Best Budget MIG Welders Under $500 In 2022 – Top Picks Reviewed

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As a result, you should put your trust in their welders as their reputation and popularity speak for the quality of their products. Here are some of those MIG welders under $500 that you would get superior services from:

Best Budget MIG Welder under 500 Dollar

1. YESWELDER Digital MIG-205DS Welder

Starting with the ARC-125DS Stick Welder named YESWELDER ARC Welder with a digital inverter. It is manufactured by the Zhejiang Xingyi Ventilator Electrical Appliance Company Ltd. Weighing only 11 pounds; this lightweight MIG welder is monstrous in power.

To make the welding process easy and flawless, this welder is pretty reliable for both personal and professional use. Coming with dual voltage usability, this welder can fit the output of 110 to 125 ampere, making it a very powerful welder to weld various types of metals, thick or thin, very easily.

The IGBT soft switch technology of the YESWELDER Arc Welder makes its Arc stability excellent, which when added with the 20-125amps power makes it very convenient to weld thin metals. This welder has a built-in capability to compensate for voltage fluctuations, protect from over current or overload.

The automation of fan dormancy and the control of temperature and steeples amperage help lessen the workload of the welder user. The lightweight of this welder makes it very convenient to carry to places. For having all these features, the YESWELDER Arc Welder can be a good option to choose from, as a very reliable, easy-to-use MIG welder.

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2. Forney Easy Weld 261, 140 FC-i Welder

If you’re a newbie at welding, then Forney Easy Weld might just be the perfect tool you’re looking for. Manufactured by Forney Industries Inc., this welder weighs only 19 pounds, making it a portable, easy-to-carry MIG welder.

Providing up to 140amp of output, it can be used for many kinds of works such as DIY projects, maintenance, repair, metal fabrication, automotive works, etc.

The Forney Easy Weld uses a flux core wire as its wire feed, giving the welder a better penetration on the workpiece. It also gives the welder user the ability to control the speed of the wire feed, which helps to form the perfect weld while controlling just the right amount of wire feed needed.

As the name suggests, this welder is very easy to use, which makes it suitable for both beginners and avid users. From unboxing to setting up and starting your first weld with this welder, it’s a pretty quick job, even for a beginner.

The ability to infinitely control the wire feed speed gives you more control over your project. It also comes with infinite voltage control, letting you tune to just the perfect voltage you want to set up your welder at. Even while being easy to carry, the all-metal case is big in size, just enough to handle rolls of wire of 2 to 10 lbs.

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3. LOTOS MIG140 140 Amp MIG Wire Welder

To get a stable and good welding experience, Lotos Welder is a pretty good option, as it uses an aluminum wire, which is a very quality and durable wire feeder. The manual and semi-auto switch makes it more convenient for users while doing long time welding projects, as it lets the user release their finger from the welding gun and still get the job done.

This welder also gives the user the ability to control the voltage and the wire feeder speed.  The digital display of voltage and wire feeder speed helps the user to adjust the voltage and the speed of the wire feeder more accurately based on their needs. 

It also comes with a quick connector for the ground cable, making it convenient to switch between positive and negative. As for its power, this provides 140amp of output, and the input voltage is 110/120v. It can weld various types of steel, aluminum, and many other types of metals. 

With a height of 9.6 inches and a weight of 54 pounds, this welder can be easily set up just in 10 minutes. It can handle 4” or 8” spools of wire and is also able to protect the welder from overload by using a thermal protection system.

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4. Lincoln Electric K2185-1 Handy Welder

This neatly packed welder is a lightweight and easily portable MIG welder manufactured by Lincoln Electric. Weighing at 26 pounds, this welder is handy for repairing at home, DIY projects, and welding light gauge steel.

The welder comes with everything its user needs to weld metals, including a spool of flux-core wire and the power cord that comes with it is also flux-cored. This welder uses flux-core wire feed, which makes welding the mild steel easy, from 24 gauges to 1/8” of thickness.

The speed of the wire feed is adjustable, making its user be able to weld with just the right amount of wire feed needed to get their work done. It also has four voltage settings to help with the welding process. To make it as user-friendly as possible, this comes packed with all the things needed, which is easy to set up even for a beginner.

The Lincoln Electric Handy welder is a perfect tool for personal use at home as it takes the input voltage of 115v and has an output of 70amp with a wattage of 2300 watts. It has a safety feature of electrically keeping the welding wire cold until you press the welding gun’s trigger.

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5. VIVOHOME Portable No Gas MIG 130 Welder Machine

To get a professional-like finish on your welding project, this welder machine made by Vivohome might be a great option for you. Weighing 36.7 pounds, this lightweight welder has a handgrip that is made comfortable to make it more convenient for the user to carry it around.

The Vivohome welder machine has a flux-cored wire that automatically releases metal inert gas during the welding process to prevent the welded part from being oxidized. This user-friendly MIG welder is great for home repairs and do-it-yourself projects with light gauged steel.

This welder machine is configured with a four-level current flow setting. The wire feed speed is also adjustable up to 10 levels of speed, which makes it easier for its user to be able to control the feed’s flow according to their needs.

It is able to weld thin steel or aluminum sheets. With the help of flux-core welding, the user is also able to weld thicker steel. Everything you need to get your welding projects done is packed with the welding machine.

It also comes with a wire brush, which is used to clean the debris and particles that are dropped during the process to keep the work place clean and dust-free. This welder machine takes 110 voltage as input and provides an output of 50-120amp.

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6. Weldpro MIG155GSV Inverter Welder With Dual Voltage

Manufactured by W Weldpro, this lightweight MIG welder is very powerful inside. It’s able to work on either 110/115 or 220/230 voltage, which makes it very convenient to weld from anywhere.

It provides an output of 30-155amp. The IGBT inverter design of the Weldpro welder machine is compact and has automatic protection features for overheating or over current situations.

This welder has a manual/semi-automatic switch setting which allows the user to weld for a long time without having to press and hold the welding gun trigger. By getting additional accessories, you can also use this welder as a really good scratch arc TIG welder.

The Weldpro welder machine's wire feed's speed is infinitely adjustable making the welder a perfect tool for having more control over your welding project. It also has heat settings to get just the right level of heat according to the type of metal you’re working with.

The MIG155Gsv can be used as both a self-shielded flux-core and MIG welding machine. To provide a good welding experience, this welder has an electronic reactor circuit, to control the short-circuiting and mixed transfer.

This powerful welder's wire feed rate is pretty good and stable and still saves a lot of energy. It is also free from electromagnetic noises.

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7. Hobart 500572 Handler 100

Up to 3/16" steel can be welded with ease with the Hobart 500572. The device itself is under $300 and can provide a 20% duty cycle for light and easy welding. With 115 volts input, you will be getting 30-100 amps power for welding. A flux-cored wire allows you to do this task perfectly.

The Hobart 500572 is limited when it comes to complex welding, but it should not be misunderstood in that regard. The device can do simpler DIY welding with precision and ease.

The operating window is available for proper adjustment, making the device easier to use. Also, you can use both large and small wire spools on the welder; whichever serves your needs!

Handler 100 is a lighter device compared to other Hobart welders. It is made specifically for smaller tasks and that is why DIY welders would find this device very helpful.

Moreover, it being a low-priced device, it is easily affordable, which is good news for hobbyists and starters. Overall, Hobart 500572 is a very suitable choice when you have a low budget!

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8. SUNGOLDPOWER Dual Voltage IGBT DC Inverter Welding Machine

IGBT technology is something to admire in welders, and having it in a budget device is rare. It easily regulates the voltage and provides safety to welding – one of the riskiest tasks! When it comes to MIG140 SUNGOLDPOWER, its IGBT technology is amazing. 60% duty cycle is also a great feature that you can get on this budget welder.

The dual voltage of 110 and 220V gives versatility and you will get up to 140 amp output to do a range of different welding tasks. You can do gasless welding for flux-cored and gas-shielded for MIG with this excellent device.

Not only it has maximum safety and heat-protection, but also it refrains from causing noise pollution. With 85% efficiency, you can expect a lot from this machine!

Welding mild and stainless steel as well as carbon steel, iron, etc., is fairly easy with MIG140 by SUNGOLDPOWER. It is a result of its versatility and performance. 59" cable, 78.7" MIG torch, and other necessary attachments are included to assist you with the performance.

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9. Campbell Hausfeld WG309000AJ Welder

The Campbell Hausfelt MIG/Flux welder is suitable for the hardest professional tasks. The 140amp output is not the only factor making it a heavy-duty machine. It also comes in a steel powder-coated case that is stronger than most other welders in the market. Also, it is quite versatile to different thicknesses of metals as it comes with five different settings for heat.

You can use this welder with either an MIG or flux-core wire to do different types of welding. With this excellent device, you can easily do metal fabrications, maintenance, repair, and many professional tasks done at an auto shop.

At 90 wattage, it has a 20% duty cycle. It is surely not the best you would be looking for but it is still excellent considering the budget. It can easily weld metal up to ¼". Moreover, we have to praise its heavy-duty drive deck as it allows you to get the consistency of wire speed.

Overall, this is a perfect welder for small DIY and some professional tasks that don't require the priciest devices.

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Choosing the MIG Welder under $500

Low-budget welding machines won't be the best ones to use by professionals, but they don't have to be too bad! Currently, excellent brands like Weldpro are amazing us with their cheaper addition. Now, when you are about to purchase a budget-friendly MIG welder, what should you look for? We have discussed it below:

Power

When your budget is under $500, the maximum amperage you can expect is 140. Why? Because you cannot realistically get more than 120 volts input for devices on this budget. But 140 amp output is suitable for many DIY tasks and lighter welding.

¼" steel is the ceiling for 140 amp MIG welders. Hobbyists and learners starting out can be highly benefitted by such low-budget welders as they often do not need a higher amount of power.

Realistic Specifications

Is a brand that you never heard of before offering 220 volts welder under $500? Well, you can be quite sure that it is pushing quality envelop and the machine won't live up to its expectations. Sure, you will get a good device under a $500 budget, but it won't be something miraculous.

That is why it's best to keep a realistic expectation when it comes to budget welders. For example, the maximum amount of input volts and output amperage you can expect are 120 and 140, respectively.

Duty Cycle

You should always check the duty cycle of a welder as it is a critical part of the device. With a limited budget, you may not get as high a duty cycle as most professionals would recommend. For example, with a 20% duty cycle, overheating will occur after 2 minutes when the amperage is showing 20%.

Duty cycle helps you understand how long you can keep welding and it ensures safety by prevention overheating. Under a $500 budget, you can get up to 60% duty cycle from some good brands, which is impressive, to say the least.

DIY Repairs vs. Professional Tasks

So, the big question, is a welder suitable for professional tasks when it is under $500? Well, the answer is complicated.

Low-budget welders are mostly suitable for DIY tasks. However, some professional-level tasks can also be done. The issue is, professional welding requires you to handle steel of different thicknesses. But these welders can't handle more than 1/4". So, when you are about to buy a welder under a strict budget, make sure to figure out whether you are going to use it for indoor tasks or professional work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are cheap MIG welders any good?

Cheap MIG welders are suitable for doing DIY tasks and handling simpler welding. As a result, if you are a hobbyist or an entry-level welder, they are quite good and recommended for you!

Why are welders so expensive?

One of the primary reasons for the high price of welders is copper is expensive. A lot of copper is needed for making a welding machine. On top of that, supply and demand play a great factor as there are not many people who do welding for a living.

What’s The Duty Cycle?

The duty cycle refers to the operation time of a welding machine until it will overheat. For example, with a 20% duty cycle, overheating will occur after 2 minutes when the amperage is showing 20%. It is a good indicator of how long you can use the device while it is running.

Final Note

In our list above, you have probably found the right welder that can fulfill your expectations. If you are still in trouble finding the right one, we would recommend YESWELDER. It is portable, affordable, and has qualities that you can use effectively.

Forney Easy Weld's welder is a highly recommended one if you are a starter or looking for a welder for DIY projects specifically. Other than that, all the products are from the top of the consumer favorite!