{"title":"Welders","description":"\u003ch2\u003ePicking a welder for a small shop\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost welder questions come down to three things: what you're welding, how thick it is, and what power you have in the shop. Start there and the list gets short fast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMIG, TIG, stick or multi-process\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMIG\u003c\/strong\u003e is the workhorse for steel fab: trailers, brackets, gates, frames. It's the fastest to learn and the fastest on the clock. With flux-core wire it works outside in a breeze without a gas bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTIG\u003c\/strong\u003e is slower and takes more practice, but it's the process for thin material, stainless, and aluminum (with an AC machine). If you want clean welds on tube and sheet, this is it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStick\u003c\/strong\u003e handles dirty, rusty and outdoor steel and thick repair work, and the machines are simple. It's the least forgiving on thin material.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMulti-process\u003c\/strong\u003e machines do MIG, stick and TIG from one box. You give up some duty cycle and convenience against dedicated machines, but for a one-welder shop that does a bit of everything, it's often the right call.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e120V vs 240V\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA dual-voltage machine lets you start on a regular outlet and move to a 240V welder circuit later. On 120V, most MIG machines top out around 3\/16 in. steel in one pass. On 240V the same machine typically reaches 3\/8 in. If you can run a 240V circuit to the shop, you'll get far more out of almost any welder. Each listing shows the plug, the input amps and what the machine does on each voltage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDuty cycle, in plain terms\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuty cycle is how many minutes out of ten a machine can weld at a given amperage before it needs to cool. A 60% rating at 160 A means six minutes of welding, four minutes of rest. Small-shop work rarely runs a machine at its limit for long, but if you do long passes on thick material, compare duty cycle at the amperage you'll actually use, not the top number.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat you'll need besides the welder\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlan for a gas cylinder (C25 for steel MIG, straight argon for TIG and aluminum), wire or rod, a helmet, gloves and a jacket, and a cart if the machine doesn't come with one. Each listing has a \"What else you'll need\" box so the total cost isn't a surprise.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"miller-millermatic-211-pro-mig-welder","title":"Miller Millermatic 211 PRO MIG Welder","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Millermatic 211 PRO is a dual-voltage MIG welder built for the kind of work most small shops do: brackets, frames, trailer repair, gates and general fab in mild steel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn a regular 120V outlet it welds up to 3\/16 in. steel. Swap the plug (no tools) and run it on a 240V welder circuit, and it reaches 3\/8 in. That makes it a good first machine for a shop that will add a 240V circuit later.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuto-Set picks starting voltage and wire speed from wire size and material thickness, and you can fine-tune from there. Add a Spoolmate spool gun and straight argon and it welds aluminum too.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Miller Electric","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54641417290012,"sku":"907839","price":1699.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/2247\/7596\/files\/sms-millermatic-211-pro.jpg?v=1790970354"},{"product_id":"miller-multimatic-220-ac-dc-multi-process-welder","title":"Miller Multimatic 220 AC\/DC Multi-Process Welder","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Multimatic 220 AC\/DC is MIG, stick and full AC\/DC TIG in one 56 lb machine. For a small shop that welds steel most days and aluminum some days, it replaces two or three separate welders.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt comes ready to run all three processes: MIG gun, TIG torch with foot control, stick holder and two regulators are in the box. It runs on 120V or 240V with the included plugs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe tradeoff is duty cycle at full output. For long heavy passes, a dedicated machine runs longer before it needs to cool.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Miller Electric","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54641417322780,"sku":"907757","price":4285.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/2247\/7596\/files\/sms-miller-multimatic-220-acdc.jpg?v=1790970356"}],"url":"https:\/\/shopmadesupply.com\/collections\/welding.oembed","provider":"Shop Made Supply","version":"1.0","type":"link"}