Things you need to put in mind when buying welding equipment

Just like buying any other from the market, buying welding equipment is not an easy task and needs one to conduct a thorough research on the kind of machine he wants.

As a new or aspiring welder, your prospects will increase if you understand the features of many different types of equipment. You need to be able to decide which model works best for a particular assignment and which filler rode, wire or stick electrode best meets code requirements.

Welding equipment

A guide to buying your first welding equipment

1.       Determine the type(s) of metal you will be welding on

You need to know and determine the metal you will be welding on because there are several metals and not all of them can withstand the heat produced by some welding machines and some of the metals are much stronger than others. Some of the metals include; carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium and titanium.

2.       Establish a current range that covers all possible metal thicknesses

You need to understand that the thicker the metal, the more current needed to weld a joint with good penetration. Since the costs of a welding machine is based in part on how much juice it generates, you will have to determine in advance the maximum thickness of base metals and fixtures you’re are going to be working on.

Thick structural steel and pipe thicker than half an inch requires the use of a heavy duty MIG welding machine or a stick welder while working with very thin metal requires different settings on a more sensitive welding machine.

3.       Decide if your welding will take place inside a home shop, a ware house or out in the field

Knowing where you will be welding from most of the time figures into what sort of equipment you should purchase. This is because there are those welding machines which work well in a room and not in the open fields.

4.       Read product spec sheets so you can compare similar machines and choose one with the power and features you need

The product spec will tell you how much uninterrupted welding a machine can knock in ten minutes. Traditionally, duty cycle is given as a percentage and is defined as the number of minutes out of ten minute period a welder can weld at the highest current the machine offers. After reaching the limit the machine must be allowed to cool down.

5.       Determine if you need to use compressed gases and how you will purchase, transport and store them

If you buy a machine that requires compressed gas (i.e. gas stored in a tank under pressure), you will need to occasionally transport the tank to a supplier for refills unless if there is a supplier in your area with a reasonable policy for exchanging and filling empty tanks.

There are also a lot of safety issues and storage requirements associated with gas so be sure that you do understand what is involved before buying welding equipment that uses it.