Owning a welder is a game-changer. Suddenly, broken backyard furniture and car parts can be brought into the garage, sanded down, and repaired. Saving money is just the beginning. A whole world of opportunity opens when you have a welder in your home or shop. The problem most people have when they start looking for a welder is that many of them require 220v power.
That’s a big problem. Most homes don’t have 20amp breakers outside. And generators with 20amp plugs cost more than the welding machine. But there’s an answer to both these problems: a 110v MIG welder. These convenient and lightweight devices can weld mild steel and they don’t require months of training or lots of power.
One quick search on Amazon proves you have no shortage of 110v welder options. That’s why I created this list. Below, you’ll find a product that fits your search for the best 110v MIG welder. Check my reviews below to find out which one suits your needs and your budget.
Contents
- Top Five 110v MIG Welders – Comparison
- Reviews for the Best 110v MIG Welder
Top Five 110v MIG Welders – Comparison
| Model | Max Amp | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| VivoHome Flux Core Welder | 130 | 36.2 pounds | Check Price |
| Weldpro Multi Process Welder | 200 | 30.4 pounds | Check Price |
| Super Deal PRO Welder | 130 | 38 Pounds | Check Price |
| SUNGOLDPOWER Welder | 140 | 32.8 Pounds | Check Price |
| Display4top Home Welder | 130 | 18 Pounds | Check Price |
Reviews for the Best 110v MIG Welder
VivoHome Portable Flux Core MIG Welder
VivoHome excels as a home improvement and lifestyle brand with a special interest in saving you time and money. Their products span a motley collection of categories. From deep fryers to inflatable movie screens, this overseas company creates useful tools with inventive features.
The VivoHome Portable Flux Core MIG Welder sits at my number one spot because it’s an exceptional example of price point and functionality. This is a flux core machine utilizing gasless welding. Flux core machines aren’t technically welding with MIG technology. Instead, they run spools of wire with flux housed inside a metal sheath.
For the at-home welder or beginner, flux core meets all your needs. You get effective weld potential that requires low power. This 110v welder will work on your garage power source. I recommend dedicating a breaker for your VivoHome welder or you’ll pop it a few times on longer welding projects.
Like most 110v welders, the VivoHome works best on light gauge steel or mild steel. Some customers have boasted welds of upwards of 1/4 inch thick, but I can’t vouch for it. The set up out of the box couldn’t be easier. After unboxing the machine, you plug in the gun to the unit and the unit to the wall. Then flip the machine on and you’re ready to weld.
As a budget device, you lose a few features that the more expensive welders offer. For example, the welding gun doesn’t have a contact trigger. That means so long as the machine is running, the tip will engage. You can avoid needless injury or accidents by always knowing where the tip is and turning off the machine before placing the handle on the floor.
With the VivoHome Portable Flux Core MIG Welder you get a smattering of extras designed to make your first welding experience or 110v-worthy projects easy, including a welding gun, grounding clamp, welding helmet, welding wire brush, contact tips, and starter spool of flux core wire.
Loading wire into the inside unit takes less time than with other budget machines. The tension knob adjustments can be felt right away. That means finding the ideal setting to weld with flux core wire requires little fuss. Even better, the VivoHome welder ranks as one of the lightest machines I’ve reviewed. Weighing 36 pounds, I found that hauling the device around in a truck bed or trunk of a Honda Civic can be done without help.
Professionals often berate 110v welding machines for their lack of power and dependability. With the VivoHome Portable Flux Core MIG Welder, their concerns are proven wrong. With an easy setup and quick adjustment knob on the wire feed, I consider this one of the best 110v welders you can buy.
2020 Weldpro 200 Multi-Process 3-in-1 Welder
Weldpro is a multi-national company that Americans have trusted for years. Their parent company, Linlong, has years of experience in heavy construction industries, such as oil rigging and large machinery fabrication. You’ll see their welders and plasma cutters in shops from Minnesota to Oregon.
The 2020 Weldpro 200 boasts an impressive set of features. Unlike my number one pick, this machine can adapt to the changing needs of hobbyists and small shops with multiple projects. The multi-process design supports three types of welding. In one machine you get MIG, Lift TIG, and Stick capabilities. For the beginner, stick welding allows you to quickly learn the basic skills without any need for inert shielding gas.
But the true potential of the 2020 Weldpro can be found in its MIG and TIG welding processes. I loved the adaptable synergic system. This is rare in a welder under one thousand dollars. When using flux core or MIG wire, the machine will automatically adapt your voltage to your wire speed. That means no fussing around with voltages as you muck up a weld. I found this can help those learning MIG welding or that simply needs a quick welding machine with intuitive controls.
To be on my list, a welder must perform well with 110v power. Thankfully, this machine outpaces a slew of other welders I’ve tested. Because it’s so easy to control the voltage, you won’t trip a breaker needlessly. Keep in mind that those of you interested in Lift TIG welding will need to find a 220v switch. That’s because this machine can switch between the two voltages.
Weighing 30 pounds, you can easily cart this welder around to your sons-in-law or neighbors without straining your back. The steel handle atop the device feels sturdy. Since it’s built into the frame of the machine, it won’t come loose. The wire drive housing can be accessed through the side panel. This 2020 Weldpro comes installed with a plastic wire drive with cast-aluminum parts. It’s built well and easy to feed wire and adjust the tension.
I found the manual inside the box explains the logistics and front panel well. As this is a popular welder, if you have trouble there’s plenty of tutorials and forum threads online to pull you out of a jam. The machine includes everything you need for MIG and TIG welding. All you need is some consumables and you’re ready to go!
Super Deal PRO Commercial MIG 130 AC Flux Core Welder
One look at the products sold by Super Deal will tell you that they’re in the business of crafting affordable home appliances that save consumers money. What caught my attention with Super Deal is that consumers rave about the quality of their products. But can they manufacture a solid welder at a fraction of the cost?
Ranking as one of the cheapest welders I’ve ever tested, the Super Deal PRO Commercial MIG 130 AC Flux Core Welder shouldn’t perform as well as it does. This is a flux core welder with AC functionality that reliably welds mild steel on 110v power sockets. With no set up required, you can be welding less than five minutes after removing this machine from the box.
Super Deal fabricated the outer shell from durable PVC material. It’s a thick plastic casing that cuts down the weight to under 40 pounds. For those that hope to transport their welder from one house to another, this is a great option. My only gripe with the outer shell is the handle seems a little flimsy. I like that it’s built into the case, but it bends slightly when you lift it.
As an AC flux core welder, the Super Deal PRO ships with everything you need for wire-feed gasless welding. In the box, you’ll find the welder, earth clamp, and wire gun affixed to the machine. You also get a sample spool of wire, face mask, chipping hammer, and two contact tips. I recommend purchasing more flux core wire as the sample won’t last but a few sessions at most.
The fantastic price comes with a few minor drawbacks. The torch gun’s trigger lacks responsiveness. Once I got used to it, I had no problems. But expect to waste some wire practicing the engagement as it seems to change on you from one pull to another. Because the clamp and power cable is affixed to the machine, once they fray or split, the whole device must be tossed.
These problems aside, beginners and project junkies will love the performance of this little welder. The machine welds consistently, which helps newcomers learn to drag a weld across a seam. The AC technology installed in the onboard circuit panels adapts to the changing requirements of your weld. This means it’ll adjust the inductance from one second to another, cutting out your need to focus on your settings.
SUNGOLDPOWER MIG 140A Gas and Gasless Welder
Sungoldpower offers customers affordable industrial tools at discount prices. But unlike the troves of companies trying to catch your attention with shiny yet low-quality products, theirs have consistently reviewed well on hobbyist websites.
A friend of mine suggested I try Sungoldpower’s MIG 140A Gas and Gasless Welder late last year. He had been using it for quick projects around their farm. After one afternoon with the machine, I knew I had to buy one myself. This is a solidly constructed welding machine that can MIG and flux core weld without overheating. I love its 110v power option, which outputs more power than the average budget welder.
From the second you take this machine out of the box you’ll love its hot rod red outer shell. Sungold covered the corners of the metal case with rubber to save the sealed edges from curling away from the frame. Unlike other products on this list, this one ships with dual voltage functionality. You can operate it at home with a 110v plug or through a generator outputting 220v. This provides beginners lots of value for their investment.
Another benefit of the MIG 140A is its MIG and flux core functionality. With the IGBT inverter technology, welding shielded gas MIG with the device is easy. That’s because it steps up or down your voltage to match your wire speed. You must make the initial adjustments, but once you feel a good arc, the machine deals with the rest.
The MIG 140A Gas and Gasless Welder by Sungold ships with everything you need to begin flux core welding. This includes the MIG torch, earth clamp with 59” of cord, sample flux core wire spool, mask, and chipping brush. To MIG weld, you’ll need to buy a spool of wire and rent shielding gas.
For those just starting their welding journey, be warned that the manual included in the box won’t help you very much. The translation lacks the syntax to get any meaning across. Thankfully, this is a popular welder online, with plenty of videos and articles on how to land smooth beads.
Whether you operate with 110v or 220v power, the MIG 140A Gas and Gasless Welder delivers excellent penetration. With the right settings, you can easily weld 1/4” mild steel. That’s rare in this price range.
Display4top Portable No Gas MIG 130
With products in over a dozen subcategories, Display4top knows how to manufacture quality items to a smattering of customers. Their Portable No Gas MIG 130 packs lots of value into a small and affordable package.
Like my number one pick, this is a gasless flux core welder with a durable outer shell made of stainless steel. This helps keep the inner circuitry safe in garages and shops where heavy items are likely to fall and puncture it. From the small stature of this machine, I didn’t think it could outperform some of the expensive welders I’ve used in the past.
But even with the sample spool of budget flux core wire that ships with the machine, the performance of this welder wowed me. Rare can a 110v welder function as reliably as this. People that tried flux core five or ten years ago and wrote it off must give the newer generation of budget flux cores a try. They don’t overheat like they used to and match welds I’ve made with expensive MIG machines.
That being said, there are some downsides to the Portable No Gas MIG 130 by Display4top. Like most of these budget welders, the torch that ships with the machine feels cheap and takes some time getting used to its quirks. Loading wire into the side of the machine and attaching the spool seems to require three hands until you understand the logistics of the mechanism. Last, at 18 pounds, sometimes it feels too lightweight!
I love that this welder runs DC inverter. Most of the budget machines opt for AC which can’t output as much power as DC. As the lightest and nearly the most powerful machine on my list, I highly recommend it to newcomers that need an ultra-portable welder with flux core capacity. For professionals or hobbyists that need a backup welder or a machine that they can tote around town, you won’t find a better machine.
What to Consider Before Buying the Best 110v MIG Welder
I’m sure any of my top five picks for the best 110v welder would get the job done. But that doesn’t mean it’s the ideal machine for your specific home set up or situation. So take a look at these helpful reminders before you get too excited and hit that buy button.
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Types of Materials You Weld
Easily the biggest question you need to answer before buying a welder is what types of materials you plan to weld. Although all the products on my list are 110v welders, they vary in the welding processes they use and what they can weld.
A flux core welder won’t be very helpful, for example, if you need to weld thin metals. So take a moment to list your projects. Then match them with the welding processes that can achieve your goals.
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Size of Your Shop
The welders on my list come in different sizes and weights. For those with big shops or empty garages, this isn’t a concern.
But for tiny sheds or backyard setups with very little space, the difference of ten pounds or six inches can change everything. Measure the area you plan to store your welder and buy a machine that fits your dimensions.
Even a 110v breaker consumes a hefty amount of power when used to its limit. Some garage shops and hobby sheds run multiple devices, such as lights, chargers, and fans, on one breaker. Check my reviews for welding machines that operate well on shared breakers and avoid those that need a dedicated circuit. Also, I recommend purchasing AC over DC, as the latter often consumes more power.
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Size of Welding Projects
While you can’t know everything you’ll need to weld, having an idea what kind of welding projects you’ll tackle helps to narrow down your options. Small repair jobs, such as mending fencing or building angle irons, can be done with any welder on my list But if you need to produce consistently clean welds for visible autobody jobs or art projects, then you must stay away from flux core welders.
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Ventilation in Shop or Garage
Each welding process requires different degrees of ventilation. MIG and TIG welders produce gases in a small vicinity. You’ll need a fan system or some other way of ushering air from your workspace outside.
Flux core machines, like my first pick, require more ventilation. That’s because the exposed flux produces thick smoke that lingers. So if you want to run an inexpensive welding machine, you’ll need to include ventilation into your budget.
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Portability versus Functionality
The general rule with welding machines is that the more functionality the heavier the tool. If you need a machine that can weld thick steel or switch from MIG to TIG with minor adjustments, then expect it to weigh anywhere from fifty to eighty pounds.
Conversely, consumers that desire portability must accept that the 20-pound devices won’t have all the cool features found on the larger machines.
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Option for Inert Gas?
No matter what welder you buy, MIG and TIG require tanks of inert gas. Your local hardware store can kit you out with gas tanks. But it’s up to you to prep your workspace. Those that are tight on space or that can’t ensure the safety of the gas tanks must either find another place to store the gas or resolve to use welding processes, such as stick or flux core, that doesn’t need inert gas.
My Verdict
There’s no end to the things you can fix and build with a welder powered on and ready to weld. The machines in my list represent the top picks online. By purchasing from one of the five products above, you’ll have everything you need to begin your next repair or art project within a week. Sounds great, right?
Remember that most of my options have return policies that put the customer first. So don’t be afraid to take my advice and test out one of these affordable and practical devices today. If you want my final opinion, I think you should try the VivoHome Portable Flux Core MIG Welder. This lightweight and affordable machine offer a versatile welding experience, rarely pops 15amp breakers, and should last you years of safe project completion!
