Best Cheap MIG Welders – Reviews & Buying Guide 2022

In case you want to have the best cheap MIG welders for your workshop or DIY crafts, a MIG welder under $500 can be quite considerable for you. All the cheap MIG welders can easily be bought for under $500, giving you portability, a rugged body, single or dual voltage, and a wide range of welding thicknesses. 

As the market is full of MIG welders, all claiming to be inexpensive and beneficial at the same time, finding the real one can be quite challenging. To narrow down your research, we have wade through the reams of reviews to find the best cheap MIG welder for you. These MIG welders are affordable yet useful for newbies and professional workers. At the end of this review article, a buyer’s guide will help you figure out which product can be chosen for maximum output. So let’s dive deep into the top six cheap MIG welders.

TOP PICKS

Best Cheap MIG welders

1. Eastwood 180 Amp MIG Welder

Eastwood 180 Amp is one of the best cheap MIG welders, famous for its dual voltage technology with ¼” welding capacity. You can either work on 120V or go for an industrial connection of 240; it serves all. Furthermore, this MIG welder comes with a regulator and a hose.

This is a dual voltage welder that runs on both 120V volts and 240-volt electricity. On 120 Volts, it gives an output of 120 amps and gives a welding thickness of ¼”. If your welding requirements are not for thick gauges, you can simply run it on 120V to get your desired results. Furthermore, running this cheap MIG welder at 240 V gives a welding thickness of 5/16”. You may also Check : Best MIG Welder under 500$

The Welder gives a minimum duty cycle of 30% at 180 amps but maximum welding thickness of 5/16”. But to avail of maximum duty cycle and a medium-range thickness, run it at 130 amps to get a 60% duty cycle. In case you want a 100% duty cycle, the voltage will be 240V with an output current of 100 amps. But The down amperage of both voltages is 30 amps, which gives 24 gauge thickness welding for sheet metals.

Furthermore, this budget MIG welder features a Tweco-compatible MIG gun that can hold all the consumables easily and quickly. This gun makes the Welder compatible with all kinds of consumables that are easily available in the market. In addition to that, the gun has a 2T/4T trigger lock and a regulator that provides maximum safety for the user. The best part of this MIG welder is it can also weld aluminum of 14 gauge to ¼” if you buy the specific spool gun for aluminum welding separately.

---

2. Hobart handler 140 MIG Welder

The welding machine is one of the most popular models and our second pick at this best cheap MIG welder list. You can weld aluminum and stainless steel both with this cheap MIG welder, provided you use the gas shielding in this flux core MIG welding. The 140 amps help you to weld metal as much as ¼-inch thick. In case you want to do hitches, suspension additives, or roll cages, then a 240-volt welder can serve you well.

Running at 90 amps gives only 20% of the duty cycle, which is quite insufficient and non-productive because you can’t get maximum output while running at full power. The MIG welding machine runs on a household voltage of 115 volts which is quite practical. Furthermore, it has 5 settings of voltage that give you a wide combination of amperage and arcs to weld multiple thicknesses. The 5 position voltage control selector can control and fine-tune the arc according to your requirement to give the best MIG welding options out there. This versatility facilitates any small industrial worker to work on farm projects, household work, and autobody repair work. 

---

3. Lincoln K2278-1 MIG Welder

Lincoln K2278-1 is another entry-level cheap MIG welder in the top-rated cheap MIG welders list. This flux core MIG welder is best for light repair or maintenance work for industry or home use. Furthermore, this inexpensive MIG welder works on 115 volts to give you an output ranging from 30-88 amps. 

At 30 amps, it can only weld a thickness of 18 gauge sheet metal that is quite insufficient for industrial use. But running at maximum amps of 88, it can give you a welding thickness of ⅛”.  This small welding thickness helps a user to fix small stuff like kid’s wagons, trolleys, mailbox, garden furniture, trash can bottom, and other small repair work.

You might think that the MIG welder is not made for practical applications, but it can help a novice learn to weld.  The MIG welder comes with a mask, flux core spool, work lead, cable assembly, and a work clamp. These accessories will reduce the initial setup cost, and you can start immediately with this MIG welder. Lastly, the company offers a 1-year warranty to let you test and use the Welder with full freedom. 

---

4. Titanium MIG 140 Welder

Titanium MIG 140 is a mid-range welder among the best cheap MIG welders list. The flux core welding machine can weld up to ¼” thick metals without using any shielding gas. Furthermore, the MIG welder is not only durable but rated as versatile and a portable welding machine. When it works at the lowest output of 30 amps, it can weld up to 24 gauge sheet metal. 

The MIG welder is rated as the best economy MIG welder because of its inductance control which controls the rise of heat during the welding procedure in the weld puddle. You can fully rely on this portable, easy-to-carry welding machine because it weighs only 24 pounds. Lightweight and portable features help you to use the Welder from site to site during projects. Last but not least, you can also weld aluminum with this affordable MIG welder if you buy another spool gun. The aluminum welding range is from 16 gauge sheet metal to 3/16” thick plates. 

---

5. Hobart Handler 100

Hobart handler 100 is a good cheap welder for DIY users and entry-level welders. It comes under the best cheap MIG welders category because of its 60% duty cycle at 45 amps. It can only handle low-profile work and is not made for heavy-duty work. Anyone who wants to use it for DIY projects or small-scale industrial work can opt for this cheap Welder. 

Those users who want to repair or maintenance can weld up to 3/16” thickness work like gate hinges. It can weld 24 gauge thick sheet metal for thin sheet metal that can serve a welder to work on doors, floor panels, wheelbarrows, garden wagons, and other small but useful applications. 

When you run the machine at 45 amps output, it gives you a 60 % duty cycle, regular and continuous 6 minutes of straight welding. This duty cycle helps you to achieve the goal of working on thin sheet metal projects like fixing holes in the garbage can, floor pans, car flor repair, and other such applications. 

Moreover, this welding machine is rated as low priced and inexpensive MIG welding machine. So you can’t expect MIG gas welding out of it. It simply offers you flux core MIG welding while using a standard miller. Another amazing part of this cheap welding machine is its five-year warranty that lets you enjoy all of its benefits up to maximum limits. 

---

Buying Guide

Apart from buying the best or the most affordable one, there are also a group of factors that one needs to consider. This might vary depending on what purpose and scale you plan to use these welders for, be it occasional restoration by yourself or industrial work. We have listed down a list of factors that you must consider before buying a MIG welder for you.

• Welding power of a MIG welder

Before buying a cheap welding machine, make sure you know its welding power. You are free to buy any welding machine under $500, but will it fulfil your purpose? Asking this question to you will really narrow down your search for a good cheap MIG welder.

The MIG welder under $500 is usually a single voltage and gives a maximum output of 140 amps. If you own a MIG welder of 120V, you can’t expect more amperage from it. So be sure that your required welding thickness is under ¼” thickness, which can be easily catered to by these cheap MIG welding machines.

• The duty cycle of the MIG welder

The duty cycle is the second most important factor to consider. It is the time % age of a welding machine that works in 10 minutes of operation. After this duty cycle, the machine gets heated and needs to be cool down. Higher amperage brings a higher duty cycle. And for this purpose, a high input voltage is required. 30 duty cycle means the machine will continuously run for 3 minutes before it heats up. It is your responsibility to see whether your project needs a 3-minute continuous welding pass or not? So before buying a MIG welder, always have an analysis of the combination of voltage and amperage at which the machine will give maximum duty cycle.

• Gas requirement of a MIG welder

If you don’t need MIG gas welding, you can simply opt for a welder which is flux core-based. But for gas welding, make sure to buy a MIG welder that can accommodate gas welding at later stages. 

A flux core MIG welder can’t use gas if you want it to do so. So the choice is to select a machine according to your requirements. 

Conclusion

This review article covers all top-rated budget MIG welders under $500, including gas MIG welding machines for outstanding performance and entry-level MIG welders only for small jobs. We always recommend choosing a product that brings maximum benefits, ease of use, and long-lasting features within your chosen budget. 

T sum up, our best cheap MIG welder is  Eastwood MIG 180 for its high value, dual voltage, and wide welding thickness range. On this list, we give our second consideration to Titanium MIG 140 for its inductance tuning and all-metal drive options. Last but not least is Hobert handler 140, which is used for small industrial or household jobs but highly recommended as an entry-level MIG welder.