Modern home welders are portable and all are powered by electricity. The typical welder runs off of a regular home outlet so you don’t need to worry about overloading your circuits or calling an electrician to rewire your garage. Home welders may not suck a lot of electricity anymore, but they don’t skimp on power.
Budget priced welders should be able to meet the needs of homeowners and welding enthusiasts, welding a variety of metals. Below we look at quality, durable options for the top cheap welder:
- Pro-Series MMIG125 125 Amp Fluxcore Welder Kit
- Hobart 500559 Handler Wire Welder
- Pro-Grade Ultra-Portable 100-Amp Electric Arc Welder – 110V
- EVERLAST PowerARC 140 140amp Lift Start TIG / Stick IGBT Welder Dual Voltage
The Pro-Series MMIG125 125 AMP Fluxcore Welder kit is my go to choice for the best cheap welder. Not only is it extremely affordable but the Pro-Series can weld just about any metal you will encounter around the home or farm. Copper, nickle, steel, aluminum, bronze, and many others are easy to weld with this unit. The small size of this welder means you can easily move it around to different projects and access tight spaces. A standard home outlet gives you plenty of power to get a hot weld and the welder can be easily converted to run off of gas if you ever find you need to be off grid. The build quality of this welder will ensure you have a great piece of equipment for years to come. This is without a doubt one of the best welders for the money.
The Hobart 500559 Handler Wire Welder is a great welder for someone who wants to get right to welding with a minimum of frustration. Still affordable compared to most options, the Hobart is a great balance between price and performance, making it my second choice for the best cheap welder. The Hobart 500559 offers a truly rugged case that will stand up to most any project you set your mind to. This welder comes with everything you need to start welding. Just unpack and go. Built in the USA with quality components, the Hobart is great for beginners but serves the needs to experienced welders as well. As a plus, this welder allows you to connect it to gas, opening up even more welding projects.
In this case ultra portable also means ultra affordable. The Pro-Grade Ultra-Portable 100-Amp Electric Arc Welder 110V packs a lot of power into a small case at an amazing price. If you need an easy to carry welder at an incredibly low price this is the best cheap welder for you. This is an electric only welder that can be easily powered off of any home outlet. The built in cooling fan ensures your welder will not accidentally overheat and prolongs the life of the unit. Whether you want a sole welder or an easy-to-carry companion to your larger welder you won’t be disappointed.
The EVERLAST PowerARC 140 140amp Lift Start TIG / Stick IGBT Welder Dual Voltage is a great option for someone looking for versatility. If you are looking to do both large and small projects this may be the best welder for the money. With the ability to switch between 120 and 240 volts, this welder can power up to handle bigger jobs or run off of a typical home outlet for convenience and power savings. You can also add gas power to this unit for even more flexibility. If you weld steel, this is a truly great little welder.
Key Things to look for in a Budget Welder
There are lots of cheap welders out there. When you are looking for the best cheap welder though there are a few things to watch out for. Not all welders are created equal. Make sure that the welder you choose is capable of welding all of the metals you need it for. Some cheap welders are only set up for certain metals. This is great is you only weld a specific metal but most people need a welder that can do a range of tasks.
All cheap welders run on electricity but the best welder for you needs to work with your power sources. If you think you will be doing larger projects, look for a welder that can run off of standard household outlets and higher 240 volt outlets. This gives you maximum flexibility and saves you from needing to upgrade to a higher powered welder in the future. Remember the old adage: buy cheap, buy twice.
Other Considerations
A welder might have all of the technical specifications you are looking for but you need to be able to get it to your projects. The easier the welder is to use the more use you will get out of it. Most cheap welders are small units and all of the welders we’ve reviewed are very portable. You should be able to easily move your welder around. If you are doing mostly small repairs, think about an ultra portable model. You may have slightly less power than a bigger unit would provide but you won’t have to haul around a heavy welder. Some of these very small units do have hookups for gas. This might be an issue but for many welders an electric connection is all they need.
With the internet the best cheap welder is just a website away. Don’t limit yourself to items sold in big box stores. Often you can even find free shipping (like from Amazon). Shopping online can get you the biggest bang for your buck. Of course, none of these welders have quite the power of an industrial welder you would see in a machine shop but unless you plan to start fabricating your own motorcycles you will be surprised at the quality and versatility these cheap welders offer. Good luck!