How to choose a welding machine for home and garden

Building a house or renovating it often requires welding. Each time it is long and costly to seek help from professionals. Moreover, most of the work does not require any prohibitively high qualifications. Nevertheless, you have to pay decent money. If you are planning a construction or renovation, you have a large summer cottage or house, it will be cheaper for you to do all (or almost all) of the welding work yourself. And we will tell you how to choose a welding machine for your home and garden.

Electric welding machine for home and garden, types, advantages and disadvantages

Electric welders are most commonly used both at home and in production. Most of the household models operate on a 220 V network, but you can also find devices that are powered by a three-phase 380 V. Some of them are cooked on direct current, some on alternating current.

Transformer welding machines

Welding transformers produce alternating current at the output. Their design is simple and reliable: two step-down transformers with the ability to adjust the output current. The adjustment is not very precise and its range is small. And this is one of the disadvantages. This unit rarely breaks down, but it weighs a lot: even a household model, which is not the most powerful, will tighten by a couple of tens of kilograms. Industrial models can weigh hundreds of kilograms or more.

Welding transformer - the design is simple but cumbersome (To enlarge the picture, right-click on it)

About two decades ago, electric welding was only in "trances". Today this is far from the case: sources of constant welding current are more common. And all because of the shortcomings of the transformer welding machine. The current emitted by it is alternating, its polarity is constantly changing. When welding, this results in the arc jumping, causing a large number of sparks. At the same time, the arc is difficult to control, obtaining a high-quality weld is possible only with a highly qualified welder. But even under this condition, they are used only for welding ferrous metal: the possibilities of adjustment are limited, fine-tuning is almost impossible at all, which limits the area of ​​their use.

Another significant drawback: during operation, especially when the arc is ignited, the voltage in the network sags significantly. Such races are very much disliked by modern electronics, of which we have more than enough both in the house and in the country. Therefore, transformer welding machines are rarely bought for home use. Even though they are reliable and inexpensive. If someone has them, then they stand in the garage or shed as a fallback "just in case."

Rectifiers for welding

Welding rectifier - reliable source of constant welding current

In fact, these are the same welding transformers, but at the output they have a rectifier unit. They are sometimes referred to as DC welding transformers. They give out direct current, because of which the arc is more stable, easier to work, but experience is still needed, albeit to a lesser extent than with transformers. Their disadvantage: power loss at the rectifier, but this is compensated by a constant arc.

The design is reliable, there is nothing especially to break: a step-down transformer, a rectifier and regulation unit. These are all components of the welding rectifier. The price is slightly higher than for transformers.But even this type of welder is not popular today. The disadvantages are almost the same: large weight, power surges during operation. Connecting the welding machine to a household network and working with it will cause voltage drops and, therefore, discontent of neighbors.

Welding inverters

Once on the market, they were expensive. With the development of technologies and the appearance of a new element base (IGBT transistors), their characteristics have become better, their weight is less, and the price is lower. Modern household welding inverters can weigh from 3 kg and produce a current of 160-180 amperes, which is enough to work with a 3-4 mm electrode. Their cost is about 3-6 thousand rubles. Not very much considering the prices for welders.

They give a stable arc, it is easy to control it. A layman can get a good seam, even with little practice. The design is such that it allows you to adjust the welding current and voltage over a wide range. This allows the same machine to be used to weld different metals and thicknesses.

Another important advantage is that inverter welding does not "sit down" the network. Almost does not affect her. The only condition: the socket for the welding machine must be grounded. The protection class of these units is IP21, which means that they are grounded via the mains. Therefore, the connection of the inverter welding machine to the household network is only through a grounded outlet.

Welding inverters are the smallest. This is the most compact welding machine for home and garden

If you need a mobile, lightweight welding machine for your home and garden, choose from welding inverters. It's easy to learn how to cook with it. You will not become a super welder soon, but you can do almost all work at home or at a construction site yourself after a short period of time.

Welding machine for home and garden: transformer or inverter?

Almost no one has any questions about which welding machine is better - an inverter or a transformer. Even in an enterprise where there are good transformers, when inverters appear, they stand idle. And for home, there are no questions: inverters are definitely better. And that's why:

• the quality of the weld is better,
• dimensions and weight - several times less,
• there are more adjustments, the settings are more accurate;
• does not affect the network, electricity "pulls" a little.
  

  Welding machine for manual electric arc welding allows you to weld all types of steel

The only fly in the ointment is adding prices: it is higher than for transformers. But there are some good brands that cost a little. For example, Resant inverters. They are hardly suitable for professional use, but as a welding machine for a home or for a summer cottage, they even showed themselves very well. Prices for household modifications (140-160 Amperes) 110-130 $.

Welding machines (semi-automatic machines)

It is not difficult to work with a semiautomatic welded machine, but thin and non-ferrous metals are good at cooking

How to choose an electric welding machine

If you have decided on the type of welding machine (transformer, rectifier, inverter, machine or generator), you must choose a model. There are several key parameters that will make this process easier:

• Supply voltage: 220 V or 380 V. For everyday life, welders operating from 220 V are usually taken. All types of welding machines except inverters are quite demanding on its characteristics. These are only inverters that can work without problems in the range of 180-250 V. For the rest, when the increase is activated, the protection is triggered (they are turned off), and when it is lowered, the parameters fall sharply. Three-phase 380 V devices, as a rule, are more powerful and reliable, but they also cost more (minimum - about 20-30 thousand rubles). They are more often purchased for production, at large service stations. For welding "for yourself" with your own hands, the power of these units is excessive.
• Output current.If you choose a welding machine for your home and summer cottage, you will use it periodically, for most jobs, a current of 160-180 Amperes is enough (inverters at this current can work with 3-4 mm electrodes without problems). If you intend to cook thick metal, you don't need more than 190-250 Amperes. Industrial models can supply up to 500 A.
  

  What current should be cooked with different electrodes (general recommendations, choose exactly empirically)

• Open circuit voltage. Measured on a machine without load. It can be from 45 V to 80-95 V. The ease of ignition of the arc depends on this parameter. The higher the open circuit voltage, the easier it is to start welding. Also, the increased characteristics guarantee a more stable arc, which makes welding easier. This parameter is taken into account when choosing the type of electrodes: some require a low voltage to ignite (Riutil coat), others need higher values ​​(base coat).

• The maximum diameter of the electrodes with which the unit can work. This indicator, in addition to the selection of electrodes, also affects the thickness of the metal with which the device can work.

A few general tips for choosing a welding machine. To decide which welding machine is best for your home, start from the tasks that you will need to solve. A transformer is sufficient for welding ferrous metal. If you need to weld structural or low alloy steel, you need an inverter. For welding thin or non-ferrous metals - a semiautomatic device.

When working with a welding machine, you definitely need welding mask and better - chameleonas well as work gloves or welder's leggings

Size is often the deciding factor. If you need a portable, portable and compact welding machine - this is an inverter powered by 220 V. It has very small dimensions and weight. It is easy to carry, even just on the shoulder, hanging on the belt. Moreover, he works with a wide range of materials, makes it possible to obtain a good seam.

If your power supply is far from ideal, then an inverter welder is also suitable for you: they are not afraid of voltage surges and work even when lowered to 180 V. Some models designed specifically for low voltage operate generally at 160 V.

The same devices are also recommended for novice welders: some of them have several useful functions that greatly facilitate the work of a beginner in welding:

• Hot Start mode - "hot start" - facilitates arc ignition. At the start of welding, an additional current pulse is issued to facilitate ignition;
• Anti-Stick - anti-sticking. At the beginning of work, it is difficult for a beginner to choose the right welding parameters. As a result, the electrode "sticks" to the part. When working with transformers and rectifiers, it is not easy to tear it off later. In inverters, the current is automatically reduced, and the electrode can be torn off without any problems.
• Arc Force - increased power. When the electrode is quickly approached, the amperage increases, preventing the electrode from sticking.

If you are a beginner in welding and decide which is better - an inverter or a transformer - the choice is simple for you: definitely an inverter (how to choose an inverter welding machine read here). It has only one drawback: after you learn to operate an inverter, you cannot work on a transformer without retraining. Other disadvantages: he does not like dust, especially metal. Therefore, it is better not to clean metals next to it and not to work with a grinder or grinders. Well, and like any electrical equipment, they do not like moisture and are afraid of condensation.

Welding generators

This is a rather complex equipment that combines a generator (gasoline or diesel) and a welding power source. Moreover, welding can be from direct and alternating current.The equipment is already quite expensive, but it is the best option for those villages or construction sites where electricity is not yet available, or it is very unstable. If your holiday village is not yet electrified, you need a similar unit.

A welding generator is a combination of a diesel or gasoline electric generator and a welding machine

Can conventional electric welding machines be powered by a generator? They can, but if household appliances or other electricians in the network are also powered from it, then they will have to be turned off during operation: the voltage will "jump", which can cause them to break. There is one more point: for welding machines, a generator of a simpler design is required (they are not so demanding on the characteristics of the power source). Therefore, its scheme is much simpler. As a result, a welding generator costs less than an electric welding + generator pair.

If you do not have electricity, or there are significant interruptions with it, it is more profitable to buy not a welding machine for your home and / or summer cottage, but a welding generator.

The choice here begins with the type of generator: gasoline or diesel. Then select the type of welding power source: transformer, rectifier or inverter. Then there are the usual parameters of electric welding, described above.

Welding machine for aluminum

The peculiarity of aluminum welding is a low melting point, and, as a rule, a small metal thickness. Therefore, ordinary manual welding is not entirely suitable here: experience is required, but not everyone has it. You need gas-shielded welding (semi-automatic in MIG mode) or argon arc welding machine (TIG welding). The process of welding aluminum with argon arc welding, see the video.

There are also universal multifunctional welding machines. One such unit can operate in three to five types of welding. But the cost of such station wagons is already in the hundreds of thousands. They are completely useless for the house. These are already professional welding machines for a wide range of jobs. For example, Multiplaz 4000 operates in the following modes:

• manual electrode welding (MMA)
• argon arc welding with a non-consumable electrode (TIG)

Both of these modes can be carried out in shielding gas in the AC, DC or PULSE modes. It has not only a lot of adjustments, but a lot, the range of parameters is very wide. In addition to all "standard" types of steel, it can weld aluminum, even without pretreatment, thin stainless steel, titanium. The seam will be of very high quality. But whether you need such an installation at home or in the country is a question. Unless you then plan to open production or earn money by welding.