How do I choose the right welder for me?

If you’ve been thinking about buying a welder lately, then you’ve been giving some consideration to which is the best to suit your needs.If you are like most people, you may be confused by the wide array of welders on the market, and even likely by the terminology.You may be wondering what all those foreign sounding acronyms mean: SMAW,GTAW and GMAW.And you may hear terms like MIG, TIG or Stick thrown around…Without a point of referencethese terms may just simply float by making your choice even more difficult and confusing. There are also many confusing numbers floating around out that with reference to welding.For example:ER6010, ER 70S-6, or even RG-60. Even the organizations surrounding and governing welding have a confusing array of Acronyms that they use.Ever hear of the AWS or the ASME?What does it mean to hold a certification, how do you get one and is it really important?Yes, there’s a lot to take in at the beginning, but after some of the confusing terms are sorted out, you’ll eventually be able to think your way through what type of welder you want for your next purchase.I’ll try to simplify and boil these down to the most basic and accurate definitions possible in the next few blogs for the most common welding terms. Hopefully you will be a more knowledgeable, informed and more comfortable purchaser.Even, though you may already know what type of welder you want and have many years of experience, there may be a thing or two you can still learn about welding and welders.