Buying a welding machine is a long-term investment as the buyers expect the machine to work for years to come. Welding in itself is a heavy-duty work, and so, the machine needs to be top-notch and durable. There are various parameters to check to distinguish the high-quality ones from the cheap ones. The following is the list of those buying parameters and detailed information about welding machines. You should definitely keep them in mind while going through the best welding machines in India.
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Inverter vs. Conventional Welding Machines
The conventional welders refer to the welding machines based on transformer technology. The modern welders refer to the inverter welders having inverter-based technology. Both these types of welders have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. But an inverter welder always scores over a conventional welder in most of the parameters.
But both of them have specific applications in the welding industry and therefore, both the types are equally popular. Nowadays, inverter welding machines are available online and due to its benefits like portability, versatility and balanced performance, it is preferred over conventional ones.
What Are The Different Welding Machines?
There are basically three main types of inverter welders available. This equipment has several types as per their working abilities and functionalities. All these models have their own advantages and disadvantages as well as specifications.
1. Stick Welding Machines:
These machines use an electric wand to produce a high-power electricity flow to join the metal sections and the welding stick. The process is recognized as arc welding in the field of industrial works. From indoor to outdoor spots, this welding machine is useful in joining most of the alloys and joints. The simplest but effective welding process effortlessly joins any dirty or rusty metal parts.
This welding machine type is ideal for heavy-duty home projects or farmers. But the process is only suitable for the metals which are thinner than 18-gauge. Even, the machine requires the replacements of the rods quite often. You need to clean your workspace after a while as this process produces extreme spatter and slag.
2. MIG (Metal Inert Gas) Welding Machines:
These MIG welding machines come with speed selection options which drive the spool automatically with the help a wire fed. With a powerful force, these machines weld the metals perfectly. There is no compromising of the precision look of the weld, and it requires lesser cleanup. Generally, these welding processes offer an accurate welded finish on materials like aluminium, steel, and stainless steel. These commercial-grade machines can weld even in bad weather conditions and heavy winds.
The welding process in the machine is of two different types –
- GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding)
This welding needs an inert gas to provide protection to the weld puddle from the environmental pollutants. This process is able to weld on both thin and thick materials.
- FCAW (Flux-Cored Arc Welding)
Unlike the GMAW process, the flux-cored arc welding utilizes a unique tubular wire with the filling of flux to cover the arc. Most of the cases, the FCAW models are travel-friendly as they allow you to travel with the gas for shielding.
The flux-cored machines are very much efficient and popular amongst the industries. These models are portable and produce high-speed for precision welding. Nevertheless, the FCAW and GMAW process are very much powerful to weld any sort of materials, even with the thickness of 26-gauge.
3. TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) Welding Machines:
These TIG welding machines protect the metal from environmental contaminations like argon or helium while welding. This welding process is tougher compared to any other welding process. These machines are difficult to master as it takes a long time to learn this welding process. You can weld any solid steel, stainless steel, alloy, and non-ferrous metals like Aluminum, copper alloys, and magnesium.
Things to Look for while Buying a Welding Machine
1. Input Power Decides the Actual Application or Welding Purpose
Most of the cases, the welding machines come with the input power range starting from 110 to 220 volts. If you want to purchase a welder for your home projects, then the unit with 110-volt power input is the perfect one for you. The circuit type of these machines usually matches the electricity board of your residence. Some of the machines have the dual-voltage capability to shift from 110 to 220 volts with ease.
For heavy-duty welding process, it is better to opt for a machine with the input power of 220 volts and a high AMP rating. However, the voltage determines not only the power of the machine but also the wattage. Volt X AMP determines the ultimate power of the welding machine. So, you need to count on these two factors while choosing a welding machine. If you want a machine to work as at 20A 220V, you have to go for a unit with 40A 110V.
2. AMP Rating Decides the Actual Power for Welding
Generally, in a welding machine, the AMP rating measures the ultimate power of the machine. So, the AMP rating is a factor which determines the power of a welding unit with which it can weld the thin or thick metals. The units with lower high max AMPs ratings are suitable for delicate or thinner material sheets.
On the other hand, the higher max AMPs ratings are perfect for thicker materials for welding. For delicate or non-Ferrous sheets, you need the lowest AMP ratings. Else there will be a chance, that your sheets will melt due to overheating.
3. Consider the Duty Cycle for Better Productivity
The duty cycle regulates the relationship between the time and operation of a machine. Generally, the welding machines are able to generate safe welding current within 10 minutes. For instance, if a machine has the duty cycle of 30% then it is better to keep the machine in resting condition for minimum 7 minutes after 3 minutes of continuous operation. According to your job requirement, you have to select the model accordingly.
4. Overheating Protection for Safety
It is a vital option to have in a welding machine for your safety. Most of the quality MIG automatically turns off the machine to keep it from overheating. This particular function is very much helpful to keep your machine in good condition for a long time. It is always better to purchase a welder with more safety features for safe operation.
5. Consider Wire Size & Type for Specific Application
Most of the MIG welding machines allow you to use the metal core wire for gas shield welding or flux-cored for non-gas shield welding. While choosing the wire, you have to careful that it does not weaken the abilities of the welders. You should also be cautious about the size of the spool while choosing a welding machine.
The application plays a vital role while selecting the right wire for your welder. Most of the wires serve different purposes. But, some of these wires are able to handle some tough jobs like welding dirty or rusty metals and supply more oxidizers while welding.
6. Performance is Very Important
The welding machines come with different powers, capacity, and applications. So, the performance of a welder entirely depends on your need. For example, if you like to solve lightweight or basic repairing problems, then you can easily go for a machine with medium power handling capacity.
For tough or professional-grade welding jobs, you can choose a machine with high power handling capacity. You should remember that it is important to opt for a portable welding machine which does not compromise the performance.
7. Consider Size for Portability
For ultimate usability, a welding machine should come with a well-built and properly balanced construction. If you want to take a welder along with you to your workspaces then it has to be compact in size and light in weight without compromising the functionality. Such welders will help you to work in tight spaces with no difficulty.
8. Consider Basic Operation for Better Usability
It is better to avoid a welding machine which will be hard for you to operate. Otherwise, it will slow down your performance. For optimal performance, it is recommendable to look for a welder which comes with an ergonomic handle and supports hassle-free controlling.
9. Consider the Budget
If you want a long-lasting welder, you must avoid looking for a unit which is under 4000 INR. They are not well-built and use low-quality material. However, for residential applications, you can look for a welding machine within the mid-price range of 4000 to 6000 INR.
For high-end welder, you have to spend above 6000, and it can reach up to 15000. These welders are suitable for both home applications and industrial heavy-duty welding jobs.
Benefits Of Inverter Welding Machine
1. Lightweight and Compact Size
The inverter welder lets you carry it almost everywhere due to its minimalist design. These welders are very compact in size than the other conventional welder counterparts. The space-saving structure of these units allows you to store them at any tight space. These models are compact enough that you can store them in a narrow space altogether.
2. Greater and Flexible Control
Most of the cases, the inverter welders use semiconductor power devices. These models accurately operate the size of the current. These welders generally allow you to manually adjust the transformer. With the help of stable arc, the inverter welders help you to weld or cut through the metals precisely.
3. Better Productivity
The models allow you to adjust the weld bead profiles as per your desired thickness. The inverter welders enhance the appearance of the weld while maintaining the consistency of the welding quality. The mechanism of the inverter welders is highly effective and stays cool even after long-term operation. These models generally consume lesser filter metal. They effectively decrease the heat input to offer exceptional productivity.
4. Current Stability and Output Voltage
Majority of the traditional welders are operated by the AC power, so these machines do not get stable current and output voltage. In this case, the arc of these machines requires many re-ignitions, approximately 100 to 120 times in a second. Contrary to the traditional ones, the inverter welders do not take much time to build up the heat. The machines are able to maintain a stable current flow. This prevents the voltage and temperature fluctuation as these machines come with anti-interference.
5. Power-Saving
These machines are not only energy-efficient, but they also support stress-free and cost-free installation. These welders make an ideal replacement of the energy-consuming and heat-generating conventional welders. In comparison with the traditional welders, the inverter welders come with the power output up to 93%. The traditional ones have a maximum output level of 60%.
6. Cooling Feature
These intelligently-built inverter welders come with an internal cooling fan. It reduces operational heat and prevents causing overheating. With the help of the cooling fan, the machines not only prevent overheating but also extend the life expectancy of the units.
7. IGBT Technology
These inverter welders are able to collect power faster with the help of any gate current device. This is possible due to its Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor technology. The switch of these welding machines also works faster and even consumes lesser energy to deliver ultimate operation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the top welding machines manufacturers are BMB, Shakti Technology, STARQ, and iBell.
The price of a quality welding machine can start from 4000 and go up to 15000 depending on the welding machine type and other specifications. In general, it varies from 4000 to 6000 INR.
No, you should avoid standing in water or any wet surface for that matter while welding. Moreover, your hands should not be wet, and you should not wear a sweaty garment.
You can weld aluminium with both TIG and MIG welding machine. However, you should check the specification of the welding machine you are buying to make sure it works for aluminium as well.
Yes, inverter welders are better because they are more efficient, and can produce a steady and stable arc. But, the transformer-based welders can do the heavy-duty work better than inverter welders.
Most of the welding machines are DC welders. For most of the cases, the DC welders offer more advantages than AC welders. This is because DC welders produce smother and stable arcs, and they are quite easy to start with less spatter.
