A 200 amp MIG welder will be powerful enough for most welding tasks. But which 200 amp MIG welder should you spend your hard-earned cash on? This can be a tricky question to answer with all the options available.
So we hit the MIG welder market in search of the best 200 amp MIG welder. We tested a variety of welders and narrowed them down to the following four that we have reviewed below.
Top on our list is the SUNGOLDPOWER 200Amp MIG MAG ARC MMA Stick DC Welder. It has an excellent duty cycle and is a versatile unit.
The runners-up position goes to the 2019 Everlast PowerMIG 200 MIG Stick 200amp welder. And the only reason it comes in at number two is its duty cycle. Other than that it matches the SUNGOLDPOWER in almost all areas.
A quick comparison of Our Top Picks
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How we select our product
Research sample
11 welders were on our list
Experts opinion
7 Experts gave their opinion after investigating those sample
Research Hour
We spent Approx 6 hrs per model
Real User Reviews
211comments were reviewed by our expert team.
Reviews Of best 200 amp MIG welder
Have a look at what each welder has to offer below.
SUNGOLDPOWER 200Amp MIG MAG ARC MMA Stick DC Welder
In terms of overall value, the SUNGOLDPOWER 200 amp welder is on top. It is an affordable welding machine that manages to maintain a high level of quality. Let’s see what it offers.
Versatile welding
This welding machine is capable of MIG and sticks welding. Moreover, it can handle gas and gasless MIG welding. It is a dual voltage welder capable of running on either a 110v or a 220v power plug.
In terms of the materials you can weld, this unit can handle welding steel and aluminum. There is a selector switch for changing between the default MIG gun and a spool gun. The latter is not included, though.
Power
The power output of this welder ranges from 50 to 200 amps for MIG welding. This means it is suited to welding thicker sheets of metal. The 60% duty cycle is an added bonus. For stick welding, the output can go as low as 20 amps.
Easy to use
When it comes to ease of use, this welder is relatively easy to use. You get an adjustable wire feed speed of between 1.5 to 16m/min. The voltage is also adjustable to set suitable weld conditions for different welding tasks.
Pros
- The voltage and wire feed speed can be adjusted.
- Is capable of flux-core, gas MIG stick welding
- This is a dual-voltage welding machine that can run on both a 110v or a 220v power plug.
- Comes with a MIG torch and earth clamp included
- Also included are gasless and gas nozzles.
Cons
- The spool gun has to be purchased separately.
- Weighing 42 pounds, it is not the most lightweight welding machine.
2019 Everlast PowerMIG 200 MIG Stick 200amp welder
The versatile Everlast Power MIG stick welder can best be described as a complete package. In addition to being versatile, it has all the accessories you need to start welding right out of the box.
IGBT inverter
The first thing to note about this welder is that it can run on a standard 110v power supply or a 220v power supply. With its digital IGBT inverter, it is easy to switch between the two without the need for additional wiring.
Furthermore, this unit can handle both stick and MIG welding. Switching between the two welding processes is also easy.
Spool gun included
Most welders that are designed to weld aluminum do not have a spool gun, including forcing you to spend extra money on one. The Everlast Power MIG does not fall under that category. The welder comes with both a MIG and spool gun included.
Thus with it, you can weld steel as well as aluminum, without having to buy any additional accessories.
Eurostyle Quick Coupler
If you want to purchase an aftermarket MIG gun to use with your Everlast Power MIG welder, you can. This is thanks to the Eurostyle Quick Coupler that allows for the use of aftermarket guns. Thus you do not need to purchase a new welder to use a different MIG gun.
Pros
- Overall we found this welder to be easy to use
- This welder produces less spatter than other machines
- Is a dual voltage unit and its easy to switch between 110v or 220v
- Comes with all necessary accessories included, including an air regulator and a spool gun for aluminum welding
- Accommodates the use of aftermarket MIG guns
Cons
- The knobs are analog and can be challenging to adjust.
- The spool is sloppy and hard to fix.
Weldpro 200 Amp Inverter Multi Process Welder
We found the Weldpro 200 amp inverter multi-process welder to be suited for beginners. However, it offers quite a lot in terms of features to interest pros as well.
Multi-function
This is a multi-purpose welder capable of MIG, TIG, and stick welding. Furthermore, it is capable of both flux-core and gas MIG welding. This makes it one of the most versatile welders in its price point.
Easy to adjust
When MIG welding, you can adjust both the wire feed speed and voltage at the same time. This is great as it saves time. For increased fine-tuning, you can adjust the voltage by +/- 20%. This adds a level of flexibility that pros will love.
Power
It has a power output of 200 amps, which is sufficient to weld ¼ inch mild steel plates. However, it can also TIG weld 14gauge thin metal sheets. Its 30% duty cycle at 200 amps might not be the best, but it is still sufficient.
Pros
- Voltage and wire feed speed can be adjusted simultaneously.
- Weighing 30 pounds, it is lightweight enough for carrying.
- It is easy enough to use for most welders.
- Is capable of stick, MIG and TIG welding
- This is a dual-voltage unit that can run on either a 110v or a 220v power supply.
Cons
- The duty cycle could be better.
- Does not have aluminum welding capabilities out of the box
TOOLIOM 200A MIG Welder Dual Voltage welder
TOOLIOM might not be the most recognizable name in the industry, but its 200 amp MIG welder is a pretty decent unit. Its cost is not too shabby either considering its features. So what are some of its best features?
Power
In terms of power, this unit does not disappoint with a power output of 200 amps. With this output, it can comfortably handle welding 5/32 inch steel plates. Also, it can be powered by a standard 110v power input.
You can also use an adapter to plug it into a 230v power plug.
Multi-function
One of the best things about this unit is its multi-function capabilities. It can handle both TIG and MIG welding. In regards to MIG welding, it is capable of both flux-core and gas MIG welding. And while there is no lift TIG torch included, it is understandable given its price.
Safety features
Inside, the unit comes with automatic thermal overload protection, that keeps it protected from current overloads. Also, inside the unit is a heavy-duty cooling fan that handles heat dissipation excellently.
Pros
- Weighing 20.5 pounds, it is not overly bulky and is manageable to carry
- Is a multi-function unit capable of TIg and both flux core and gas MIG welding?
- This machine has an excellent stable arc
- For the features, it offers it is an affordable unit.
- Can run on a standard household 110v power plug
Cons
- The ground clamp is not the best, and it is advisable to buy another.
- The unit is not easy to set up especially for newbies.
Uses of a 200 amp MIG welder
- Auto Body fabrication works.
- Used for sheet metal welding
- Pressure vessels fabrication
- Home improvement welding projects
200 amp MIG welding TIPs and tricks
1. Get a copper ground clamp
Some MIG welders nowadays come with default ground clamps plated steel and a little bit of copper at the tips. These kinds of ground clamps are terrible, and you should not rely on one.
Instead, get a ground clamp made from copper. A bad ground clamp can damage your welding machine.
2. Take note of the stick out
Stick Out is the distance between the MIG welding tip and the arc. A longer stick out is recommended for welding thin sheets of metal. On the flip side, keep the stick out to below ½ inches when welding thick sheets of metal.
3. Set the wire feed speed
Most 200 amp welding machines have adjustable wire feed speeds. It is essential to set the correct speed. Too high a speed and it will cause burn through. Ideally, welding machines come with charts to guide you on the wire feed speed.
In the absence of any guiding material, you can use multiplication. For .030 inch wire multiply with 2 inches per amp to get 250 ipm. For 0.35 inch wire multiply with 1.6 inches per amp to get 125 ipm.
how to choose a 200 amp MIG welder
When shopping for a 200 amp welding machine there are a couple of things you need to consider; These are;
How Versatile is your Welding Machine:
Depending on your welding tasks, a versatile machine that is capable of more than one welding process is recommended. This will make it easier for you to weld thin sheets of metal when need is or perform MIG welding outside with flux core wires.
Welders such as the Weldpro 200 Amp Inverter Multi-Process Welder, are great because of this. This model can handle TIG, MIG, and stick welding, saving you the cost of purchasing multiple welding units.
How Long is Your machine Duty cycle is:
duty cycle is how long a welder can run continuously before overheating. It is usually indicated in percentage. As such, a 30% duty cycle means a welder can run for 3 minutes continuously before overheating.
A higher duty cycle is always recommended. For a 200 amp MIG welder, a 60% duty cycle is ideal. The best 200 amp MIG welder for the money will typically have a duty cycle of at least 30%.
What accessories are included in the box:
Some welders will come with the ability to weld aluminum but without the necessary equipment. A good welder will have all the accessories you need to get started right out of the box.
An excellent example of this is the 2019 Everlast PowerMIG 200 MIG Stick 200amp welder, which comes with a spool gun and other accessories included.
Frequently Asked questions
Q-1: How thick can a 200 amp MIG welder weld?
Ans: Generally speaking, a 200 amp MIG welder will be suited to welding thicker sheets of metal. For MIG welding the general rule of thumb is 1 amp for every .001 inch of thickness. As such, a 200 amp welder will be ideal for welding ¼ inch and ½ inch thick sheets of metal.
While some people use a 180 amp MIG welder to weld ½ inch metal, the penetration is not good.
Q-2: How do I know what amp to weld at?
Ans: This largely depends on the electrode being used and the thickness of the material being weld. A 5/32 inch electrode will weld great with an amperage of more than 200 amps. As for the material, thinner sheets of metal require a lower amperage. On the other hand, thicker sheets require a higher amperage.
Q-3: What size breaker do I need for a 200 amp welder?
Ans: For a 200 amp welder, you need a 30 to 40 amp breaker. For a 115v welder, a 20 to 30 amp breaker will be ideal.
Q-4: How much KVA does it take to run a 200 amp welder?
Ans: The KVA will depend on the voltage. A 200 amp welder using 90 volts will take 18Kw or about 22.5 KVA to run. On the other hand, a 200 amp welder running on a 50 voltage will take 10Kw or 12.5 KVa.
Q-5: How many watts does a 200 amp welder use?
Ans: A 200 amp welder will use 4900 watts as the starting and 4900 running wattage.
Conclusion
The best 200 amp MIG welder, needs to do more than just MIG welding. For this reason, on our list, we picked versatile welders capable of other welding processes. Additionally, the right MIG welder needs to be suited to your overall welding needs.
**See our another review of 250 amp MIG welder for the money