Need to Know The MIG Welding Part1

As with any welding process, knowing what you are going to need to get started is essential to success. It may seem like an obvious statement, but so many people fail to consider the long term cost and commitment of any welding activity. MIG, though it is simple and relatively easy to learn, is not cheap. Associated with the cost of MIG, are hidden costs. On the surface, it seems such a simple process. But in reality a lot of money must be invested to begin welding with the GMAW (MIG) process.  First, you must identify the size of welder you are looking at. The smaller spools of wire while they are less costly are not more economical.  In fact, the price per pound that one might pay for a small spool may be double that of a large spool of wire. Brand and AWS classification of the wire is important as well. Most welders learn that a cheap “special” roll of wire bought of of EBAY may not be worth the cost of shipping.  Problems with cast (natural tendency of rolled wire to corkscrew as it unwinds) and uniformity of thickness, and coating can be a problem.  The cheapest wire categorically is ER 70S-3 wire. It is low in deoxidizers, and only useful for extremely clean and perfect welds.  It yields poor results overall in most conditions.    Wires with higher deoxidizing content such as ER 70S-6 not only provide a better, cleaner weld, they will also cost less in overall waste from spatter.