Tuesday, February 21, 2012

How to Review a MIG Welder - Quick Welding Tips

If you stop by a friend’s shop or a welding supply store, and you want to review their selection of MIG welders and find the best fit for your home welding projects or your welding business, you need to know what sets welders apart from one another. How can you review a MIG welder in order to find the best MIG machine for your welding needs?

Here are a few tips on how to review a MIG Welder:

Review a MIG Welder with Different Metals

Two of the most common metals for a MIG Welder are stainless steel and aluminum. Test these metals at a variety of thicknesses, speeds, and positions. Make sure you know whether a low quality weld can be blamed on the welding machine and not the metal or your technique.

In particular, test the quality of the spool gun that comes with your MIG welder.

Review a MIG Welder with Different Shielding Gases

Straight CO2 tends to spatter a bit more than a mixture of 75/25 AR/CO2, but if you can sort out the right settings for your project, you should be able to weld a clean bead with either gas in many situations. However, many welders still prefer the clean welding provided by a mixture. Test your welder with different shielding gases to see how smooth it can weld in a variety of situations.

Review a MIG Welder’s Voltage Settings

There are two different ways to dial in your voltage settings on a MIG welder. Some click into specific settings, while others use a rotating nob that present a wide variety of options. A high quality of welder should function well with either option.

Review a MIG Welder with Different Weld Joints

From butt joints to lap joints, test your welder in a variety of positions for different types of weld joints. If you can test the welder on scrap metal, cut through the metal to see if the MIG welder is providing enough penetration into the weld joint. 

Learn more about How to Choose a Welder.

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