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Flux core welder mig 12512/13/2023 ![]() ![]() Interestingly, this is an area where cheap MIG welders and low-output machines sometimes do badly. It's not such an important figure if you're welding a substantial section, but if you need to weld very thin metals, you only need small amounts of power. You also need to look at minimum amps – because MIG welders don't start at zero. But if you want to weld a truck chassis, a machine with a power output that small would hardly get it warm! If most of the time you'll be working with thin steel sheets, an entry-level, 70-amp MIG welder will be fine. ![]() This is valuable information, but it helps to have an idea of what you're going to be welding at the outset. Most manufacturers will give you a range of maximum thicknesses. Consider the following examples.įor welding a 20-gauge steel sheet, you need 50 to 60 amps.įor welding a 1/8-inch steel section, you need 140 to 150 amps. Although aluminum and carbon steel have very different melting points, as a general rule, the thicker the metal, the more heat (and therefore amps) you need. Each model is rated in amps, and this relates to the maximum heat the machine is capable of producing. Power output impacts the thickness of material a particular MIG welder can successfully weld. When shopping for a MIG welder, you'll notice that manufacturers almost never quote duty cycle at maximum amps - they tend to be quite short and don't really show the machine in the best light! Power output The conclusion is pretty straightforward: the thicker the material and the longer you want to weld, the more power you need. The welder would then need just 6 1/2 minutes to cool down. It then needs a nine-minute cooling period to complete the 10-minute duty cycle.Īt a lower output of 60 amps, that same welder would run longer, for 35% of 10 minutes (3 1/2 minutes). So at 105 amps, the welder will run for 10% of 10 minutes or one minute. While it varies from one maker to another, here are a couple of examples.Ī MIG welder with a maximum output of 120 amps has a duty cycle of 35% at 60 amps and 10% at 105 amps. This operational period is called the duty cycle.ĭuty cycle figures are normally given as a percentage of a 10-minute period for a given amperage. They overheat quite quickly and need to be left to cool down before they can be used again. MIG welders generate vast amounts of heat and, as a result, get very hot themselves. So an obvious question is, which is better? Here’s a look at the pros and cons of each.īestReviews What to look for in a MIG welderīeyond the choice of a machine that either runs gas and flux core (gasless), or flux core (gasless) only, there are several important factors you should be aware of as a potential buyer: power output, duty cycle, torch/gun, and additional equipment/considerations. Many MIG welders only work with flux core wire, but the best MIG welders can accommodate both methods. The latter is by far the more popular type it's commonly called “gasless” in order to differentiate it from “gas.” Somewhat confusingly, there are two types of flux wire: gas-shielded flux core wire (which still needs a gas supply as above) and self-shielded flux core wire (in which the flux burns, releasing its own protective gas). Strictly speaking, this is called flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), but it's generally seen as one of the two methods of MIG welding. The second method uses a metal wire with flux in the center. It exits right by the welding wire and forms a protective bubble, or “shield.” This is supplied from a tank and piped to the tip of the welding gun. The first method uses gas - usually a mix of CO2 and argon. The solution is to create a “shield” around the weld area while it's being formed. Nitrogen, oxygen, and other things in the air we breathe contaminate the process. Unfortunately, there's a basic problem with this kind of welding. To prevent the person doing the welding from receiving a powerful electric shock, an earth clip must be connected to a ground point. The wire becomes a “puddle” of molten metal, thus creating the weld. The wire is fed automatically by pressing the trigger on a handheld gun. In a MIG welder, one of these electrodes is the metal you are welding, and the other is a spool of metal wire. This short circuit, or arc, can be anywhere from 5,000° F to 40,000° F, so it melts metal very effectively. How MIG welders workĪ MIG (metal inert gas) welder is a kind of arc welder, and all arc welders use the same basic principle: an electrical current is passed between two electrodes, causing a short circuit across the gap between them. However, MIG is the common expression and the one most professionals use. The proper term for MIG welding is actually GMAW – gas metal arc welding. ![]()
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