Home › How to Choose a Welding Machine
Equipment guide
How to Choose a Welding Machine
How do I choose a welding machine?
Answer
How do I choose a welding machine?
Explanation
Process before machine
ARC for general steel and site work, because it needs no gas bottle. MIG for volume and thinner sheet. TIG for stainless, aluminium and welds that will be seen.
Detail
Duty cycle matters as much as current
A machine rated at high current but a low duty cycle stops to cool during continuous work. Read both figures from the manufacturer specification, together.
Detail
Where the work happens
Site work favours ARC, because carrying a gas bottle to every job is impractical. Workshop work opens up MIG and TIG.
Detail
Consumables are a real cost
Electrodes, wire, gas, tips and nozzles are consumed continuously. Factor them in alongside the machine.
Questions
Also asked
Is an inverter better than a transformer?
For portable work, generally — lighter, more efficient and runs from a normal supply at lower settings. Transformers still have their place in some fixed installations.
Do I need three-phase power?
Not for most inverter ARC machines. Higher-output machines and many MIG and TIG units do. Confirm your supply before selecting.
Quotation
Ready to ask for a price?
Send the application, the material, the capacity if you know it, and the power available on site. Options come back with specification and current availability.
Where to go next