Showing posts with label Buying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buying. Show all posts

9.11.2011

Buying a Small Welder

If you are handy person that likes doing jobs around the house and shop, a small welder can be a good addition to your toolkit. A welder is great for making small repairs to steel objects and tools, and can also be great for building things. A small welder can be purchased for affordable amounts these days. The most common welders are MIG welders where a spool of steel wire is melted by an electrical arc in order to attach to pieces of steel together. You will need to see if you have an available 220v power socket, or if you need to purchase a 110v welder which can be more expensive. You also need to decide how you will shield the weld: They can mean using a bottle of inert gas like argon, or using a flux welding wire which creates its own gas shield.

You will also want a leather welding jacket, heavy leather welding gloves and a welding mask. Gone are the days when welding masks were impossible to see through. These days, you can buy an auto-darkening helmet for $50 to $100 which is easy to see through normally, and automatically darkens when it senses the welding arc. If you have never welded before, it's a good idea to take a class or talk with a friend who has more experience. Though welding is very safe, there are ways to be electrocuted if you don't set up the welder properly. You can be badly burned or sustain eye damage if you are not careful about taking the appropriate safety precautions as well.

5.11.2011

MIG Welders - Smart Buying Tips

Buying a MIG welder doesn't need to be a complicated task. However, in order to make certain that you get the best one for your particular situation, there are a number of things you should check into before you buy.

First, make sure you have a clear idea of what your goal is - what things are you expecting to weld? How often do you need to use it? What sort of environment will it operate in?

Secondly, are there any particular brands of welder that you are hoping to use? What about MIG welder brands you are hoping to avoid? Everyone has different experiences with various makes and models, so it's important to get that sorted out right away.

Finally, you need to look at the features of the MIG welders you are considering.

What sort of heat settings, output amperage, and wire feed rate do you require? How thick will be the material you'll be welding? Ensure that the welder you acquire is capable of handling it.

Is there anything peculiar about input voltage or amperage? Open circuit voltage?

What about the cooling mechanism and circuit breaker protection? Do these pose any sort of concern for you?

Lastly, something as basic as the dimensions of the MIG welder should be taken into consideration. Will it physically fit into the area you expect to use it? What about for storage?

Once you have done your homework on which models match your requirements, you are then in a position to do some Internet searching to find the best deal for your MIG welder.

You may want to check out some of the industry standard websites such as:

Miller Welders at millerwelds.com

Lincoln welders at lincolnelectric.com

Hobart Welders at hobartwelders.com

These are several of the thousands of options you will have online when you begin shopping for your next welder in earnest.

Always remember that your level of satisfaction with your welder comes back to how well you have researched your purchase ahead of time.

Before you make your next welder purchase, download our free MIG Welder Checklist to help you decide on the perfect welder for your needs.

Visit http://www.powerfulchecklists.com/tools/mig_welders_checklist.shtml to download your checklist.