A while ago, we received a question regarding a welding kit for home from our reader Eric.
Welding can be a very useful skill for various DIY projects and home repairs and a lot of people feel confused just like Eric when it comes to what welding kit to buy.
During my research, I have come across very good and some really bad products.
So Eric, before you waste any more of your valuable time, we created a list of the best 5 welding kits, and hopefully, our suggestions will help you to set up properly and start your project a lot sooner.
A Question From A Reader
If you want to start welding and you don’t know where to begin, you have come to the right place.
I don’t weld every day. Heck, sometimes not even every week. Should I buy or rent welding equipment? I’m looking for something small and portable. Can I just buy everything at once?
While doing my research, I was thinking about all the tools and accessories that are needed for welding.
However, even if a beginner like myself has a need for an expensive, advanced kit, even though, they might use it a few times a year.
So to receive firsthand experience I asked my welder friends, and they were very happy to share their thoughts and tips on the right equipment for beginners.
First of all, you should know the purpose of your welding machine. That is the easier part.
The hard part is when you need to pick the welding machine out of a ray of good and bad products, then whether it is easy to use and portable, the needed power supply, what other accessories are needed while welding – welding helmet, goggles, the torch, welding gloves, etc.
Welding kits and welding machines must be used with great caution and care, so you can use them for a longer period.
The idea of this whole article was born with the sole purpose of helping you and other beginner welders to find the most suitable welding kit.
I will present you with 5 great welding kits, which currently I think to have the best price-value ratio.
Additionally, I will show you some common techniques that are used by people, so you can have the best user experience with these products.
How Did I Pick These Products?
Brand – Buying welding equipment is considered a long-term investment that can save you a lot of money in the long run.
Every piece of equipment can show great results at first, but as time goes by, equipment from top brands offers more reliability and have a proven track record than the cheaper ones.
Safety – Whenever you need to take a welding project you need to take safety measures. Safety measures are a crucial part of every home welding project.
Otherwise, it is very common that welders are facing different types of hazards, such as electric shocks, gases, fumes, fire, sparks that can cause burns, etc.
Welding equipment even if it isn’t on that price list can offer great protection.
Before welding, read the equipment instructions from the manufacturer and understand them, be aware of the most common welding hazards, and learn how to avoid them.
Price-Value (PV) Ratio – When you think of starting a welding project, choosing a proper welding machine for the project is just as important as the welding technique.
Do you need welding equipment worth thousands of dollars or a simple kit with a small torch?
The type of equipment you choose to purchase needs to be suited for all specific functions, not just for the current project, but for any of the future projects as well.
Another important aspect that you need to consider is the expected amount of weld time and the required welding current.
You need to think about whether you will use the welding equipment occasionally or frequently, then for small or big projects.
In order to help you purchase the right welding equipment on the list below, I have included welding kits that are suitable for different types of jobs.
Ones that require precision and other ones that require bigger equipment. Bear in mind that having a successful project can depend on picking out the right kit.
So Which Welding Kit for Home (Beginner Projects) did I pick as the Best One?
During my research, I’ve found 5 that are in my opinion worth taking a look at.
Forney Easy Weld Start-Up Kit – My Favorite Kit
This welding kit is great for DIYers, beginner welders, repair, and maintenance. Every component of the kit is of great quality. The kit is composed of:
- 100ST Welder (CAT# 298)
- Black MIG Style Welding Gloves (CAT# 53425)
- A helmet (CAT# 55702)
- Split Back Premium Leather Driver Gloves (CAT# 53124)
- Mild Steel 3/32″ 1 Lb. (CAT# 32001)
- Stick Electrodes E7014
- Mild Steel 1/8″ 1 Lb. (CAT# 32101)
- Depressed Center, 4-1/2″ x 1/4″ X 5/8″-11 Arbor A24R (CAT# 71819)
- Grinding Wheel, Metal Type 27
- Wire Scratch Brush with Curved Wood Handle, 13-3/4″ x .014″ (CAT# 70504)
This kit is perfect for home use with its voltage of 120 volts and it is light weighted.
TIPS: The machine performs excellently with the following rods 6010, 6011, 6013, 7010, 7018, 8010, aluminum rods, stainless rods, etc.
Although, the 7018 rod requires much more experience and practice;
100st can handle steel from 1/8″ to 3/32″, while for aluminum, there should be proper prepping and following the right procedure, it can handle up to 3/32 aluminum rod;
The welding leads are 15”, so if you need to go farther than the machine while welding, you can make longer welding leads, but you need to use a welding cable guide.
The Little Torch by Smith Equipment
The Little Torch has a very lightweight construction and is designed for meeting different types of industry requirements starting from fusion welding, heating, brazing, and soldering materials that are ranging from ultra-fine wires to 3/16” metal.
The tips included in this package are providing a vast range of flame sizes that are offering flexibility for performing different types of tasks.
Even though some of the users will say that the hose is not that long (8’ – 2.4m), still it has great flexibility that allows maximum welding control.
It is made of special material to be compatible with different fuel gasses.
“The Little Torch” works great with any pressurized fuel gas- acetylene, propane, hydrogen, natural gas, propylene, MAPP with oxygen, etc.
In the kit is included an 11-1101C torch and #3-7 curved tips.
This torch is precise and versatile, it is very easy to use, it has great power output (it can be used for a few hundred hours straight), and the settings don’t change due to movements.
According to this, It’s no wonder why this product is a must-have in the jewelry industry.
One of the downsides is that there are included standard large fittings, so you need to make sure that the connections will fit on your regular outlets.
Welding glasses shade 5 are not included in this kit, so you need to buy them additionally.
TIPS: Getting the rosebud tip will offer you great possibilities.
Also, the regulator pressure must be set as per the written instruction because if it’s set too high, might blow out every time you are moving around.
Goplus Gas Welding Cutting Torch Kit
This tool kit is great for both cutting and welding. All tools included in this tool kit are high-quality, which makes them more durable and perfect for long-time use.
You have everything you need for different types of welding works, such as portable welding, brazing, rivet cutting, soldering, hard-facing, metal heating process, and more while using the oxygen-acetylene method.
All of the tools and accessories are packed in a suitcase with a handle, which makes it very convenient for you to carry them everywhere.
Also, the case helps in keeping your tools clean and tidy.
Goplus Gas Welding Cutting Torch Kit is great for seasoned professionals or amateur metalworkers. The kit includes the following parts:
- Oxygen regulator
- Acetylene regulator
- Cutting attachment
- Cutting handle
- Cutting nozzle
- Heating pipe
- 3 Welding pipes
- Tip cleaner
- Welding Goggles
- Spark lighter
- 4.0m twin color gas rubber hose with connector
- A wrench.
When it comes to user experience, opinions are divided. Some of the users are content with the kit’s high-quality and practical use, while others are pretty unsatisfied.
Some of the mentioned downsides are:
The acetylene regulator is allowing the line pressure to go to 25psi, which can create an explosion;
The parts included in the kit are not very precise.
TIPS: If you are not sure about what is the size of the tanks on which the regulators will work, the answer is that any gauges can work on any bottle as long as you set the regulators to the exact amount of psi written on the bottle.
If you want to cut a 1/2″ thick steel i-beam, you should get your acetylene to gauge up to 10 psi, and the oxygen starts at 60 psi.
Goplus MIG 130 Welder with a Mask
Goplus MIG 130 Welder is an exquisite MIG gas welder. With its stainless steel body, it is great for welding iron and normal thin steel.
The welder is also painted with yellow durable color, which makes its use even more lasting.
This kit is great for DIY projects and general repairing works at home. It is very practical, light-weighted, and can be used anywhere you need it.
In case you want to use it daily or do any production, it is better if you purchase a stronger machine and better brand since this machine is not that professional.
It has 4 levels for adjusting the welding speed from 1-2 Min, to 1-2 Max. Another feature is adjusting the wire feeding speed, using a rotary knob.
Depending on your needs you can choose between 10 levels of speed. This is the main feature a lot of people are choosing for this kit.
While welding uses a Flux-Cored wire and self-releasing metal-inert gas, which helps in preventing welded parts to oxidate.
One of the downsides is that in this kit there are no welding gloves, so you need to make an additional purchase.
TIPS: Depending on your welding you can buy around 2lb spools of E71T-11 (multi-pass), E71T-GS (single pass), or INE “Green Label” from .030”-0.35” diameter.
Make sure that the wire is not made in China. The maximum thickness of the steel can be up to ¼. You can also use INE’s .035 wire.
Forney 140 Welder Start-Up Kit
As the name says, this kit is perfect for beginner welders. In this kit are included all of the most basic accessories for welding:
- Welding helmet (Forney 55666) with adjustable ratcheting headgear, shade 10 “Bandit I”;
- Grey leather welding gloves (Forney 55200), size: large;
- Chipping hammer (Forney 70600) with anti-shock handle, straight head 10-1/2″;
- Scratch brush (Forney 70505) with carbon steel and wooden handle 10-1/4″ x .014.
TIP: Based on user experience, most of the people who have used this product are not very satisfied with the color of the helmet lens.
The #10 shade is very dark, and you would probably need to buy an additional helmet with a lighter lens, for example, shade #8.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a welding kit used for?
- Motorsports – in most Motorsports, bikes or cars and their parts are made of metal and need to be custom made. Welders are required not only for building the vehicles but also to repair and maintain them
- Auto-repair shops are using welding on a daily basis, whether is doing different repairs or securing new panels to the vehicles
- For heating metal in automotive industries for removing seized bolts or loosening seized fasteners
- Jewelry welding is allowing the jeweler to attach two different metal parts of jewelry together by using heat and solder. A soldering torch is one of the most essential tools for repairing and making jewelry
- Construction – Welding is one of the most essential processes in building bridges or civil engineering projects where the use of metal I-beams is very common in building highway bridges and big commercial buildings
- Boilermakers are very experienced welders who are working on blast furnaces, bridges, power generation plants, ships, engineering projects, etc., and they are responsible for repairing, re-piping, or re-tubing hot water pipes, commercial steam pipes, boiler tanks, and more
- Glass industry for fire polishing
- Joining or cutting non-ferrous and ferrous metals with the exception of brass
- Hardfacing – harder material is welded on a base metal.
What is a welding torch kit?
This is a welding kit that uses a torch instead of the other type of welding machine.
The torch has a valve and connection for the oxygen and a valve and connection for the fuel gas, then a handle so it can be grasped and a mixing chamber (where oxygen and fuel gas mix) with a tip where the flame is forming.
- The welding torch is used for welding metals. You can identify this torch by its one or two pipes that are running to the nozzle, two valve knobs on the handle for adjusting the oxygen and fuel flow, and there is no trigger for oxygen-blasting.
- A cutting torch is used for cutting materials. This torch is similar to the welding torch with the exception that this torch has an oxygen blast trigger. The cutting process is contained by heating the metal until is red, then by pressing the oxygen trigger blast, heated parts are supplied with oxygen. This way the oxygen is reacting with the metal and produces heat.
- Rosebud torch is used for heating materials meant for straightening, bending, etc. the flame at the end of the tip looks like a rosebud, from which it received its name.
Should you rent a welding kit or buy it?
Nowadays, welding kits especially the ones that have a welding torch aren’t that expensive and can be easily purchased.
If you are facing the dilemma of whether to buy or rent a welding kit, here are some points you need to consider:
- If you plan to use your welding kit for multiple projects buy, if you need a welding kit for one or two times only, consider renting out the equipment;
- Your level of welding skills – If you are a skilled welder you can rent out welding equipment, but there always is a chance that the rented machine is defective, and if you are not that competent you risk damaging it;
- If you have a bigger project on your hands consider renting a welding kit as an addition to your existing one. You don’t have to make such capital expenses for purchasing a bigger volume of equipment.
Final Thoughts
I hope you find this article helpful in choosing the most suitable welding kit for home, not just for beginner welders but also for more skilled ones.
Before making the decision think of all additional costs regarding accessories, power requirements, and more.
Take your time in making a purchasing decision.
