When you are thinking about purchasing a welder it is very important to know the type of welder you will need for your particular job. What you buy really depends on what it is you are going to do with it.
As an example, if you were going to weld jewelry, you might use an acetylene torch with a small nozzle that would heat the metal enough for thin to medium metal. However, if you want to build large structures for a job or do underwater welding work, what you purchase will be very different.
Soldering Gun
Types of materials
You will need to determine the types of materials you will be welding most of the time. Are you going to work with thick or thin material? Will you be working on this material in the same location all the time? How much experience in welding do you have? Do you need your welder to be portable? When you have answered these questions, it's time to look at the different styles of welding you need.
Types of welding
There are several types of welders to choose from and it all depends on what type of welding you do as to which one you choose:
Oxyacetylene Welding -- this is a torch and it burns a mix of oxygen and acetylene gas. The heat gets to 6,300 degrees Fahrenheit in most torches like this. You can use this to solder, weld or braze. Sometimes these are used to cut some types of steel. This is generally the first type of welding a student will do and the first welder they will use.
Stick / Arc Welding (SMAW) -- this type of welder works with an electrode called a "stick" and it creates an arc with the welding material. It works by putting the stick inside the machine, the stick melts and it produces material as filler in the weld. This is a difficult type of welding, so the welder itself may be difficult to use and control for the beginner.
Mig Welding (Wire feed / GMAW) -- this system also uses an electrode that is fed in a wire, pushed through a gun and it makes a weld puddle. They use either a shielding gas or a wire cored with flux. Many people use these types of welders for home projects and they are easily found at hardware stores. This one is easy to use.
Tig Welding (GTAW) -- this type of welding also uses an electrode but it is used with a shielded gas (inert) which makes a weld puddle. It uses a welding rod also that makes a weld bead when a rod is stuck in the arc. This makes good welds and is a higher level of welder.
Commercial welders may be a larger machine that does the same as hand held ones but on a much larger scale.
Before you purchase any welder it is a good idea to check the Internet for reviews of the different types of welders to get an idea of their cost and how they are used.