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“My tungsten is sparking while I weld. I see bubbles forming while I am TIG welding”. This is another common issue that is reported that often gets blamed on the welding machine rather than the person doing the welding or some other cause in the environment. But actually it is rare that this problem is caused by the TIG welder itself.

“What happened to my tungsten? It balled up and then disappeared.” This is a common question I get when I field tech calls regarding a customer’s perceived issue with his or her new Everlast TIG welder. Almost never is it a machine problem. Only once over the past 7 years that I have been with Everlast have I seen a machine problem being the actual cause of this problem. And even then it was easily cured.

Slow welding speed is often cited as a reason not to buy a stick welder. But when you consider the capability of a TIG unit and it’s welding speed, a stick welder is a jack rabbit by comparison. When you add the “Jet” type rods that are commonly used in fabrication, they can rival the speed and capability of a MIG machine. Even with a slower welding electrode like a 6010, the speed is still reasonable.

A lot of people are looking for their first new welder when they come to Everlast. We often answer the questions about which welder should they get first. When a stick welder is mentioned as a possible solution, you can often hear the crickets in the background. For some reason people are scared of stick welding and feel that it really limits their welding capability.

If you are looking at purchasing a MIG welder, and want to get the most you can out of it, there are a few things that you should take a look at before jumping in. If you’ll pay attention to these tips, you won’t regret your purchase later. Modern welding company manufacturers are moving towards inverter designs.

Getting the most out of your MIG welder is important, not only for performance but also versatility. While many people consider TIG to be the gold standard for Aluminum welding, a DC MIG welder really does offer a good compromise while welding aluminum. It can rapidly handle all but the thinnest materials. Usually, for a MIG without pulse, this is 1/8” or over in thickness.

One of the main reasons to MIG weld is the cost effectiveness of it. It has a higher transfer efficiency than stick welding (only about 60%). It also has greater speed, reducing labor costs. But people often think that welding MIG is most expensive, when it is not. One of their main concerns is shielding gas consumption.

While operating a MIG welder may seem to be fairly straight forward for anyone with basic welding experience, there are a few tips and tricks that can be used to help improve MIG welding results. One of the first things that people often don’t know is that MIG welding appearance can be improved with just a slight bit of oscillation.

Honestly, if I did not have other welders or cutters to rely upon, I could actually perform about 99% of my welding and cutting needs with a properly adjusted oxy-acetylene torch. With the other 1 percent, I could easily farm it out to someone else without feeling too bad about not being 100% self-sufficient with my welding needs. When an Oxy-Acetylene torch is needed in my shop, I usually use it to heat items for bending or for preheating for welding.

Quite often, I’ve been faced with recommending start-up items for purchase for guys interested in welding. Of course, there is always the debate about whether he/she should get a TIG welder, MIG welder, a stick welder, or some sort of combination of the sort. I am glad to help provide answers to those questions by asking a few of my own to get the feel of what they will be doing.