Repairing items, joining pieces, creating something new — many projects involve some form of welding. Different types of welders serve different purposes. Welders that are used to meticulously meld airplane parts or repair an underwater structure like a dam are different from those used to fix a gate or reinforce a beam.
Each piece of equipment can bring specific benefits to your job. In this article, you’ll learn the basics about welders to help you choose the best types of welders for your projects.
What Are Welding Machines and Why Do I Need One?
Welding machines apply heat to melt and fuse together two or more pieces of metal, forming a strong, permanent bond.
Welding allows you to form safe and effective joints when working with metal, such as during construction, repair projects or even art projects.
How to Choose the Right Welding Machine
A welder that works well for one task may not be suitable for another. The best welding solutions depend on various factors, like the scope of the project, materials involved, and the environment or limitations at the project site.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Welder:
- Material: When selecting a welder, consider the metal you’re working with. What kind of metal is it? For instance, steel reacts differently to welding than copper. How thick is it? Sheet metal may need a different welding machine than thicker materials.
- Desired Weld Quality: The quality of the weld — which includes factors like penetration (depth of the weld), fusion and appearance — can be impacted by the type of welding machine you use. Your own skill can also impact quality.
- Machine Amperage: Machine amperage refers to the electrical power required to operate the welder. Large welders demand more amps than smaller welders. Knowing a welder’s amperage is essential, as exceeding the project site’s circuit capacity can trip the breaker, overheat the wiring or lead to ineffective welding.
- Machine Duty Cycle: Duty cycle is the percentage of time machines can safely operate before they overheat. Operators test welding machines within a 10-minute timeframe at a given amperage. Doing so determines duty cycle. A welder with a 70% duty cycle at 200 amps could be used for seven minutes at 200 amps before it reaches thermal overload and requires three minutes to cool down. It is important to consider duty cycle, so you don’t overheat the welder and cause damage.
- Substrate Thickness: It is important to consider the thickness of the base metal — the substrate thickness — when selecting a welder because this impacts the quality of the weld. Keep in mind that thicker substrates require more heat and longer welding times for fusion and penetration. Thinner substrates can easily burn through or become distorted.
- Work Site and Safety Requirements: Welding can be dangerous if not done safely. If working indoors, you may need a welding fume extractor to maintain air quality. Choose the welding machine and protective equipment that comply with all OSHA welding safety standards and workplace regulations.
10 Different Types of Welders and Their Uses
When gearing up for your project, consider whether you will need a machine that supports a common type of welding or if you’ll need a specialty machine.
What Are the Types of Welders for Most Projects?
Shielded Metal Arc Welding Machine (Stick)
With shielded metal arc welding (also known as stick welding), a consumable electrode stick (or rod) is placed in an electrode holder and then melted by an electric current to lay the weld bead. As the stick melts, it releases a shielding gas that protects the weld from oxidation and contamination.
- Best For:
- Working in adverse conditions — like rain, wind and cold weather — or with dirty or rusty materials.
- Repairs and heavy-duty welds, such as pipeline welding or heavy equipment repairs.
- Steel and cast iron.
- Pros: Stick welders are common, relatively cost effective and do not require additional shielding gases.
- Cons: They can produce a lot of waste (mostly slag) and may be harder to learn than MIG welding.
MIG Welding Machine
Metal inert gas (MIG) welding is an arc welding process that uses an electrode wire continuously fed through a welding gun to generate heat that melts the wire and forms a weld pool at the joint. Shielding gas from an external gas tank is fed to the weld pool through the welding gun.
- Best For:
- Inexperienced welders and hobbyists who need high-quality, durable results. Welders working on multiple projects, including outdoor projects, where speed and versatility are needed can benefit from this method.
- Carbon steel, stainless steel, sheet metal and aluminum.
- Pros: MIG welding is relatively inexpensive, easy to master and extremely versatile, making it a common choice for less experienced welders and DIY projects.
- Cons: Requires a shielding gas and may have less control than TIG welding.
TIG Welding Machine
Tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode, or welding torch, to deliver current to the welding arc and a filler material for build-up and reinforcement.
- Best For:
- Projects with clean, rust-free surfaces that require beautiful, visible welds.
- Experienced welders with high levels of skill.
- Stainless steel, aluminum and thin metals.
- Pros: TIG welding creates precise, neat welds with no spatter.
- Cons: TIG welding requires shielding gas and is one of the most difficult methods to master. It requires the use of both hands: one to hold the torch and the other to feed the filler material, which adds time to the project. TIG welding is not the best choice for thick materials.
Flux-Cored Arc Welding Machine (FCAW)
Flux-cored arc welding is like MIG but uses a flux-cored electrode as a filler material rather than a bare wire.
- Best For:
- Indoor and outdoor all-position welding such as construction and fabrication.
- Thick metals, steel, cast iron and nickel-based alloys.
- Pros: Because a flux chemical is inside the wire, an external tank with shielding gas is not required. Flux core welders offer a high deposit rate. This means welding professionals often use FCAW welders for thick metals and all-position welding.
- Cons: The electrode is often more expensive than wire electrodes. FCAW can also produce more slag than other welders.
Multipurpose and Inverter Welding Machines
Multipurpose welding machines and inverter welders can do several types of welding using one machine.
These machines will often include options for stick welding, MIG, TIG and flux-core welding. They are versatile, cost-effective and efficient, and they allow you to switch methods effortlessly.
- Best For:
- Various projects where different welding methods are needed.
- Indoor or outdoor use and sites with or without electricity.
- Pros: Multipurpose welders are versatile and come in many sizes (from lightweight to towable models) allowing you to handle a variety of projects with one machine.
- Cons: They may not be suitable for heavy-duty welding or specialty welding projects.
What Are the Types of Welders for Specialty Projects?
Energy Beam Welding Machine
Also called electron beam welding, this specialty welding method uses a beam of electrons to join metals of different materials or thicknesses. The beams can be focused, creating precise, high-quality welds. Energy beam welders often allow for deeper penetration than other methods.
However, energy beam welders are a specialized piece of equipment that requires the weld to be created in a vacuum to prevent electron scattering. It is not for small projects or use outside of a safe facility — especially not for use at home.
- Best For: Operators often use energy beam welding in industrial projects in the power-generation, aerospace or defense industries.
Plasma Arc Welding Machine
Like TIG, plasma arc welding (PAW) uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to conduct current. The electrode is recessed within the torch body in this case. This design allows the current to pass through a nozzle, creating a highly focused arc. This results in precise welding with deep, narrow penetration and high travel speeds.
- Best For: Professionals often use plasma arc welding in industrial applications such as aerospace manufacturing.
Submerged Arc Welding Machine
In submerged arc welding (SAW), a continuously fed consumable electrode is submerged under a layer of granular flux while heat generates the weld pool. This process offers high metal deposition rates and can produce thick welds.
Since the flux blanket protects the weld, no shielding gases are needed since the flux blanket protects the weld. SAW is an automatic or semi-automatic process performed by a large, non-portable machine.
- Best For: Pipeline, plumbing and other pressurized applications.
Atomic Hydrogen Welding Machine
Atomic hydrogen welding is an arc welding process that uses two tungsten electrodes and hydrogen gas to generate an arc. The heat is produced when hydrogen molecules are broken down into atomic hydrogen and then recombine. The hydrogen gas also serves as a shielding agent, protecting the weld from contamination.
While once widely used, this welding method is less common today.
- Best For: Experienced welders working in quick-paced environments with steel, ferrous or nonferrous metals, and some alloys.
Oxyacetylene Gas Welding Machine
This is a gas welding method that uses a torch and cylinders of oxygen and acetylene to generate a flame that melts the base metal and filler rod to form welds. This process can generate intense heat. That’s why welding professionals commonly use oxyacetylene welding to weld thinner metals. Temps and weld beads can vary by adjusting the ratio of oxygen to gas.
Known for its simplicity, the oxy welding process is relatively forgiving, so it is a common choice for beginning welders. Also, the equipment is relatively inexpensive, portable and requires no electricity.
- Best For: Beginners or others working in remote environments with iron-based or ferrous metals.
Don’t Wait to Weld! Gear Up with Welding Equipment from Herc Rentals
Welding is an important, critical part of any project that requires strong metal joins. You need reliable welding equipment that will help you easily create long-lasting products and sites.
At Herc Rentals, we know that you need equipment that goes beyond traditional capabilities. You need welding machines with thermal management, pulse control and multipurpose capabilities.
Our fleet of welding equipment includes everything you’ll need, from inverter-based units to multipurpose welders that support multiple welding processes.
Explore our wide selection of high-quality mechanical trade tools. You can also call 888-777-2700 to speak to a specialist.
