10 Best MIG Welders of 2022 – Top Picks, Reviews & Guide

Welding is a challenging and hugely experienced artwork. There are a lot of variables to contemplate and several different kinds of welding to try out out. But for most beginners, MIG welding is the least difficult and most adaptable option to get began with. For a lot of, MIG welding will fulfill all of their wants. MIG machines are also much more cost-effective than some other varieties of welders, so it’s simpler for a hobbyist to incorporate it to their resource assortment.

We use MIG welding for several various assignments, and for our latest, we established out to determine what MIG welders are the complete best. We’ve created up the following ten mig welder testimonials to share our conclusions with you. To make it even easier on you, we have narrowed down the list to our leading three tips, which we truly feel self-confident about suggesting.

Our Favorite Models Compared in 2022

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Hobart Handler 500559	140-Amp max Welds up to ¼" steel 5-year warranty	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		Forney Easy Weld 261	Very affordably priced Ultra-lightweight at just 19 pounds 140-Amp max power	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Hobart Handler 210 MVP	Tool-free quick-change roll system Excellent penetration and smooth arc 3-year warranty	CHECK PRICE
		SUNGOLDPOWER MIG 140	Dual voltage 110V/220V Gas or flux-core options 60% duty cycle	CHECK PRICE
		Lincoln Electric K2278-1 Handy Core	Affordably priced Produces clean and quick welds Runs on standard 115V electricity	CHECK PRICE

The 10 Best MIG Welders

1. Hobart Handler MIG Welder – Best Overall

Hobart is 1 of the most well-acknowledged and respected names in welding gear, and their 500559 Handler MIG welder life up to their reputation. With a hundred and forty amps of max electrical power, this is the most strong unit that you can plug into a common 115V outlet. All that electricity implies that it can very easily weld metal up to ¼-inch thick. For welding metals of various thicknesses, you get a 5-situation voltage selector knob and wire feed speeds that selection from forty-seven hundred inches per moment. When utilizing it, the wire feed system is easy and constant, permitting for thoroughly clean welds with small mess.

The initial thing we discovered when this welder arrived is the superb develop high quality. It is a solid unit that’s created robust and durable for a lifestyle in the workshop or on a occupation web site. The up coming factor we discovered was the significant weight. At 65 kilos, it’s a stout beast. But when it arrives to procedure, it offers a smooth arc and superb penetration, creating it easy to use with wonderful final results. To prime it off, a five-12 months warranty protects this machine, so it will be part of your collection for several years. General, we believe this is the ideal mig welder on the industry right now.

2. Forney Easy Weld MIG Welder – Best Value

The Effortless Weld 261 from Forney is a really compact however able machine. At just 19 pounds, it’s one of the lightest and most portable MIG welders we’ve witnessed. It’s also one particular of the more inexpensive versions, but that does not imply it is not an superb performer. Plugged into any standard 120V outlet, it offers a easy feed and tends to make thoroughly clean welds on steel up to ¼-inch, thanks to its one hundred forty-amp abilities. The infinite voltage and wire feed pace knobs give you outstanding control in excess of your welds, and it is a extremely simple equipment to use overall.

Our only grievance with the Forney Easy Weld 261 is that it only offers gasless/flux-core welding. This signifies you can’t hook up gasoline for a correct MIG weld, but rather, you get improved ease and portability with much less variables to consider. That tends to make this a great option for newer welders considering that you can focus on your welding capabilities rather of actively playing with gasoline mixtures. Completely, the low price tag and solid functionality of the Effortless Weld 261 make it the greatest MIG welder for the funds in our eyes.

3. Hobart Handler MIG Welder – Premium Choice

Hobart has managed to assert two of our 3 suggestions for MIG welders, which should explain to you something about the quality of their machines. The Handler 210 MVP MIG welder is a more expensive selection that also provides enhanced capabilities. This equipment can simply weld ⅜-inch metal in a one move and nonetheless create a cleanse and powerful bead that considerably surpasses what we ended up capable to do with competing welders. While it undoubtedly runs stronger on a 230V circuit, you can even now plug this into a standard 115V outlet with the multi-voltage plug that it comes with. Making items simpler and conserving you time, the rapid-modify roll method allows you swap out wire with out any tools.

At seventy five pounds, this equipment is a little bit much more tough to go about your workspace. But when it comes to performance, it is 1 of the greatest MIG welders we have experimented with. The sleek arc and superb penetration resulted in cleaner beads and considerably less slag, even on thicker metals. It was effortless to established and presented ample versatility for welding a variety of sized metals without having becoming extremely difficult. You also get a a few-calendar year guarantee so you can really feel assured that your investment is secured.

4. SUNGOLDPOWER MIG Welder

This 140-amp MIG welder from SUNGOLDPOWER was a little bit of a surprise in our screening. We did not assume way too much from it, but it’s capable of reliable overall performance that practically earned it a best-3 placement on our checklist. This system is a twin-voltage welder, so you can plug it into a 110V outlet or get even far better efficiency on a 220V circuit. You have the choice to weld with or with no gas, relying on your preferences. We like the versatility that offers because we never ever know what variety of venture might pop up next. But do not expect the manual to assist you out, it is nearly worthless. At just 23 kilos, this welder is very transportable and can very easily be moved close to your workshop or job website.

Whilst we value the lightweight and versatility, the most impressive point about this welder is its 60% duty cycle. In contrast to the twenty% obligation cycle supplied by other welders at this cost variety, you can run the SUNGOLDPOWER welder for 3 occasions longer without having stressing about overheating. That mentioned, you’re constrained to welding metals up to ⅛-inch. If it have been capable of joining thicker metals then it would have been a top-3 choose.

5. Lincoln Electric Handy Core

If you’ve been welding for any size of time, you are most probably common with Lincoln Electrical. They’re one of the biggest names in welding products, and we experienced substantial hopes for the K2278-1 Handy Core MIG welder. It has some fantastic functions that are worth mentioning, but total, we have been a bit disappointed in it. You can run this on a normal 115V outlet, which tremendously improves its portability. To that stop, it is also very compact. Additionally, it is affordably priced, so even newbies can get started out with this welder.

With a optimum output of just 88 amps, this welder is only able of becoming a member of delicate steel up to 1/eight-inch. This is not as well extraordinary, and it’s the key flaw holding this welder back. That explained, it does produce clean and quick welds reliably, but we frequently weld thicker metals than just ⅛-inch. One feature that we genuinely favored is the cold contactor. This function indicates the welding wire is not scorching except if the trigger is pulled, so you really do not have to be concerned about accidentally touching it to one thing. But this welder is only capable of gasless welding, an additional downside that retained it from our prime a few.

6. VIVOHOME Portable Flux Core MIG Welder

Simple and cost-effective, the VIVOHOME MIG welder will be appealing to a lot of hobbyists for the lower price. It also plugs into a regular 110V outlet producing it less difficult to use. If you really don't know about gas and you want an effortless remedy to develop some welds, then this welder suits the invoice given that it is gasless only, but we prefer the versatility of being able to use gasoline if sought after. Of course, for the value, it’s tough to complain. But a single issue we noticed that we didn’t like is that the wire is usually sizzling, even if the trigger isn’t getting pressed. You will want to be mindful not to unintentionally touch the wire to something steel.

This welder comes with a small accessory package that consists of a mask, but the mask is a low cost toy and we do not advise using it for welding. We like the tiny dimension that can make this welder far more moveable, but it won’t operate on an extension cord, so you are going to want an outlet close by. In the finish, it life up to the low price tag, but for high performance and trustworthiness, you’d be far better off searching somewhere else.

7. JEGS Performance Products MIG Gasless Welder

Priced very reduced with an integrated accent package that is made up of a welding mask and wire brush, this welder from JEGS Efficiency solution is an straightforward to use equipment with some noteworthy drawbacks. Initial, it does not supply any gasoline hookups, so it’s gasless only with this welder. If you can settle for that, then you are going to get some usefulness from this device since it is compact and light-weight enough to be totally portable. It even plugs into a regular 110V outlet, so you need to have no issue finding power for it wherever you consider it. Nonetheless, the 10% responsibility cycle means that you can only use it for really limited periods before it needs a break.

Whilst it’s little sufficient to move all around, the guide is very short, so you are going to need to maintain it very shut to what you are doing work on. And what you’re working on much better be skinny considering that this welder only penetrates down to ⅛-inch. For the reduced price tag, we did not assume considerably much more, but that is not sufficient to receive it a larger place on our record. Also, really do not expect to use the incorporated mask given that it is just a low-cost toy that does not even strap to your head.

8. HITBOX MIG 3 in 1 MIG Welding Machine

With 3 different welding options accessible, the HITBOX MIG 250 is a versatile machine that fell short in some crucial places. It offers MIG, AR, and Elevate TIG welding, but you need to have to purchase the TIG gun separately to get TIG abilities. Some flux-main wire is provided to get you started with gasless welding proper absent, but it did not in shape in the device! You can hook up gas to this gadget for true MIG welding, a feature that we had been satisfied to see. It’s also very lightweight at just 19 kilos, so you are going to have no issues transferring this welder about with you. Regrettably, you’ll be confined to spaces with a 220V outlet in near proximity considering that which is all it operates on.

The included floor cable is just 4 toes long, and its limited duration turned a little bit of a hindrance pretty swiftly. But we appreciated all the diverse welding choices that the HITBOX supplied. When MIG welding, we obtained satisfactory final results on steel up to ⅛-inch thick, but the penetration was not sufficient for metals that have been much thicker.

9. YESWELDER MIG 3 in 1 Welding Machine

Another a few in one welding machine, this system from YESWELDER gives ARC, TIG, and MIG welding. For MIG welding, you can select to use gas or go gasless. You also get possibilities for 110V or 220V energy with the provided adapter. On paper, this welder would seem like a excellent option, but when we employed it, we got a distinct story.

The wire feed speed on this welder was inconsistent, generating it tough to get clear and steady beads. Specifically for a new welder, this is going to consequence in some definite frustrations. The penetration also was not excellent, and we only had luck welding metals up to ⅛-inch thick. This welder is substantially more high-priced than some of the other possibilities we analyzed, so this bad performance was a real disappointment. We’d advise conserving your money and receiving a far better welder like the Forney Straightforward Weld 261 that acquired our ideal worth decide in the next placement of this checklist.

10. Super Deal PRO MIG

Out of all the welders we attempted out for this record, the Tremendous Offer Professional Commercial MIG one hundred thirty was the most inexpensive. Since of the lower price, we didn’t expect too considerably from it, and that is specifically what we obtained. We did like the metal idea on the gun since some of the other minimal-priced models arrived with plastic suggestions rather. But that was our very best compliment for this machine. An accessory kit with a mask is incorporated, but like the other low-cost masks that came with competing welders, this mask is not likely to be a lot excellent for welding with.

With a poor duty cycle of 10%, we expected this device to shutoff and overheat quite often, and it did. This is aggravating and can grow to be a waste of your valuable time. The gasless welding is basic and simple to set, but you simply cannot use fuel with this device if you wanted, so it’s constrained in versatility. Even though it’s extremely low cost, we really don't believe it is a excellent decision, even for the spending budget-minded client.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best MIG Welder

With so many options available, choosing a single MIG welder to rely on can seem a bit overwhelming. To support you slim your focus on the particular attributes we consider you must be hunting for, we have composed up this limited buyer’s guide. There are specified distinctions between equipment that are value hunting out for, and to make certain they are clean in your brain even though you are evaluating welders, we’re going to talk about them below.

Also see: The best helmets for welding

Portability

Some folks execute most of their welding in a workshop where portability isn’t the most significant problem. If you’re mostly carrying out automotive welding for occasion, then you might not want a lightweight and compact welder that can simply be moved around. Nevertheless, you may possibly still contemplate size for the quantity of table area or flooring room it consumes. But if you are heading to be welding different initiatives, you may possibly need to have the ability to consider your welder out of the workshop and move it all around to where the metals you need to be part of are positioned. In these kinds of eventualities, a light-weight and transportable welder is a blessing. But small dimension and light-weight are not the only variables to contemplate when it arrives to portability. Really do not overlook to believe about the guide length and ground size as nicely. Standard prospects are about 8 feet in size. But some equipment have shorter ones that are just four toes, making it significantly tougher to operate given that you’re trapped in close proximity to the device.

Power

Do you have 230V outlets all-about your workshop? If so, you can select practically any welder you like. But, if you make a decision to get your welder out of your workshop, will you nonetheless have 230V hookups? Whilst they do give far more electricity, they are not as commonplace. For that cause, a lot of scaled-down welders are meant to use 110V stores, which ought to be available everywhere. Hold in mind, most welders will not function on an extension wire, so you will need to have to be in a position to get to no matter what outlet you are employing with the supplied power cable.

On the other hand, you will get greater welding abilities from a 230V outlet. So, what’s the ideal remedy? Properly, many welders have multi-voltage plugs or include an adapter that permits you to plug a 230V equipment into a 115V outlet. For greater flexibility, we suggest a twin-voltage equipment that can operate with virtually any plug you uncover.

Duty Cycle

Duty cycle is a aspect that not every person considers, but it’s extremely crucial to the functionality of your welder. It is a measure of how lengthy your machine can run without overheating or shutting off. A responsibility cycle of 20% signifies that it can run for just two minutes out of each ten minutes. That might not seem to be like a lot, but 20% is the typical for most buyer-amount welders. If you require a longer obligation cycle for skilled welding, expect to shell out a little bit more income for a greater-conclude device.

Price

If income have been no concern, I’m confident we’d all personal the biggest and most able welders offered. Sadly, most of us are likely to be making some sacrifices to hold the welder we acquire inside of of our spending budget. But lower-priced welders usually lack particular efficiency functions located on greater-stop devices. That does not mean you can not get a top quality MIG welder for a decent cost however. Emphasis on the qualities you uncover to be the most important for you and appear for the welder that meets people needs without breaking the lender. You can always discover a far more pricey option, but just since it expenses much more does not automatically suggest it performs much better.

Conclusion

MIG welders are the go-to equipment for most hobbyists and professionals alike due to the fact of their simplicity of use and the potential to weld a variety of metals with no needing a completely clear floor. But there are so a lot of of them obtainable that it can be tough to choose on one particular to purchase, even after reading through evaluations. For us, the Hobart 500559 Handler 140 MIG welder was the ideal choice. It is the most strong welder you can plug into a regular 115V outlet, welds up to ¼-inch metal with relieve, has a top-notch sturdy develop good quality, and is even secured by an amazing five-yr guarantee.

For the greatest price, it is tough to conquer the lower-price tag and reliable functionality of the Forney Simple Weld 261. It’s just 19 kilos, welds metal up to ¼-inch with great penetration and a easy arc, and plugs into any common electrical outlet. But for a quality solution with expert abilities, we advise the Hobart Handler 210 MVP MIG welder. It can simply be part of ⅜-inch metal in a solitary go, plugs into 115V or 230V stores with the multi-voltage plug, has a tool-free of charge swift-change roll system, and is backed up by a 3-yr guarantee.

Much more getting guides like this: