Duty Cycle is important.

I was looking at 140 Amp MIG Welders only to find out their Duty Cycle was like 10% at 140 Amp. I wanted more then that. I ended up with a 210 Amp MIG welder, but it can deliver 140 Amps at about 80% Duty Cycle and 130 Amp at 100%.

If I crank it to the full 210 Amp capacity the duty cycle drops to 30%.

One rule I applied when looking for my welder ....

" It's better to have too much and not need it, then to not have enough and need more! "


There are come cool welders out there that are dual, or multi-voltage.

They can run on 120V or 220V - of course the capacity is lower on 120 then on 220 but they give you some operation flexibility.


Whatever you do, try to stick with a name brand .... Miller, Hobart, Lincoln and the like. It seems like they are easier to get parts for --- even the older models. Off brand ones might work well, but parts availability can become an issue.

 

The Hobart Handler 187 is an Awesome little welder. If youre worried about needing to run a new plug for the welder, its not hard at all- 20 bucks at the hardware store and some wire is all you need. The 110v welders are not what you're loking for when you're talking about building bumpers and doing axle work. I would reccoment a MIG over a stick welder because of the ability to work on thin stuff. And I used this exact welder to patch my floor boards earlier haha
MIG is pertty easy to get used to and puts out some good welds, once you dial in wiere speed and amps. Trust me-go with a good welder, it's a smart investment. I'd definately reccomend the Hobart Handler 187 or a similar MIG