Best Flux Cored MIG Welders to Work With Metal

Hobart 500559 may look somewhat complicated, but simple and clear controls will surely add to its convenience in use. For a start, we should inform that this machine can weld both with gas and without it, but provided that flux-cored wire is used. The unit is equipped with a dual-groove drive roll for quick and easy wire changing. Also, we found that a triple-groove roll to feed a wire up to .024” thick is available additionally. The face panel includes two controls; the upper is dedicated to wire feed adjustment, while the lower one sets the voltage. Besides that, the welder features a power switch and a special overheating indicator. It should be noted that the machine has a built-in cooling fan; still, high ambient temperature and hours of welding can make the unit pretty hot. If the welder gets overheated, the indicator light will flash, signaling you to cease the welding. However, you might not notice the light while you are engaged in your job. In such case, the welder will shut off automatically upon reaching a specific temperature thanks to the self-resetting thermal overload protection. Studying this MIG welder, we could see that it’s pretty heavy. But then, we believe that a couple of lifts should not be a problem for you. The unit is supplied with a cabled ground clamp and the gun with a liner. The cabling is 10 ft long, so you can use the welder freely. What is more, the package includes a gas hose and a dual gauge regulator.

Hobart 194776 Small Running Gear/Cylinder Rack - pick a cart for your welder and forget about the pain in your hands and back.

Hobart 770439 Rust/Black Welding Gloves - these branded gloves will protect your hands from sparkles and metal splashes. The product is made of cowhide and stitched with a kevlar string.

Hobart H222106-RTP 0.030-Inch 4-Pound E71T-11 Flux-Cored Welding Wire - a pack of 2 spools of a .030" flux-cored wire.

The front panel of the welder features the ON/OFF switch, a voltage selector, and a wire feed speed adjustment knob. In addition, the machine has a light indicator that will warn you of a thermal overload. Our in-depth analysis showed that the welder interior is cooled with a fan that minimizes the heating. The package of this model exceeded all our expectations. Besides a common gun and a ground clamp, the manufacturer added a gas hose, a gun, 6 contact tips for wire thickness, a tip for gasless welding, a hand shield with a filter plate and a lens, and a contact hammer/brush for cleaning and leveling weld joints. Though, the Lincoln Electriс kit is not limited to that; 2 coils of welding wire are included, too. Lastly, we couldn't put aside the welder's weight being merely 46 lbs. This is a cool figure for a machine with such specs.

Taking everything into consideration, we could advise this MIG welder for small home repairs and DIY enthusiasts. A rich kitting, light weight, and a 1-year warranty are the benefits that play a crucial role in choosing a welder.

- NASCAR and INDYCAR racing are closely cooperating with Lincoln Electric which is their official sponsor and welding equipment supplier.

- If you've ever watched “Home Alone”, “The Green Hornet” or either of “Iron Man” movies, you can see Lincoln Electric equipment there. Besides, their hardware was used for making vehicles for such movies as “Drive” and “Need for Speed”.

- The Lincoln Electric products are featured not just in filmmaking. You surely know the Willis Tower, the second-tallest building in the US. Well, equipment and materials of Lincoln Electric were used for this skyscraper construction too.

While reviewing this MIG welder, we instantly spotted its light weight. This may be explained by the absence of accessories for affixing gas tanks. Also, we'd like to point out a handle convenient to carry the unit. This is an advantageous feature as the welder can be used both indoors and outdoors. The fan mounted in the welder's back provides cooling to the unit, and the channels on each side of the body ensure the air circulation and improve the cooling. Additionally to an agreeable price, we were pleased with a package that includes a welding mask, a brush, and a spool of welding wire. So, you'll have a full kit to start welding.

In the upshot, this is an inexpensive and efficient welder that will be a nice choice for tyros, and no mess with gas tanks will make the use easy and fast.

Vasily Petrov, a Russian physicist, held the first experiments that led to the discovery of an electric arc in 1802. Then, at the beginning of the 80s of the XIX century Nikolai Benardos and later Nikolai Slavyanov developed an electric arc welding. A. P. Strohmenger and Oscar Kjellberg released the first coated electrode at the start of the XX century. The automatic welding was invented in the 20s, and the 40s were marked with the patent for welding with aluminum and magnesium, also known as a heliarc welding. Later in the 50s Lincoln Electric presented their first self-shielded flux-cored wire titled Innershield®. The laser welding is among the recent innovations in the welding industry, originated in the 60s after the invention of a laser.

Now, let's proceed with the capabilities of this MIG welder. First of all, we should note that this model delivers a pretty wide output range from 50А to 120А. It allows welding metal plates and sheets up to 1/4" thick. The duty cycle allows the tool's use for 3.5 mins at 60A before it needs cooling down. The power, though, could be adjusted and set to four positions:  “Min”, ”Max”, “1”, and “2” according to your needs. This welder is compatible with a steel welding wire from .023 to .035" thick and a flux-cored wire from .030 to .035". The package includes a wire coil, yet its gauge may vary, depending on a lot.

Besides impressive capabilities, this MIG welder offers a great load of usability features. Right from the start you'll notice a red light indicator that starts flashing when the tool overheats. This is handy, as you can turn the welder off for a few minutes to let it cool without risking to damage the tool. The wire feeding is another great point about the MIG 130; replacing wires is easy and quick and won't take you long. Yet, the best part about the MIG 130 is that it comes equipped with a feed control knob, allowing you to set one of the 10 speed settings to weld metals of all types and sizes safely. The tool is supplied with a wire spool, a face mask, a chipping hammer/wire brush and two torch tips. 

All in all, the MIG 130 can become the right tool for those consumers, looking for a welder with a long duty cycle and a wide power range for welding metalware of various depths.

Once we glanced at this MIG welder, we were struck with its design. Of course, power tools are not necessarily dainty, but why not? A bright body, an unusually curved handle, and a strict cooling grid add to the relish of this model. By the way, the handle design is reasoned; it offers a place for winding the power cord. That is truly convenient. The front panel comprises a wire speed control, an overheating alarm, a power switch, and a voltage selector. The latter can be set to 2 positions; "Sheet Metal" is for a low output voltage, and “Thin Plate” for a higher power. So, having set the right voltage and wire feed rate, you'll get quality straight welds. In summary, we can allege that Forney 299 125FC is a wonderful choice for both minor repairs and large welding projects. Picking this welder with a durable and reliable casing, a spruce design, and convenient controls, you'll have no compunctions about your choice.

Hobart 770069 Welding Hammer Chipping - with Wire Brush - a 2-in-1 accessory by Hobart. This tool allows easy cleaning of rusted surfaces or leveling of rough joints.

Forney 60171 Contact Tip For Mig Welding - a set of 4 contact tips by Forney designed for welding the wire of up to .030".