by James Anderson | Last Updated on February 17, 2023
Welding ½ inch steel isn’t anyone’s piece of cake. Not every expensive welder is capable of welding thicker materials. It’s necessary to purchase a welder that has all the specifications to work on ½ steel materials.
MIG welding is highly preferred for its outstanding performance with little or no experience in welding. Hence, we have reviewed some of the best MIG Welder for ½ Steel that won’t disappoint you at all. Continue reading to find out the desired one.
Table of Contents
5 Best MIG Welder for ½ Steel
1. Hobart Handler 190 MIG Welder
Who doesn’t want an incredibly performing welder? An excellent welder offers maximum versatility and quality performance. You might be excited to know that Hobart 500554 Handler 190 makes your job easy-peasy giving you better control abilities and speed varieties. It features 7 unique voltage selections and limitless speed controls that provide the welders more flexibility to outperform any welding task.
Did you know that Hobart Handler 190 has been rated as the best MIG welder for ½ inch steel workpieces? Well, it is capable of welding beyond that too. It works splendidly on household fixings and buildings, garage works that involve steel, aluminum, and other stainless steel materials. The welder can weld 24 gauge to 5/16″ with professionalism, good penetration, and neat welds.
Key Features:
- Hobart Handler 190 MIG welder is designed in a way to meet both beginners and professionals demands. It ensures top-quality performance on whichever metal pieces it is given. Thus, it is an all-rounder welder that comes with important features and accessibilities.
- We love that the welder comes with a spool gun that smoothens the overall welding process to deliver the best results. Welding ½ inch materials is a no-brainer with all the accessories included in the machine.
- It runs on a 30% duty cycle and overheats protection to prevent overheating and mishaps.
2. Eastwood Mig 250 Amp MIG Welder
A wonderful welder that has tons of features and upgrades you would never go wrong. Eastwood Mig Welder is a big toy that has a heartwarming duty cycle of 60% at 250 Amps. What this implies, the Eastwood welders will get your tasks done swiftly. It’s an industrial welder that weighs only 70lbs to transfer hassle-free at your job site, workshops, and distant places.
Welding ½ inch material is tough but this power-packed welder is fabulous on ¼ inch plates to 1/2″ once. The unit operates on both 120V and 240V outlets. Another good feature about the welder is the infinitely adjustable controls that make this welder a reliable tool.
Key Features:
- This little welder also comes with a spool gun to weld aluminum and other metals of the kind. It weighs way lesser yet the tool is no less in power and performance.
- The lightweight design makes the welder portable. Also, the 10 inches torch and ground cables add a plus to move around your projects.
- Eastwood Mig Welder has a good penetration in an affordable price range.
3. Forney 318 MIG Welder
Welders who are looking for a simple welder with minimum features; Forney 318 MIG Welder is a good choice. It is an entry-level welder that can be used at houses, automotive, farms, and basic repairings.
Forney MIG welder is a basic tool yet ensures users are satisfied with the quality performance. Handling 3/8 inches to ½ inches steel is soothing and top-notch in quality. A significant characteristic of the welder is the cast aluminum wire drive system which makes this MIG welder a perfect tool for steel welding.
Key Features:
- Forney 318 MIG welder utilizes a 220V input power that accomplishes any difficult tasks that is always a burden for you.
- It features 6 distinctive voltage settings to adjust according to your preferred range.
- The welder weighs 63 lbs only and has an integrated handle on top to transport with anywhere you go.
4. 2021 Everlast PowerMIG
Do you have to frequently travel to job sites with a heavy welder? This 2021 Everlast PowerMIG is an extremely lightweight inverter MIG welder. It incorporates a digital IGBT inverter that surprises welders with minimum spatter and stable performance.
Well, this welder isn’t just lightweight. It has some fantastic features that let anyone fall for it. The digital displays show the amp and volts for precise and clear adjustments when required. For the price, the welder is awesome with SMAW (Stick) welding when MIG isn’t in force.
Key Features:
- The welder weighs only 28 lbs because of the smaller transformer. It is easy to carry around and saves a lot of space.
- 2021 Everlast PowerMIG is a dual voltage unit and thus you can plug it anywhere without any second thought.
- The amperage rating of the welder is 25-140A. It can weld continuously weld 6 minutes in a 10-minute cycle which fastens any ½ inch steel joining.
- The welder can weld a variety of materials with ease and has all the necessary equipment to get started.
5. Miller Electric MIG Welder
For welders who are ready to spend a handful of bucks to get extra features, we recommend purchasing Miller Electric. This 240V MIG is excellent on ½ inch steel because of its greater efficiency. The on-demand cooling fan makes no noise to let you work in a peaceful environment.
Our favorite part of the welder is, it doesn’t compromise on either flux core and MIG welding giving you the versatility and higher efficiency in both pro. The package comes with a drive system, contact tips, regulator, clamp, and drive roll. Hence, you can get started right after unpacking it.
Key Features:
- Miller Electric can weld all types of material and that too ensuring a spot-on performance. The welds are strong and smooth enough to satisfy professionals
- This unit is intended for professionals who are looking to weld beyond their passion. It’s a powerful dual voltage welder that can weld all types of material
- It has automatic settings for thicker steel pieces to ensure proper wire feed speed and volt.
- The weight is light yet the amazing weld, better penetration, and quality beads are always at your service.
Buyers Guide: Things You Must Know to Purchase the MIG Welder for ½ Steel
Thickness Matters
When purchasing a welder for ½ steel, your foremost duty is to look at the thickness the welder can weld. Without noticing this, you might get an incapable one; worth of nothing. MIG welders are competent to weld 24-gauge up to 1/2-inch thick material. Thus, ensure the welder has a stainless steel cable and thickness range to work perfectly on steel.
Assessing the Amperage
Next, you need to assess the amperage settings of the welder. This is important because the more the amperage the thicker the metal pieces it can work on flawlessly. A ½ inch steel would require a 250-amp unit whereas you can go for lower amps for 1/4” or 3/8” steel.
Examine Duty Cycle
The duty cycle is a critical factor that gives you an insight into how fast you can weld. It determines the time you can weld non-stop in a 10-minute time. For instance, a 60% duty cycle indicates welding for 6 minutes continuously out of 10 minutes. Welders who are considering welding ½ steel regularly; we suggest getting a MIG welder of longer duty cycle
Evaluate the Voltage
Voltage plays an important role when buying a welder as they vary from one to another. You must ensure the place and location you are probably going to weld. There are quite many dual voltage units that are compatible with any electrical outlet. However, single voltage ones might be troublesome for welding in few places.
Check on the Size
No one would ever want a heavy welder to travel to their job sites regularly. In case, you need to move around places, size matters the most. Make sure the welder is lightweight and easy to carry. Don’t worry the weight wouldn’t affect the performance at all.
Safety First
Though we have listed this at the end, safety comes first and can’t be overlooked. Settle for a welder that has adequate safety protection to save you from accidents. Many welders feature overload thermal protection to prevent overheating. Get the one that’s safest for you.
Bottom Line
This brings us to the very end of the article of ½ steel. Hope you have enjoyed the bits and chosen your desired welder. Are you still puzzled? Don’t worry we have a few top picks for you. We declare the Hobart 500554 Handler 190 the best overall pick for MIG welding ½ inch steel. The limitless controls, long duty cycle, and safety feature have won our hearts. If you are a novice welder or hobbyist looking for a welder for simpler projects, Forney 318 MIG Welder is a perfect choice. 2021 Everlast PowerMIG is the lightest to move around. Wishing you all luck!
Hi, I am James Anderson from Sandy, Utah. Welding has always been part of my life and I love to share my wealth of experience. I have a team of professionals who are knowledgeable about different welding processes. I hope you will be educated and informed on this website, to become better welders.