3 Key Points When Buying a Welder
Welding, a process of melting and binding metals has become an essential part of automobiles and engineering industries. It is also used in small repair shops and is continue to increase its demand in the said industries. There are different types of welding machines you can choose from but if you don’t know what to get and what is most suited for you it is helpful to think about the following.
3 Factors When Buying a Welder
- Consider the uses or your expected workload in choosing the size of your welder. Size depends on the amperage. It is important to check the amperage a welder can generate because diverse types of metal require different types of amperage; the thicker the metal, the more amperage is needed.For example, steel and aluminum only needs 150-amp MIG welder unit and require only 30 percent of duty cycle. A duty cycle is the number of minutes per 10 minute cycle it operates. If you need welder for heavy duty like fabrication work it is better to settle on at least 200-amp MIG with a minimum of 40 percent duty cycle.
- Before buying a welder it is important to ask yourself first if you need it to be portable. These types are usually small and can operate on 115V power. This is the most preferred welder for home use to do small repairs. Many are using portable welding machine today since it is convenient to use and you can bring it to the job to be done instead of bringing the job to the welder. However, you must keep in mind that you need a power available to wherever you’ll use it.
- Think about how often you are going to use it or do you need it for heavy duties. Welders are durable and long lasting especially high-quality ones. The higher the quality, the higher the price but it will pay you back in the long run. It can last for even a decade or more depending on how you use and take care of it.
Take time to visit welding machine shops before buying a welder to compare prices and model. You can ask professionals opinion about the quality and latest updates. You can also get great deals through online as some are giving discounts and promotional price.