Top 6 Best TIG Welder for Beginners in 2023 Tested

Last updated on November 20th, 2023

Choosing the the best TIG welder for beginners means you’ll probably be looking for a unit that offers user-friendly controls, the potential to enhance your skills, and is economical. If you’ve just started your welding journey, then a limited budget is good. You should not invest much at an early stage.

Fortunately, many excellent welders are not only affordable but are also very easy to use. We have shortlisted some of the best TIG welder for beginners based on their performance, welding result, manufacturer’s market value, our experience, and most notably customer response. Check the below list, you’ll find the ideal unit to work in 2023.

Top 6 Best TIG Welder for Beginners Tested and Compared for 2023

IMAGE	PRODUCT	FACTS	PRICE
	Primeweld TIG 225X	Amazing controls Latest features Simple to use	Check Price
	Weldpro Digital TIG 200GD	Dual voltage welder Digital display Most popular	Check Price
	Lotos TIG 200	Reliable unit Ten years old Fixed frequency	Check Price
	S7 TIG 200A	Cheap unit Easy setup Best for little projects	Check Price
	Yeswelder TIG 205 DS	Stable arc IGBT technology HF arc start	Check Price
	Everlast Powerarc 160STH	Weld Tig/Stick Low power consumption Portable unit	Check Price

1. Primeweld TIG 225X – #1 Best TIG Welder for Beginners in 2023

Newcomers will appreciate PrimeWeld 225 X’s ease of use. The user-friendly layout makes producing high-quality results simple and easy.

The machine’s setup is easy to understand, and functionality is mentioned on every knob. The unit was tested at every mode, and here are its few results.

A maximum of 225 amps on ⅜” steel metal, got a good result with stable and smooth arc. Then, with 110v at 140 amperes, I welded ⅜” stainless steel, 16b gauge aluminum, and 10 gauge aluminum. It performs well on all of the metals with an excellent arc start to the desired result.

The High-frequency pulse’s result on aluminum was satisfactory overall. There’s not much difference between 220v and 110v other than the reduced output on 110v. The machine handles the total spectrum from thick to thin on DC very nicely. Here are the results to show you.

A high-quality foot pedal is optimized at a proper angle, and you can easily control amperes high and low. The pulse frequency is highly adjustable and manageable during welding on thin metals.

The US-made world standard CK 17 torch and other components worked fine. The advanced inverter technology IGBT helps users in precise and clean welding.

Reasons For Its First Choice

The specs of the unit are start and end amp 10-225 with a pulse, 2T/4T control function, Ac balance, and up/downslope. A versatile welding unit with advanced features and components that helps you to complete various projects.

Primeweld has given the 225 X an edge in a highly competitive market by its decent look and ‘proper welding’ functional design.

The company offers a 3 years warranty with 24/7 customer support. In this price bracket, it’s challenging to find such an amazing product with all these features. Another fantastic point about the machine is that it has 90% plus positive customer reviews. You can realize the worth of the device.

 

2. Weldpro Digital TIG 200GD – Best Aluminum TIG Welder for Beginners in 2023

What about trying the Weldpro 200GD? The 200GD is a Weldpro’s classic, having a stylish look with impressive welding capabilities, and its heavy-duty connections and components give you a vast range of welding options. It is a fine stick welder as well. Here is its performance on few metals.

We welded a 1/16” aluminum metal at 40 amps with a 30% Ac balance. At 110v, we welded thin aluminum metals without using a pulse function. You can examine the correctness, smoothness, and precision of the weld bead in a given image.

It produced excellent results overall in every test, and one drawback is that it has no lift start, only HF start.  Arc was very stable and smooth throughout the testing.

Users want a responsive foot pedal, and 200Gd has a fine responsive foot pedal. Its ac balance feature works well, and you can get clean and penetrating results. Working on thin metals pulse frequency is mandatory, so it has a fantastic pulse feature, even we welded some thin metals without a pulse. For ac, it can go as low as 5 amps, and for dc, it can go down to 10 amps.

Why it’s second choice?

Few notable features are upslope, downslope, pre/post flow, and Ac balance. The unit has a digital display with advanced inverter technology and unique large-scale components. It allows users to choose DC welding for steel and other metals and AC welding for aluminum. Due to its easy controls, it is considered the best TIG welder for beginners.

The unit has two types, CK-17 torch and Euro torch, and both have different prices, but Ck 17 torch type is better, according to me, because it is lighter and more reliable. It is the most featured-packed welder in this range. The company gives a 3 years warranty with free customer support.

 

3. Lotos TIG 200 – Best Entry Level TIG Welder for Beginners

Although it’s now almost ten years old, the TIG 200 is still one of the Lotos’ best entry-level TIG welders. Lotos is still making them, so it’s not going to discontinue soon.

Lotos 200 is available at a discounted price, particularly on Amazon. A reliable machine that uses inverter technology to enable accurate and precise welding of aluminum and other metals.

The machine works tremendously and works flawlessly out of the box. We welded a small aluminum box with no errors. It successfully welded ⅜” aluminum with multiple passes.

The pulse feature is not included, so welding on thinner metals is tricky, but for thicker metals, it’s perfect. The foot pedal was excellent overall. Although it’s not a very high standard pedal but suitable for beginners.

According to me, if you’re working under 115v, 30 amps input is enough, and for under 230v, 24-26 amps input is good.

It’s the only variant in the Lotos brand that gives ac output. Don’t forget that it is sensitive to having a good constant current.

A fantastic thing about the machine is that you don’t need a bunch of settings to operate. Every function has its knob, fix the settings and run.

Some important features of the machine are Ac square wave inverter, automatic heat control, dual voltage, and dual frequency. It has a fixed frequency of 50/60 hertz. An ideal choice for homeowners and weekend hobbyist type guys who want industrial-quality features in an economical welder.

Although this machine is cheap, it does not mean that it has few features or low performance. It is still better than many other models at this price. The company backed unit with 1 year warranty and 30 days refund.

 

4. S7 TIG 200A – Best Beginner TIG Welder for the Money

It is the cheapest unit on this list for beginners and gives a good value for money. We considered a Mophorn welder instead of an S7, but this performed better than it so it couldn’t be left out. S7 can weld all types of steel, cast iron, copper, and chrome.

On ¼” steel and ⅛” steel, the unit performs very brilliantly. During welding, safety measures should be taken because arc produce radiations, which can harm you. No complicated setup, just set the required measurements and run the machine. For minor to medium projects, it’s okay.

We were surprised to see that neither a strike’s start welder nor a lift start welder, but it’s a hf start welder. Experts know the importance of a machine that has high-frequency start. Its fixed frequency and 80% duty cycle raise the performance of the unit.

It is optimized in such a way to produce errorless weld, and it makes spatter and post-weld cleanup almost non-existent.

The company does not provide a foot pedal, so you have to buy it. People complain about the inconsistency of Chinese welders, but it is smooth and stable.

It is best for little and medium projects in homes and shops. Instead of a warranty, the company offers a return policy, so read it carefully when purchasing.

 

5. Yeswelder TIG 205 DS – Best TIG Welder for Beginners and Hobbyists

Another best deal and TIG welder for beginners and hobbyists. The Yeswelder 205 is light and compact but looks and feels like an old welder, often used in training schools.

Best of all, it has IGBT soft switch technology with excellent arc stability. Its 15-200 amperes range is quite suitable for thin stuff.

On ⅛” steel, at 90 amps and 110v with 3/32 tungsten electrodes, it was an excellent result. The hf arc start was impressive, and the foot pedal was fine, but it was a little less responsive.

In a second test, we welded hydraulic jack parts and joined them.  It’s a pro tip that set the welder’s setting according to the material to get good outcomes. Here is the result:

Why it’s best?

The unit comes with finger control, so it can help if you’re working without a foot pedal. Its foot pedal is not variable; it’s just on and off. HF arc start works well, and it’s far better than lift arc or scratch start arc.

The HF arc start improves the tungsten life, and the exciting thing is that the hf service guarantees a startup at 100%. It uses the transistor bridge technology, which helps in continuous current rectification, and it increases the unit’s efficiency to 85%.

The main specs of the unit are over current and voltage protection, auto temperature control, high-frequency start, and dual voltage. Its automatic temperature control feature keeps the machine cool in the long run.

Instead of a warranty company offering a returnable policy. For beginners and homeowners, this device is ideal, you will enjoy it. For pure home tig welding units, check this best tig welder for homes.

 

6. Everlast Powerarc 160STH – Best Everlast Beginner TIG Welder

The welder 160STH is a wonderful option and a best TIG welder for beginners because it is well-structured, balanced, and cheap.

It comes basically with everything that you need to go ahead and start welding. The machine’s excellent feature is how simple it is to set up and use.

The unit uses IGBT inverter technology, which increases the machine’s performance. A surprising thing about the device is that it comes with both HF and Lift start options.

You may use high frequency arc start in terrible weather conditions, and a lift start is preferable when you’re not using a foot pedal.

The fantastic feature is an auto arc that helps in smooth welding results. During the test, the arc was stable and smooth, and we got good beads. Unfortunately, it has no AC output, and you can weld metals like steel, mild steel, carbon, and chrome.

The essential features of the machine are auto-arc function, digital amperage display, stable, and smooth Dc arc. It is an ideal choice for home projects and little fabrication work.

I believe beginners will enjoy this machine. The above all point about the device is its warranty, and the company offers a 5 years warranty with a 30 days money-back guarantee.

 

Buying Guide – Best TIG Welder for Beginners

As a novice, you need to understand how machines work? What are important points one should see in the machine? So, here is a complete guide so you can easily understand the critical features of units.

Power Output 

The output varies according to metals; for aluminum, you need AC output. Because its positive half cycle gives the cleaning action, and the negative half cycle provides penetration.

DC output is required for metals like stainless steel, mild steel, and carbon. All options are available in the above list.

Pulse Frequency 

It is required in this case when you are working on thin metals. Pulse frequency increases the weld penetration, welding speed, and quality. It is a very advanced level TIG skill, you will learn it after more practice.

Duty Cycle 

It is the ratio of the total running time of a machine in ten minutes.
In the long run, the more duty cycle, the better. A 60% duty cycle is much common in good welding machines, but  for a newbie, 20-40% duty cycle is enough.

Foot Pedal 

It is used to control the amperes during the welding process. When you press it, the machine will draw more current. Its work is the same as a car accelerator. It should be at a proper angle; sometimes it can cause pain in your foot.

Technology

The latest and advanced technology is insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT), and another one is square wave inverter technology.

IGBT technology helps machines pick enough current, convert utility power to high voltage, and store it in a capacitor bank.

Square wave inverter technology is only needed and used in the AC setting of the machine, and it helps in precise AC cleaning of the weld.

Thickness of Metal 

You need a welder that gives good performance on low amperes for thin metal, and TIG is the best choice for it. For thick metals, TIG can weld but according to your amperage capabilities.

Warranty 

It defines the machine’s durability and reliability. The fact is that pricier units have more warranty like 5-7 years whereas low-cost units have 1-3 years warranty. The companies apply a returnable policy on cheap units, so take it easy.

Customer Reviews

You’re confused by how this machine performs right out of the box? Reading the reviews on Amazon, where many reviews concerning machines are uploaded every day, is a simple method. Don’t put your faith in newly introduced products and companies blindly; instead, study user comments to gain a sense of their performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion:

Everything is described precisely, and I hope you will find the best one for you. If you are fresher, you may start from low-priced TIG welding machines. PrimeWeld 225X is equally beneficial for newcomers and experts. If you’re keen to know my favorite units, here are my three choices for the best TIG welder for beginners.

Lotos TIG 200 – ideal for starters
Weldpro TIG 200 GD – top choice of beginners
Yeswelder TIG 205 DS – good for hobbyists