Power Tools

One of the most common welders is the MIG welder. These welders work by feeding an electrode wire through a welding gun with a continuous flow of inert gas, called the shield gas.

The most common shield gas used is carbon dioxide. It is the cheapest welding gas and it also makes a good weld. Argon and carbon dioxide are sometimes mixed together to create a weld with less spatter, which gives a cleaner weld.

The GMAW process has a number of advantages over the more common welding processes. The welding gun is equipped with a trigger which is connected to the electrode. This allows you to position the electrode properly first, before you pull the trigger, creating the welding arc.

On a MIG welder, you can adjust the voltage, amperes and speed of which the electrode is being fed into the gun. The tension on the welding wire is also adjustable and it also has a valve which controls the flow of gas.

It is even possible to use a MIG welder without shield gas. This is called flux cored arc welding (FCAW), as it requires a flux cored welding wire. This wire is hollow in the middle, and filled with flux. Most welding guns have an option of switching the polarity of the welding arc, which is used with flux core wires.

MIG welders can weld aluminum, tin, copper, zinc, brass and steel. There are dozens of welding wires to choose from, for every situation. MIG welders are the ideal choice for beginners, as it can weld a wide variety of metals and is versatile and easy to learn.