Best MIG Welder Under 500

Getting a MIG welder for your welding operations has proven a very effective way to go about your welding operations. You can almost use any welder for welding and you will still be able to successfully stick your metals together.

However, every existing welder has been designed to work just perfectly for particular operations. As for Metal Inert Gas or MIG welders as they are popularly called, they are designed to work just perfectly in many welding operations, especially when you will be joining aluminum and hard iron.

As much as nice it is to have a collection of different welders in your workshop, MIG welders are a safe bet to carry out most of your welding operations. Whether you are a newbie or a pro, you can easily operate a MIG welder, ease of use is one of the amazing features of MIG welder, so you need little or no experience when using a MIG welder. 

Top 5 MIG Welder Under 500

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So Mig welders are definitely one of the best welders to use for welding but there are many Mig welders in the market so how do you know the best one for your work. You don’t need to sweat it out because in this article we have carefully selected the best Mig welders that are under $500. More importantly, we have explained the critical things you need to watch for whenever you want to get the right Mig welder under 500. However, you need to understand that you don’t need a Mig welder offers the much productivity you need during your welding operations. And it offers the neatest operation you can ever get in welding. 

As it is the same in many other welders, There are many Mig welders that also come in different designs, costs, and features. As tough as the decision might be, whenever you are getting a Mig welder especially Mig welders under 500 dollars, you have to look carefully for some particular details if you want to be certain you got the best Mig welder. Now we will have a brief talk about some of these important details below. 

Important Factors to Watch out for When Getting Mig Welder Under 500. 

Portability and Mobility

The size and weight are very critical factors you need to watch out for when getting the Mig Welder. You should not only focus on the quality of the welder. The portability is also as important. Since many Mig welders are usually heavy, you will need one that can offer you much productivity and one that can also offer you the much comfort you need to use it anywhere. Portability is really critical especially when you will be working on job sites often. 

Also, to allow for much mobility when welding, you need to avoid getting a Mig welder that is designed with short wires. The torch or gun of your Mig welder might be small but the cables of your welder need to be nothing less than 8 feet or you won’t get enough mobility. You need to get a Mig welder with long cables if you don’t want to get into the trouble of constantly repositioning your welder or moving your metal just to be within reach or having other portability issues. 

Maintenance and Management

If ever you get any Mig welder, you need to constantly maintain it to ensure its longevity. Your Mig welder needs a constant check-up and any part that gets broken should be replaced immediately. To get your tool running with all its functions, you need to maintain it properly and get a replacement for broken parts. 

Multipurpose design.

To choose the right Mig welder, you need to be sure it can successfully handle almost all welding operations. Your Mig welder should afford you an effective operation in an environment such as farm or ranch operations, maintenance, and home and workshop welding and any maintenance or repair welding operation you want to do. It should also be able to handle stick welding, flux core, and any other welding operation you intend. To handle most of these operations, this means that your Mig welder will come with multivarious designs such as the thermal overload protection that will eliminate overheating and allow your tool to be operated for long or the auto set design that will eliminate the duration of your welding operation considerably. 

Quality Materials.

You need a Mig welder that is made with quality. All the design and materials of your welder must be quality enough. For instance, the feed drives of your welder must be strong and durable else, your welder might easily get destroyed. Instead, you should get welders whose feed drives that are designed mostly with metal components. So your welder should be designed with quality materials; the wire must be thick and long enough. In fact, you will be able to know this by checking the spool of the welder. If the spool is not up to 7 inches then it is probably not worth it. 

As much as you should focus on the quality of the welder itself, you do not need to pay attention to the extra accessories of your welder because generally, many Mig welders do not come with quality extra accessories they are usually just included to serve the purpose of any extra welding work you might be want to do so you should not divert your attention from your welder main functions to the preliminary ones because using many of them may cause some discomfort during operation and the may not even last longer than their major counterparts. 

Power Output 

Your Mig welder should be able to effectively handle many different tasks that you will be using it for. Whether you a professional welder or you will just be using you, welder, at home you need to put the workload of your welder into consideration when getting one. To be on the safer side, it may be worth considering a Mig welder that has a higher power output but the consequences are usually that they will come at higher costs than the normal ones. So what you need is to weigh your work requirement in line with what Mig welder you will be getting. If for instance, you are someone whose work will constantly involve welding thicker strong metals, then getting very powerful Mig welder might be more of a necessity than someone whose work mostly involves aluminum or thin metals. 

Runtime Duty.

You also need to weigh in the amperage and voltage of your Mig welder before getting one. This is because many of these welders usually come with a fragile wire that is not able to supply enough power.  So you need to look at the Mig welder that has a stronger welder and will continue to supply your welder power for a long time without getting overheated. You have to bear it in mind that usually Mig welders come with a fixed heat or voltage settings this means you should watch out to not get past the fixed limit. 

Also, you need to understand that the power output of your welder will determine its runtime operation. This means that when you operate your welder at lower power outputs, then you are more likely to get longer runtime. You are able to identify the duration limit of the Mig welder by checking the duty cycle. All welders usually measured in the 10-minute cycle. Therefore, if your welder has about a 30 percent duty cycle then it will have a runtime of 3 minutes with a cool off clause of 7 minutes. 

  1. Forney Easy Weld 261, 140 FC-i MIG Welder. 

This is one spectacular lightweight rugged Mig welder that allows you to use it anywhere you want to use it. Whether you will be doing your welding operations on the farm, ranch or you will be doing some maintenance and repair welding, it affords all the portability you need to carry out such operations. This is the best Mig welder for newbies since it has almost an infinite voltage with wire feed speed control to make you get the precise weld you want. It has a rugged metal case that is able to contain about 10-pound wire roll. 

Forney Easy Weld 261, 140 FC-i MIG Welder, 120V, Green

It is able to effectively weld an averagely thick metal of six millimeters because of its 140 amp power output. It has a 30% duty cycle so it is able to operate continuously for 3 mins before getting overheated so it will need about 7 mins to rest after usage. It is designed with a torch wrap and it is the perfect welder for gasless flux-core welding operations. 

Pros
  • Produced powerful outputs to handle averagely strong steel
  • Lightweight and very portable to use anywhere you want
  • Easy control usage making it suitable for new welders
  • The integrated handle is designed with a torch wrap.
  • Sturdy and rugged
  • Has a large strong metal case to hold 10-pound wire rolls
  • Designed with a wire feed speed control
  • Comes with a 12-year warranty
  • Cheap and affordable

Cons

  • It is best for flux-core or gasless welding
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  1. Lincoln Electric K2185-1 Handy MIG Welder. 

This is another lightweight and compact Mig welder that is best for ranch or farm operations, maintenance and repair at your home or workshop or for proper welding operations at job sites. It comes with the fascinating design of an eight feet wire cord. And there is a gas hose and regulator to perfect the design function for your Mig welding operations. 

Lincoln Electric K2185-1 Handy MIG Welder

This Mig welder has a 20% duty control and it is designed with an adjustable wire feed speed control, so you are able to achieve consistent weld throughout your operations. And since the power output is up to 115 voltage, it is able to weld up to 1/8 thick metal. There is also a 70 amp cold contractor design that ensures your welding wire to stay electrically cold till the gun trigger is pressed.

It comes with a cable assembly to store the 8 feet work wire cable of your welder. There is a gas nozzle to carry out your flux-core welding operations and there is a gas nozzle for your MIG welding function. It comes with many other designs like the welding hand shield and the contact tips to make your weld as smooth as possible. In fact, it also comes with a chipping brush to afford the much clean operations you want. This is one lightweight Mig welder that affords you the necessary option to weld almost anywhere you want. 

Pros
  • Lightweight and compact design
  • Designed with many accessories such as lens, contact tips, hand shield, hose, filter plate, regulator and many others.
  • Eight feet cord for easier portability
  • Adjustable wire feed speed control
  • Ability to weld thick metal steel
  • It comes with needed accessories for flux core and Mig welding.
  • Cable assembly to store the long wire cable
  • It offers much-needed mobility to be used anywhere.
  • It is quite affordable.

Cons

  • It does not come with a gas gauge 
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  1. LOTOS MIG175 175AMP Mig Welder.

This is one easy You are able to attain the much-needed confidence when you get this Mig welder. This is no other reason but because it offers you all the quality you would be looking for in a Mig welder. The experience is sensational and liberating because of its many spectacular functions. The first fascinating function is that it comes with a transformer technology to assure its reliability and durability. The wire cables are as long as ten and a half feet. This means you can do any weld anywhere and it will be as smooth as ever. 

LOTOS MIG175 175AMP Mig Welder with Free Spool Gun, Mask, Aluminum Welding Wires, Solid Wires, Argon Regulator, Standard MIG Gun

It has a power output of 175 amp and 240 voltage for your welding operations. This shows that it can effectively weld the hardest steel ever with no stress. It is also able to weld other mild steel and aluminum. In fact, it comes with a spool gun for your aluminum welding so you don’t need to purchase it separately. It does a good job for flux-cored welding and the aluminum wire feeder offers a better smooth welding experience. To complement and perfect its multi-functional design there are many other fascinating welding accessories such as the gas hose, aluminum spool, ground clamp cable, argon regulator, welding mask, and contact tips. 

Pros

  • Long 10 feet wire cable for easy mobility.
  • 175 amp power output for easy handling of welding powerful steel
  • High-speed spool gun for aluminum welding
  • Portable and lightweight so can be used anywhere
  • Transformer technology for durability and longevity
  • Many accessories to make the welding experience a smooth one.
  • Comes with a one year warranty
  • Welding mask to perfect your welding experience
  • It is affordable.

Cons

  • It is designed with a small wire spool.
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  1. Hobart 500559 Handler 140 MIG Welder 

We reserved the best welder for the last. The brand name precedes its positive reputation in the market. The price is just a little below the 500 marks, but the truth is you never regret getting this Mig welder. This is because it offers you every durability and quality you need in a Mig welder. Because of its portability, you are able to use this Mig welder everywhere you want. It offers you the versatility to operate on ranch or farm projects, household repairs, auto body, and even at job sites. It comes with an easy control design of the 5-position voltage selector affording you the option of manipulating any arc into a stable and smooth one with all thickness. 

Hobart 500559 Handler 140 MIG Welder 115V

It has the normal 20% duty cycle however, It can effectively handle heavy-duty operations because of the industrial aluminum drive function and the strong work clamp. In fact, this is one Mig welder that is perfect for home and industrial operations because it comes with the regular 115 voltage which is safe to be used at home and workshops. It is also good for flux-cored operations and can effectively weld alloys, cast iron, aluminum, copper, and many other metals you wish to weld. 

Pros
  • Suitable for both heavy-duty operations and normal welding
  • It comes with quality design.
  • Portable and lightweight.
  • Can be operated anywhere; at home, workshop, job sites, and on farms
  • Ability to weld all kinds of metals aluminum, alloy, and others
  • Offer much-needed precision needed during welding
  • It affords a much stable and smooth operation.
  • Sturdy design that assures its longevity.

Cons

  • It is a bit costly and near the 500 dollar mark
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Conclusion

If perhaps, you still have the trouble of picking the right Mig Welder for your work then what you need to understand is that all you ever need is to weigh in your needs and budget in line with whatever Mig welder you choose and you will be just fine. Some of what you might need to consider after all is where you will be using your Mig welder the most and what type of welding operation you will be using it for. 

 

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