by James Anderson | Last Updated on February 17, 2023
Are you starting your career as a welder or looking for a beginner welder to satisfy your hobby? Beginners will need a reliable welder to commence their journey that won’t create a lot of fuss.
To create a smooth arc and ensure a meaningful weld, a perfect beginner welder is all that you need. However, what a perfect welder is, might be vague to beginners.
We are here to assist in enlightening you with the know-how to purchase the best beginner welder. We have come up with top-reviewed beginner welders to help you out in making an informed decision. Make sure to check our buyers guide section for a successful purchase.
Table of Contents
Reviews of the 10 Best Welders for Beginners
1. Forney Easy Weld 261 Beginner MIG Welder – Top Choice
The Forney Easy Weld Welder is our top overall choice which would suit any beginning welder. The robust controls, reliable performance, ease of use, and solid build make it the best welder for beginners of all time. This is a go-to home welder that excels in household repairs, maintenance, and simple DIY projects.
Forney Easy Weld welder features wire feed speed control and infinite voltage to grant starters a superior welding experience. This welder is capable of delivering excellent welds regardless of any prior experience. Forney MIG welder produces a superior amperage of 140 Amp at a duty cycle of about 30%. Another foremost reason that makes this welder best-suited to beginners is that everything in the kit is already installed. Forney is the best MIG welder for beginners among all our reviews.
Key Features:
- This little welder is a powerhouse, it can weld 1/4” thick material with ease. It comes preconfigured to run .030” wire, and operates on 110v household outlets
- A perfect beginner’s welder that incorporates an automatic and reliable overload protection. When the duty cycle is exceeded a dedicated LED lights up to cool down the machine.
- It weighs only 19 pounds allowing welders to shift around places without portability challenges. The top plastic handle of the unit ensures a firm grip.
- Forney easy weld comes with a heavy-duty 8-foot ground clamp, 20A – 15A adapter, and 8-foot MIG gun for versatile performances across your worksites.
2. PRIMEWELD TIG225X TIG/Stick Welder For Beginner
If you’re ready to try your hand on some quality welder at a novice price then this is the unit for you! PRIMEWELD TIG/Stick Welder features an IGBT technology design, pulse functions, high-frequency controls to increase the reliability for anyone with a little experience in welding.
The extensive built-quality is characterized by easy cleaning controls, full-spectrum pulse features, and arc-control flexibilities. It delivers a stable and enhanced weld through variable control of voltage and wire speed. What we mostly prefer about Primeweld TIG/Stick welder is, it comes with all the accessories required for both TIG and Stick welding.
Key Features:
- Primeweld TIG/Stick welder is incorporated with the latest 2T/4T which helps release fingers for long time continuous welding. Premium metal foot pedal enables quality performance ensuring better welding experience for starters.
- Suitable for welding a wide variety of metals with a max clean-cut thickness of up to 1/8” for aluminum whereas up to 3/16” in the case of mild and stainless steel at 225 amps.
- The unit is versatile in TIG operations and a little tactics and practices will let novice welders get a grip on this unit.
3. Super Deal PRO MIG 130 Beginner Welder – Best for the Money
Super Deal is a top-notch, compact, and powerful welder machine at an extremely good price. The machine is perfect for home projects, DIY tasks, repair and maintenance, and any light industrial usage. The advanced easy access options and user-friendly interface provides a leg-up for welders who are just starting and desire to establish themselves as professionals.
Not just this is the best budget welder for beginners, the welding machine integrates highly precise operations, comfortable grip, and adjustable conductors that make this welder our favorite choice.
Key Features:
- A perfect welder for beginners who are low on budget. Compared to other models this welder is the most accessible and allows welding on various thick steel materials.
- What we especially adore about this welder is the 4 adjustable current flow settings and 10 levels of wire feeding speed that allows greater functionality and diversified welding techniques
- For ease of use and clear overview, Super Deal incorporates readily accessible control panels. This unit performs at a 10% duty cycle on 105AMP whereas 35% at 60 AMP.
4. Hobart Handler 140 MIG Welder For Beginners
Hobart handler stands out as an exquisite, powerful MIG welder for beginners on our top review list. The amperage range and high-power input is a major boost when kick-starting your welding career. This heavy transformer-based machine is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs, beginners, occasional welders, and professionals too.
We particularly like the unit for the smooth reliable performance it offers for years. It’s so easy to use that it makes beginners look like a professional too. The Hobart Handler with the addition of the Spool Runner 100 spool gun welds 1/4-inch aluminum like lightning. Though the price of this welder might seem a bit expensive, the super performance spotlighting smooth fully penetrated welds are worth every penny.
Key Features:
- Hobart Handler features dual-voltage input of 115 volts and 230 volts. The dual-voltage feature makes this a good light-duty flux-core field welder
- The good arc characteristics ensure solid performance with the help of 7 output voltage settings and instant-changing drive rolls.
- This heavy-duty welder can weld 1/4” – 3/8” thick materials flawlessly. Moreover, the generous operating parameters allow 24-gauge steel welding in a single pass.
- Delivers perfect results with built-in gas hose and solenoid value. The versatile unit comes with a 10-foot ground cable and a solid gun. Hobart works well off at duty cycle of 20% on 115V and the 230V allows 30% at 150 amps
5. SUNGOLDPOWER 200Amp TIG ARC MMA Stick Welder
Looking for the best TIG welder for beginners? SUNGOLD power TIG welder is a complete package for welders who are just inaugurating their welding careers. The HF (High Frequency) Start in TIG mode is the Bee’s Knees! The welder is extremely light-weight and the sturdy components make this welder a reliable unit for personal use as well as satisfies professionals.
The downside of this machine is, as it is an entry-level welder it does not suit to heavy-duty projects. But if you’re a novice welder who is curious about TIG welding we believe this welder is an outstanding unit to start. The high frequency, improved tungsten life, compact portable design makes this welder one of our favorite options for learning TIG welding basics.
Key Features:
- SUNGOLD is a dual-voltage welder and an ideal package for DC TIG and MMA welding. The HF Start-easy arc starting ensure simple starting for novices while improving tungsten life.
- What more you particularly prefer about the welder is the L.E.D amperage display which shows a digital voltage Amp readout. So, getting information about what’s going with the welder is readily available.
- It’s a versatile welder that applies to stainless steel, bronze, copper brass, nickel alloys, and many more.
- IGBT technology ensures super welding performance with 85% efficiency at a 60% duty cycle. The unit is safer for new welders as it has an onboard fan that prevents overheating.
6. Weldpro 200 Amp Beginners Multi-Process Welder
Looking for a multi-purpose beginner welder? 2020 Weldpro multi-process welder presents you with an impressive, convertible welder that allows MIG, TIG, and Stick functionalities. What more we love about the welder is the super easy transitions from one process to another within seconds.
The 2020 Weldpro Welder is a user-friendly and an absolute lightweight tool to move along wherever you go. The wire feed speed adjustments and different voltage settings are easily adjustable. It’s an easier yet worthwhile option for beginners as it includes everything, you’ll need to weld either in MIG, TIG or Stick.
Key Features:
- Weldpro 200 Amp multi-functional welder comes with a ground clamp, MIG and TIG torch, gas hose, electrode holder, cable and adapter in a box.
- The simple controls and adjustable wire feed give you all you need to get started quickly. This powerful unit welds up to 1/8in. mild steel with ease on a duty cycle of 30% at a maximum rate of 200 Amps
- The welder operates well off with both 110v and 240v outlet. The light-weight compact design makes a great choice for beginners who are more into hobby projects, DIY tasks, and basic home repairs.
7. Campbell Hausfeld Arc Stick Welder For Beginner
Finding a stick welder that’s more for a novice welder is like a needle in a haystack. The Campbell Hausfeld has made it to our top reviews of beginners’ welder for a good reason. One of the best Stick welders which are tailored for simple projects and light gauge from 18 gauge to 1/8-inch. It strikes a good balance between performance and pricing.
It weighs only 8 ounces and offers a good grip that makes this welder travel-friendly. Set up is a breeze and working on this welder makes the learning curve more convenient.
Key Features:
- Ensures enhanced safety for welders. The overload protection protects the power circuit from being overdrawn, blowing breakers, and/or other major damage.
- Furthermore, Campbell features a 20% duty cycle at 50 Amps. It also includes a dual heat setting which is favored by many beginner welders.
- The unit is quite strong and provides smooth, good arc in small projects, hobby welding, or small repairs. It runs on a standard household outlet and welds 18-gauge to 1/8 inch comfortably.
Things to consider before buying a Beginner welder
Take some time and think about your ultimate goal. Are you planning to expand the current opportunities of your welder or want a welder that suits specific functions only? Is it just about satisfying your hobby or you want to perceive this welding business as your professional career? It is important to define your needs first before rushing out to make a purchase decision. Take note of the necessary welder specifications to achieve the best results and work with perfect efficiency. Are you confused about what characteristics to look for before purchasing a beginner welder? Here are some professional suggestions to assist you in finding the best specifications intended for you.
Types of Welder
Before you make any further move, you need to know about the different types of welder. The three most common welding systems include MIG, TIG, and Stick welding.
MIG welding is much easier to learn because you can preset all your parameters. It applies to a wide variety of metal thicknesses. Moreover, it is a cleaner process, because it includes no slag formation. If you are in a garage or personal shop, MIG is a great process to use.
Stick welding welds awesome outside. It works well on thicker metal while forgiving the rustiness, dirt of materials. One disadvantage of Stick is, it creates a lot of splatters and doesn’t result in the prettiest weld.
TIG, on the other hand, is aesthetically pleasing providing you with the highest-quality precise welds. Though it’s a bit difficult to control as it includes the involvement of foot, hands all together that requires more skill to master the process. TIG welder is great for motorcycle and automotive enthusiasts.
If you are more likely to weld thicker, dirtier material Stick welding is probably what you want. In the case of thinner materials, incredibly accurate welding we suggest you go for TIG welding. MIG welding is the easiest for beginners to learn and works best indoors.
Power
One most essential factor you shouldn’t overlook before buying a beginner welder is the power rating. Using a welder with simple, standard power settings should be at the top list of starters. If you are involved in simple household projects, 115V and 40V power input welder would do.
For heavy-duty projects, you will require a high-powered welder, for instance, a 220V welder. We suggest considering the amperage setting along with the power ratings for achieving the best results. A low amperage setting is more compatible with standard household outlets. We advise purchasing a welder that has a 110 or 120-volt input, as 90% of your welding jobs can run steadily on these outlets.
Duty Cycle
The duty cycle is an important specification that determines the timespan that the welder can be used continuously before it needs to cool down for a couple of minutes. This will depend on how frequently you need to keep working with your workpieces. For example, a welder with a duty cycle rating of 20% implies that the machine can run for a solid 2 minutes at the stated amperage settings. The rest-time will take up the next 8 minutes before you can resume. Don’t make a mistake by ignoring the duty cycle and buying one that needs more than a sufficient resting period.
Ease of Use and Portability
Beginners need to essentially focus on the comforts and reliability of the welder. Spending a few more bucks more on the welder that’s easy to operate and features a straightforward, adjustable digital control gives a competitive edge to get your project going.
If you are planning to carry a welder to your workstation, go for a unit that 50 pounds or lesser. As a novice welder, an easy-to-carry welder might lessen your struggle from carrying it around from one job to another. However, heavy entry-level welders are useful if your projects don’t involve shifting.
Features
When considering a welder, novice welders must check out all the user-friendly features included. A good, ideal welder will allow beginners to insert parameters such as type, material thickness, welding voltage, travel speed, etc. The machine considers all these parameters to provide high-quality results. Some welders come with digital display settings, built-in safety features, self-adjustable power, dial-in settings that makes operation easy as pie.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Which welder is best-suited for beginners?
According to our analysis, Forney Easy Weld MIG Welder is best-suited for beginners because of its simple features, infinite controls, and powerful capabilities.
Q: What is the easiest to learn welder?
Metal Inert Gas welding is the easiest to learn for starters whereas while working on processes like Stick and TIG welding involves difficulties concentrating on complicated issues all at once.
Q: Should I buy a MIG or Stick welder?
Depending on your usage, project types, skill level you must consider buying a welder. Some welders allow both MIG and stick welding capabilities which can be a good investment as well.
Q: Are cheap welders good for beginners?
Yes, our recommended Super Deal PRO welder is a budget-friendly yet a complete package of excellent features that are suitable for beginner welders.
Bottom Line
This brings us to the conclusion of some of the best-suited welders for beginners. Choosing any of the welders from our review list will definitely let you experience hassle-free, smooth quality welding. If you’re still scratching your head, consider the points in the buyer’s guide section to match what exactly you want from a welder.
To help you further, we will declare some of our most-favorite picks. Our reviewed Forney Easy Weld MIG welder is a marvelous, easiest to learn for novice welders. In case you are looking for an affordable welder, we recommend Super Deal Pro for effortless welding. For stick welding, Campbell Hausfeld is the best stick welder for starters. The other reviewed welders also serve beginners right.
Hi, I am James Anderson from Sandy, Utah. Welding has always been part of my life and I love to share my wealth of experience. I have a team of professionals who are knowledgeable about different welding processes. I hope you will be educated and informed on this website, to become better welders.