machine needs a compressed gas source and if then which one needed should be chosen.
So, these are the primary factors you should always consider before you buy the ultimate product. Besides these, do not forget to look upon the performance, convenience, comfort, efficiency, and durability of the product, no matter what it is.
How to Use and Maintain the Product?
For an effective spot welding, you should have a thorough knowledge on how to use the best welder. Maintaining a welder is also important to maintain its durability and get the best out of it. Let us give you a fast guide on how to use and maintain a welder:
How to use
Step 1: Safety
Safety comes first. In order to remain protected from sparks and lights which can be really harsh on your skin and body, you should always use an auto darkening helmet. It is found online or hardware stores. After the helmet, it is time for purchasing welding gloves. These are made of cow or pig hide and protect your hand from electrical shock, heat, and radiation. Never forget to wear a durable and non-flammable apron to safeguard your dress.
Besides wearing protective outfits, you should also consider a well-ventilated area when welding. It results in contamination of air with vapors and gases. An enclosed area will be hard to breathe when welding and that is the reason why you need an open space with open windows and doors.
Step 2: Preparation
Using 80 grit sandpaper, wire brush and angle grinder with a flap disc, scrub the painted metal. Grind the paint and rust as long as the metal looks metallic and shiny. Be careful of thin metal when using an angle grinder and bevel the edges for thick metals. Once the metal is free from dust and debris, you can saturate a cloth in acetone and wipe away the debris on the metal to remove the mess. Rub the surface to remove the acetone and let it fully dry before the actual process.
Step 3: Welding
Check if the welder has a wire on the spool, tip of the welding gun is there and the shielding gas canisters are all fine. You might have a ground clamp with the welder. Clamp it properly with the table to prevent from getting electrocuted if it touches your table. Now, rest your one hand on the table and control the direction of the gun with it. Place the other one to grip the gun with your index finger ready to press the trigger.
Make a position of 20-degree angle against the piece of metal for better penetration into the metal. It is also called the push position. Now, turn the welding machine on and press the trigger on the gun. You will see bright spark being made at the end of your welding gun. Press the tip of the gun against the metal, and it will create sparks. Leaving the gun in a single spot for a second or so will allow good control, movement, and precision. Then start moving the gun down your piece of metal.
Use the process to make tiny circles in the metal as you move. You will observe hot metal starting to pool behind the tip of the welding gun as you move along. After reaching the end of the weld, let go of the trigger, and it is time for you to turn off the welding machine.
How to maintain
Following specifications
The most common way to maintain a welder is by using it within its given specifications. A duty cycle will force you to weld beyond the actual limits of a machine for a 10 minute period. You should avoid such projects that make you do more than the machine’s capacity. If you really have to do this, you better buy the right welder based on the project.
Prevention
Undress your machine and blow compressed air into the units to get rid of dust and debris. You should always put the cover on your welder so that dust and dirt do not get stuck in the machine in the first place. Keep your welder away from woodworking as it can catch a spark and create smolder which eventually can become a flame. It will enhance the durability of the product.
Cleaning
Cleaning should be one of the regular maintenance routines. Grease your welder properly after you dust it off. Clean and remove all dust with the help of compressed air. Make sure you clean each part properly.
Replacing parts
It is needed to verify that each part is working properly. The tips and nozzles need to be replaced quite frequently. Also, the brushes inside of the wire feeder need to be changed often. Never work with faulty parts or else it will only make your welding worse.
Cleaning, preventing, replacing and following specifications should be your motto each week, month and year. If you want to maintain the tip-top condition of your welder, you should maintain it and take good care of it regularly.
Final Verdict
Well, this was all from us. You might have reached your final destination by now. But, if you have not, do not get stressed over the matter. It is quite obvious to be confused with a final decision, especially when you are a newbie. So, to help you get out of the dilemma, we have pointed few tips here that will certainly take you to the ultimate decision and allow picking the best welder for you.
If quality is the only thing we rely on, we have the perfect choice for you which is Lincoln Electric #K3963-1 Powermig 210 Mp. This has recently been the talk of the town for its high quality and performance. For people having a major concern on a budget should pick the two most affordable and cheap welders. These are Goplus MIG 130 Automatic Feed Welding Machine and Super Deal MIG 130 Welding Machine.
If the price does not bother you rather you want a top-notch welder with an exclusive price tag; we have the best welder for you. You can pick anyone between Lincoln Electric #K3963-1 Powermig 210 Mp or Miller Electric MIG Welder. You still have the opportunity to select another mentioned best welder if you do not prefer anything from the above list. Hopefully, you will get what you want. Good wishes!
