5 Highest Rated 110V MIG Welders – Buyer’s Guide & Reviews 2022

One of the best features built into the Lotos MIG 140 is its semi-automatic feeding. You can still use it as a traditional MIG welder but you can also choose to release your finger grip while working on longer projects.

The aluminum wire feeder offers consistency and ease of use. You can use this welder on stainless steel of 24-gauge to 3/16” thick. Although it makes short work of light-duty tasks, the Lotos MIG 140 is a bit slower when faced with thicker materials.

When running at maximum output, the duty cycle is cut in half to 15%. While this may pose a problem for beginner welders, an experienced welder shouldn’t be bothered too much by the additional downtime required.

The thermal overload protection is a given. If you’re shopping for a highly versatile MIG welder, this Lotos model may just fit your requirements. Since it has 10 variable speed settings and 10 arc voltage settings, the customization options are more than alright for work around the house and light industrial tasks.

The list of accessories includes the following items: MIG torch, gas hose, argon regulator, clamp cable, contact tips, welding wire, and welding mask. A spool gun is not included in the bundle.

Hobart is known for industrial-grade machinery and equipment. As an entry-level model for the company, the Hobart 500559 is a very reliable MIG welder for personal use, light to medium-duty workloads, and those that are interested in making a long-term investment.

The 500559 is capable of welding 24-gauge steel and up to 1/4 thick mild steel. The machine operates on any standard household circuit, making it a good fit for those with home workshops. You might also appreciate the wire feed speed range of 40 to 700IPM.

There are 10 speed settings for you to choose from and tackle a wide range of tasks efficiently. The 500559 Handler can also handle a decent duty cycle of 20% at a 90A output. The output range is between 25 and 140A. This gives the 500559 the ability to work on very thin metal sheets as well as on thicker materials, albeit at a slower pace.

The 5-position voltage control knob makes this a versatile machine, capable of delivering a stable arc against various materials and material gauges. Although Hobart offers some useful accessories too, the complete bundle might set you back too much.

If you already have everything you need minus the welder, then you can just buy the Hobart 500559 as a standalone product and immediately make short work of welding steel, stainless steel, or aluminum.

The Lincoln Electric K2185-1 is one of the best 110v welders on the market. It doesn’t boast a huge output, topping at 88A, but it does have some impressive welding consistency. It can perform quality welds with better finishes than many other welders in its price range.

You can select between four different voltage settings. There’s also a detailed chart on the back of the welder that shows you which setting is best for specific metal gauges and thickness. Rated with a duty cycle of 20% at 70A, the K2185-1 does a good job of helping the user speed up the welding process.

Another great thing about the K2185-1 is its lightweight build that does a lot for its portability score. On top of thermal overload protection, the welder also boasts an advanced cooling fan system that keeps the machine in check for most tasks.

While it may not be the most versatile MIG welders, it is one of the most durable and consistent. And, it’s also affordable if you consider that you’ll also get a gas regulator, hose, wire spool, welding gun, and clamp.

If your goal is to work on up to 1/8” thick steel, then the Lincoln Electric K2185-1 can be a great fit for your home workshop.

If your main criteria for buying a MIG welder is pricing, then the Super Deal MIG130 is a welding machine you have to consider. It’s marketed as a household welder that does short work of light-duty projects. It’s also lightweight and comfortable to use when precision is most important.

The machine offers four output settings and the standard 10-speed control knob for feeding exactly as much wire as you need and at the right speed for the task at hand.

Although it may not have the most rugged build, the Super Deal MIG130 is still sturdy enough to handle working in many different environments. The machine doesn’t overheat as often as you would think, and the PVC housing is never too hot to touch.

For accessories, this welder comes with a reel of wire, a bush, chipping hammer, a torch with two extra tips, a ground cord, and a very nice protection mask. Considering how budget-friendly the welder is, as well as the fact that it can still offer a pretty impressive output, the long list of accessories is just icing on the cake at this point.

The important thing to remember is to avoid taking on heavy-duty tasks and materials thicker than 1/8”. While the welder may handle a heavier workload and thicker materials, it’ll probably take you too long to finish the job on time.

The Goplus MIG130 is a lightweight flux-core welder. It boasts a steel frame and an ergonomic plastic handle. With a maximum output of 105A, the Goplus MIG130 is not a heavy-duty MIG welder. However, it’s loaded with features and can handle just about any light workload you throw at it.

It comes with built-in storage space for accessories and a high-end air vent that aids with heat dissipation. The thermal overload protection shuts the machine off when you’re working it past its capabilities.

From the control panel, you can select one of four levels of current flow. You can also preset the welder to feed wire at any one of the 10 available speeds. A complete kit of accessories is also included and features the following items: welding gun, wire, mask, wire brush, ground cord, and metal tip.

This portable MIG welder does a good job of welding steel and an even better job preventing oxidation. It can be used in just about any environment, as long as you have access to a 20A 110V circuit.

Given its performance and all the included accessories, the Goplus MIG130 is a nice entry-level MIG welder with flux-core welding capabilities. It can serve most homeowners well, especially those that don’t want to spend too much on a welding machine for light repair work.

MIG welding can produce a strong weld but the results may not be pretty. Most MIG welds need to be cleaned up and polished in order to look good. Although MIG welding involves feeding wire at a constant speed, there are two available processes: GWAW (gas metal arc welding) and FCAW (flux-cored arc welding).

READ OUR ARC WELDING GUIDE

GWAW welding is a distinctive welding process. This method uses inert gas to create a shield around the weld. The goal of this is to offer protection against atmospheric contamination.

FCAW welding uses a tubular wire with flux to create a shield around the arc. FCAW welding can also use shielding gas.

Each type of machine comes with its own benefits. For example, FCAW welders are preferred for their portability and fast welding speeds. They are often the fastest welders for home repair jobs.

GWAW welds can be done very easily and on very thin materials, often as thin as 26-gauge. However, using GWAW welding implies carrying around a tank of gas. This is not ideal if you want maximum portability and flexibility.

Normally, a person who has little or no experience with these tools would do best to ask questions about the machine itself before buying it. As we already mentioned, there are several stick welder types, each being suitable for different type of welding, so it would be easier if you narrowed down your search in accordance with your personal needs.

Secondly, you should decide on your budget – there are good models to be had under $200, but people who require heavy-duty work might need to spend $400 – $500. That being said, it’s quite easy to deduce that stick welders require a bit of an investment.

Once you’ve decided the type you need and your budget, it would be great if you had extra time to prolong your search and cross out those models that come without any accessories. Some machines come outfitted with free accessories such as electrode holders, cables, work clamps, and power adapters. Need the essential welding accessories? [Read Our Full Guide] on which materials work the best with your welder.

The duty cycle represents an equipment specification standard defined as a percentage of minutes for which the tool should produce the particular current. The given percentage usually refers to a maximum ten minute period  Therefore, if the machine boasts a power of 150 amps and has a set cycle of 30%, you could use it for at most three continuous minutes, after which you’ll need to let it rest for seven.

If you intend to do the welding yourself, you can imagine the machine as if it were a human being – the stick welder exerts the “muscles” over time (during the cycle), so it needs to rest, lest it overheat itself. The stress put on the machine might lead to malfunction of the mechanisms, so letting it rest for the required time is an important consideration when you plan your work.

If you are hiring a professional, either inquire about the duty cycle of your expert’s equipment or try to strike a deal that’s based on results rather than pay per hour of work.

If you’ve used a welder before, you may have noticed that after continuous use, the machine can heat up considerably. An auto shutoff feature may be one of the most important functions in a MIG welder as it protects you, the machine, and the welding points.

These days almost all MIG welders will have heat overload protection. The quality and response may often depend on the engineering and/or proprietary technologies used by the manufacturer. It’s hard to compare two different welders based on this feature alone.

The only thing that’s certain is that you should avoid buying welders that don’t have any overload protection, especially if you can’t tell on your own if it’s time to give the machine a break.