Top 22 Chinese Welders!

If you were to go on any number or welding forums and ask what the difference between an American made welder and a Chinese made welder you are going to get a wide range of advice and opinions. You will get simple feedback like, 'They're just as good as the Red or the Blue' (Red stands for Lincoln and Blue stands for Miller - they are the top brand names in the industry).

You will also get advice like, 'You should buy American and support America. Not the Chinese.' In addition, you will find people who will tell you how terrible a Chinese made welder is, and that it breaks down all the time. Conversely, you will find welders who own Chinese welders that swear by them.

Whether you like Chinese welders over American or vice versa, the one thing everyone agrees upon is that American made welders usually cost more to fix.

Some Chinese made welders are very good. I've listed the ones I believe are top MIG, ARC, and TIG Chinese welders made in China, and my preferred favorites based on skill level and power range.

135 amps. Comes with a Panel Repair Kit.

This Chinese made welder is distributed by Eastwood. This Eastwood Mig Welder (135 amps w/ Panel Repair Kit) has a maximum power of 135amps and functions on a regular 110VAC circuit that is 20amps. This repair kit comes with a gas regulator, a Mig wire that is solid and an instructional book. As for the performance of this welder, it is top notch. The welds will penetrate your metal work pieces with ease and the wire feed motor functions perfectly.

Normally I would be suspicious of a Mig welder that is so inexpensive, but it came with a 3 year warranty from the manufacturer so I gave it a chance. I am glad that I did because this Mig welder does everything I need it to do. I can weld aluminized steel and fabricate metal when replacing floors, quarter panels, rocker panels and more. The kit even includes self-tapping screws to use on your panels for securing them before welding.

The seaming pliers allow better leverage on panel edges by enabling you to get 120 degree bends on them. This is extremely useful and a lot of Mig welders that I've used in the past don't get bends like this. Overall, I am fairly happy with this welder. It isn't the worst nor is it the best. But at least you have a warranty so you are covered if a part breaks and needs replacing. I say give this welder a try.

135 amps. Comes with Helmet Welding Kit.

Another good Chinese made MIG welder...The Eastwood Mig Welder (135 amps w/ Helmet Welding Kit) is the perfect kit to own for any welding hobbyist who likes to do their own welding projects at home. Personally, I like to tinker with old cars in my garage and this welding kit is perfect for that. The price wasn't too bad either because I have seen other welding kits similar to this that cost twice the amount of money. This kit includes a gas regulator, a solid Mig wire, welding cart and an instruction manual. There was even an auto darkening welding helmet included, which was an unexpected additional feature.

I have used many other welding kits in my day and I never had one that included a helmet, so I am happy about that. As for the gas welder itself, when I first tried using it I had a problem with the wire feeding wheel that was attached. Luckily, with the 3 year warranty that came with this kit I was able to call customer service and get a replacement wheel sent to me at no additional charge. When it comes to welding materials with different levels of thickness it is easy because all you have to do is set the controls on the "Quick Set" welding chart to accommodate the thickness level your working with.

This one of the best Chinese welders for for novice and professionals to use. The instruction manual provides clear directions and startup tutorials, so there should be no problems if you are inexperienced. Try this welder out because you will be happy you did.

New Eastwood Mig Welder (175 amps w/ Plasma Cutter) is a little more expensive than your average welding kit, but worth the money if you want powerful weld penetration and superior functionality from the wire feed motor. Like most Eastwood welding products, this welding kit is backed by their 3 year warranty with supposedly "no hassles." This Eastwood welder works like a dream though and is certainly powerful enough to handle your average welding job.

It has 175amp of maximum power, which is an increase from the usual 135amp power you see in other models from this company. I particularly like the spool gun because it works out great when welding aluminum. Although it would have been nice if this kit included a bottle of "Argon 75% Carbon Dioxide 25%," but unfortunately this has to be purchased separately in order to weld with gas. Also the drive wheel of the flux core needs to be knurled in order to prevent slippage, which will occasionally happen.

This is still a decent kit for the money though. However, I wouldn't recommend novice welders to start out with a kit like this. There are much cheaper kits that can be just as effective for simple welding jobs. Buy this only if you know what you are doing and want something that has more power than your typical gas welder.

Gas Ready

Hot Max Mig Welder (125amps + Gas Ready) is a very handy portable welder that you can take anywhere with ease. You can switch between flux core welding and gas welding, which is convenient in case you don't have any gas to use. I was surprised by how precise the welds were with the flux core because other models I've used gave me terrible welds with it. However, the Hot Max flux core has proven itself worthy and useful. The Mig welder is pre-wired by the manufacturer and includes a SPG spool gun that can be used without having to rewire anything.

This Chinese Mig welder can be powered with 120 volts, which is the standard voltage for most household outlets. The maximum output power is 125amps. One unique thing I like about this welder is that the voltage control and wire feed can be infinitely adjusted while you are welding. This is a great feature that I am happy with because other welders I've used had cumbersome selectors that gave me fewer choices with the voltage settings.

Being able to control the voltage at any time allows me to perform welds that are near to perfection. This welder kit is definitely useful for beginners or people who have simple welding projects to perform. If you try to weld material that is too thick then you might have trouble, but with thin material it will be a breeze. Check out this welding kit because the convenience alone is worth the money.

Gas Ready

Hot Max Mig Welder (135amps + Gas Ready) is very easy to set up and operate. It has been awhile since I have welded anything, so I was very hesitant to purchase any kind of welder kit at all. Fortunately, I am happy that I purchased this Hot Max kit because as soon as I took it out of the box it was ready to use. There was no wiring I had to do to set it up, like with some other welders.

If the kit didn't come prewired then I wouldn't know what to do because I am terrible at that kind of thing. This kit has an optional spool gun attachment that feels comfortable in my hands, even though it is a tad heavy. This welder can get up to 135amps of power, which is more than the other 125 amp kit I saw for only a hundred dollars less.

All you need is a standard 120 volt outlet that you can find in any household and you will be good to go. I have already welded beads with a piece of ¼ inch steel and it came out perfectly. This thing burns really hot, but with the voltage control you can set the temperature just right. Remember the shielding gas is not included, so you'll need that before using the Mig welder.

In the meantime you can use the flux core welder which I think works just as well. Therefore, if you want a Chinese welder that has a little more than 125amps then you should go with this Hot Max 135 amp welder. You will enjoy it.

Hot Max Mig Welder Kit (175 amps) is another fine pre-wired factory welding kit by Hot Max. You can take it right out of the box and start using it, which is always a feature I enjoy. One thing I have always hated about other welding kits is the wiring that you have to do beforehand. I am a novice welder and I am lucky to be welding anything at all, so setting up a welder is a little above my skill level. This welder kit is the most powerful I have seen by Hot Max.

It gives off 175 amps of power with an infinite amount of wire speed control and voltage. However, with this much power you won't want to plug it into a standard 120 volt outlet because there simply won't be enough electricity to generate 175 amps. I recommend getting a 240 volt outlet installed in your garage so that you can use the maximum amount of power this welder gives off. I figure that anyone who buys this welder probably wants more power in the first place.

If not, you could spend a lot less money and purchase the 125amp or 135amp welders that practically do the same thing as this one. I mean you still have the option of flux core or gas welding with this kit. You also set the voltage and adjust the wire feed anytime. So basically, if you need a welder with more power and you don't mind spending a few hundred additional dollars then this welder kit is perfect for you.

Power Mig Welder (250 amps) is definitely one of the more expensive welders on the market and should be used by professionals who have a lot of welding projects to do. This welder has an arc force control that is adjustable, which determines how deep the weld will be from the arc. Because of this, I am able to achieve the penetration level that I want in my welds.

The duty cycle and power of this welder is better than most other welders in this price range, especially at 250amps. The Mig gun feels great in my hands and I am able to weld for long periods of time while still keeping full control of what I am doing. I can perform puddle manipulation comfortably for this reason. Experienced welders might want to buy the SM-200 spool gun to use with this welder for even better results. The wire feed is housed in heavy duty aluminum with 4 drive rollers. The welder has a pulse mode that can reduce the heat of the weld.

You wouldn't be able to do this with just a standard Mig welder because they don't usually have a pulse feature. This is the most unique thing about the welder. You will quickly notice how easily it improves your welds without affecting the penetration depths at all. If you have the money to spend on an expensive welder like this then definitely buy it because it can handle all welding projects while maintaining quality.

LONGEVITY Mig Welder: Set up for Flux Core & Gas shielding (140 amps) is a welder that will exceed all of your expectations. You can use any standard household outlet to plug this in because it only requires 110 volts to operate. With this much voltage you can get up to 140amps of power. This welder is extremely portable and perfect to use around the house to make simple repairs with it. The welder comes with a spool gun attachment which is ideal for welding aluminum, although there is enough power to weld up to 3/8 inch of thick steel as well.

This welding package comes with a wire feed, so you can use it for flux core welding or gas welding if you have your own gas available. The feed wire does need some small adjusting before using it, but that is no big deal. The performance of this welder is superb. I have a trailer that needed repairs on its frame and this welder worked wonderfully on it. The heat adjustments are flexible enough to where I was able to weld the frame without any issues.

I tend to use the flux core welder more than the Mig welder. I am just too cheap and lazy to get gas for it. I mean why bother when the flux core works just as well anyway? So try this welder out because it is suitable for most common welding projects and it is priced fairly.

Mig and Flux Core Welder

Northern Industrial Mig & Flux Core Welder (135amp Output) is a welder that can be used right after you take it out of the box. I understand now why they call it "industrial" because this welder works just as well as an industrial welder. Yet, you only need 115 volts to power it up to 135 amps.

The welder's performance is so outstanding that Popular Mechanics magazine featured it in one of their issues. It was declared one of the top six wire-feed welders on the market that they recommend using.

You still have a choice between the flux core and shielding gas welds, but personally I think they both work just the same. The Mig welder has great versatility because it can handle stainless steel, mild steel and aluminum materials. The welder also has a contactor that cools off the wire after releasing the gun trigger.

This makes it suitable for all kinds of welding jobs and both novices and professionals can make great use of this welder. It is priced pretty average and comes with a 3 year warranty in case there is a part that malfunctions on it. In all, this is a welder that serves many purposes and if you have a lot of welding projects lined up then this will be the best welder that you can get.

MIG and Flux Core Welder

Thermadyne Mig & Flux Core Welder (135amps) is a convenient dual Chinese welder. You can use either the flux core or the Mig welder, which requires gas. You can get up to 135 amps of power on a standard 115 volt outlet. This whole welding package includes an auto darkening helmet, chipping hammer, wire brush, Mig welder and Mig welder cart. It even has a Tweco Weld Gun and an operating manual that makes it easy for beginners to get used to it.

The way this package is set up allows even a novice welder to achieve high quality results that they can be proud of. This welder comes with a whopping 5 year warranty on parts and 2 years on labor. This is the best warranty package that I have ever seen on a welder product so far. It is a few hundred dollars more than the average welder and has the same capabilities, but with all the extras and warranties it is definitely worth the money.

If you are on a tight budget then you might want to try a different package that has fewer products included. Most people don't need the auto darkening helmet because they probably already have one in their workshop if they have ever welded before. So, consider what you need versus your budget and you should be okay.

This No Name Chinese Welder Is Pretty Darn Good

Arc Welder (100amps) is a small welding machine that still maintains industrial strength at 100 amps on a standard 110 volt outlet. It has class H insulation and a "no load" voltage of 48. It is light weight and portable, which means you can bring it anywhere with ease. This welder is great for smaller projects that involve thin metals, but anything big will require a much more powerful welder. It comes with a power cord, a brush, an earth clamp, an electrode hoder with a cord, a handle and welding mask. The diameter of the rod ranges from 1/16" to only 3/32."

For some people this small rod size could become problematic, so you may want to purchase larger rods in the future once you get used to this welder. At least this unit has great adjustability when it comes to the amps. But be careful because if you use this on a 20 amp breaker then it could trip it if left on for long periods of time. You may have to wire a 30 amp receptacle to your outlet to prevent this. So overall, if you have small welding work around the house or simple car projects then this welder is suitable for your needs.

At a price of about $50, I'd say the investment is certainly going to pay off in the long run. Even if you know nothing about welding you can still purchase this welder and experiment with various pieces of metal just for the fun of it. That's what I did and I learned a lot while using it.

Everlast Mig/Stick Welder (200amps) provides smooth arc welds with amazing penetration and arc force control that is adjustable. It is even capable of performing stick welding repairs in circumstances where a Mig welder might not be suitable for the job. The duty cycle component is excellent for longer welds, so you don't have to let it cool off very often.

When the duty cycle does exceed its limit a warning light will flash to let you know. But the feature I love the most is the dual voltage technology. You can plug this welder into a standard 110 volt outlet or a 220 volt outlet with no problems.

The mechanism for the driver rolls is made of very durable metal and the wire rolls can go up to 8 inches, which saves me a lot of money from the smaller rolls. The welder is light weight and I can take it on jobs with me wherever I go without strain. I like to work on custom trailers and I have had great success welding them up for my bikes and terrain vehicles. It also has a burn back setting where after I let go of the trigger the wire burns to give a perfect stick out for the next bead. I must say I have never gotten better beads from any other welder before.

Hot Max Arc Welder (100amps) can be used as soon as you take it out of the box. It can be plugged into a standard 120 volt outlet and give off 100 amps of power. This welder has got to be the lightest welder I have ever used and probably the smallest arc inverter available on the market today. I can see why because it looks to me that the welder is made out of plastic.

There is not even a carrying case for it either. It does have a carrying strap though, so you'll have a little leverage when traveling around with it.

At a distance this welder almost looks like a toy, but it is still the real thing. It only weighs about 7 pounds, so obviously it won't be suitable for big welding projects. It can weld up to 1/8 inches of metal while using a 1/16 inch or 3/32 inch rod. It also comes with a welding shield to protect you during welds. You can hook the welder up to a large car inverter without the need of a generator, in case you need to work on a car in a remote location.

If you need to do touch up work or simple repair jobs then this welder should be okay for you. It comes with a two year limited warranty on parts and labor, so you don't have to worry about breaking it because of a lack of durability. I say give it a try.

200 Amp MIG - 160 Amp Stick

LONGEVITY Pulse Mig Welder (200amps) & Stick Welder (160amps) is an extremely powerful Chinese welder that is more suitable for professional use. Even though this machine looks small it still gives up to 200 amps of power, which will definitely require a 220 volt outlet hookup.

You may want to install this kind of outlet in your garage because that might be where you do most of your welding work? The welder comes with a pulse mode that is great for performing fine welds on the tiny details.

There is an optional spool gun attachment that is great for welding aluminum. You can even switch between a gas-less weld and a gas weld. There is an overload protector so that the welder won't get damaged after extended use.

The 60% duty cycle is great for this since tougher welds require a lot more time to get right anyway. This welder is definitely comparable to the strength of an industrial model. The speed adjustments during welding make this machine comfortable to use on any project. The price is fairly reasonable for the amount of power behind it. I'd say novices and professionals can both benefit from a welder like this.

Unfortunately, there is no warranty on parts for this Chinese welder anymore. So, if you purchase this welder then you are on your own. It is hard to even find a new welder for this model because all I find on the internet are used ones. So, if you are willing to try a used welder then you may like the results.

LONGEVITY Chinese welders are a good value overall This Stick welder (140amps w/ Dual Voltage) can generate 140 amps of power with either a 110 volt or a 220 volt outlet. The welder weighs only 13 lbs and is very convenient to take with me to various sites when performing welding jobs. I was lucky to have a 7018 welding rod and a 6013 welding rod because these work perfectly with this stick welder. You can even see the amp setting on the tiny digital display that is on it.

I don't think advanced welders would be happy with this device though. It is more for welding hobbyists and enthusiasts who just want to do simple repair work or experiment for educational purposes.

After a few months this welder stopped working for one customer and he had to call technical support for help. They said he had to ship it back for them to repair it, but then he had to wait for them to give him a return number to put on the shipping invoice.

It has been weeks and he still hasn't received that number. Therefore, it doesn't look like customer support will help you much if you encounter a problem like this. That is why I said that professionals wouldn't want to deal with this welder. If you depend on welding as part of your job then this could become a huge setback. But, if you are a simple welding hobbyist then it wouldn't be a huge risk to try this welder out. You get a lot for your money with this Chinese mad welder.

65 amp - 200 amp range.

Northern Industrial Stick Welder (200amps) has a welding range from 65amps to 200amps. This welder is capable of handling all kinds of metals, like steel, stainless steel, hard surfacing, cast iron and aluminum.

It can handle steel welds that are only up to 3/8 inches thick, but all in one pass. There is even an indicator for the amperage to make sure you use the right amount of power that you need. You will have an infinite amount of amperage control during welding, so you can make fine adjustments to get the results you want.

I love that this is a portable welder. Its wheels and handles allow you to maneuver this welder easily throughout your garage without any hassles. Be advised that there will be some light assembly required when you take it out of the box. This is not indicated anywhere on the box, so remember that before purchasing. Luckily, the instructions that come with the welder are easy enough to understand so you shouldn't have any problems.

This welder works quietly and has not overloaded my circuits once. It gives pretty decent results for such an inexpensive price. You should give this welder a try.

250 Amps. Comes with Plasma Cutter.

Everlast Power Pro Tig Welder (250amps) w/ Plasma Cutter is a portable welder that is light weight and easy to use. Regardless of how small it may seem, it is one of the most powerful welders that I've used to this date.

Not only does it have Tig welding capabilities, but it also has a plasma cutter that works great on thick metals. It comes with a 5 year warranty on parts and labor with a 30 day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the product. Anytime I see warranties like this on a welder I jump at the chance to purchase it because I know I have nothing to lose. The welder has IGBT Infineon modules and inversion technology included as well.

Both the AC Tig and the DC Tig can weld up to a ½ inch of metal on a single passing. The plasma cutter can cut up to 7/8 of an inch of metal, which is probably more suitable for professionals that have tougher welds to do.

Also, this is one of the most expensive welders on the market. At almost $2000, you better be sure that you need a welder that can do welds on thick metal. If you are just a hobbyist working with thin metals then I strongly recommend you save your money and purchase something less powerful. There is no sense in shelling out this much money if you aren't going to be working with thick metals consistently.

100 Amps.

ArcOne Stick & Tig Welder (100amps) is the latest addition to the product line of inverters. It is affordable and will give you a quality weld as well. It powers up to 100amps and you can use a standard 115 volt outlet for the electricity.

A standard 1/8 inch rod should work fine with this welder. There is a power dial to adjust the heat, so you don't burn the material too much during welding. It is extremely light weight at only 13 pounds and has a handle to help you carry it around, which makes traveling with it a breeze. It almost feels like the cables and clamps weigh more than the actual welder. I tend to work a lot in remote locations and this welder is perfect for that.

This is definitely a machine that a novice can handle. It isn't too complicated to learn how to operate it either. I went on the internet and looked up tutorials for this welder that taught me a lot. Now I feel like a pro. You'll even get a one year limited warranty when you purchase this. So, there is really no risk involved. If you are serious about learning how to weld then try this welder out.

ArcOne Stick & Tig Welder (160amps) is a much more powerful Tig welder than your standard ArcOne Tig machine. It has a class H Insulation and a "lift start" mode, which allows you to start the welder when the electrode touches the metal material.

The welder gets up to 160amps of power, but needs to be run on a 230 volt outlet. Most houses won't have a 230 volt outlet, so you will have to get it installed yourself. I recommend installing it in the garage, so it isn't being consumed by another substandard electronic. As for the price, this is one of the few 160amp welders that are under $1000.

If you need that much power then this is definitely worth the money. Another good thing is that it is portable and weighs about 29 pounds. It even comes with a one year limited warranty in case there is a part that malfunctions, though I haven't had any problems with it so far. It is fairly simple to use, even for a novice welder. I only wish the handle on the welder was a little bit longer, but it is no big deal. I think this is economical and powerful enough to do most simple welding jobs.

250 Amps.

Everlast Tig & Stick Welder w/ Pulse (250amps) is certainly not a cheap welder. A professional will have more use for this welder than a novice looking to start out. It has AC and DC pulse welds up to 250amps and a Tig weld up to 200amps. You will need a 240 volt outlet if you are going to get this machine to work at all.

If you have to be mobile a lot with the welder then there is a connection port for you to connect it to a clean port generator. Make sure you purchase an Everlast Watercooler 300, which is great for preventing the Tig torch from overheating during welding projects. The garage is the best place for welding because that's where most people can work comfortably without distraction.

The welder comes with a work clamp, SMAW electrode holder, 6 foot power cable for input and an argon regulator. This is a very expensive Chinese welder. If you are going to welding school or you plan on more advanced welding why not have the most powerful welder that you can find at the lowest price. A good Chinese welder is the way to go.

200 Amps.

LONGEVITY Stick & Tig Welder (200amps w/ Digital Display) is a very convenient and quality producing welder. It has dual voltage capabilities, so you can plug it into a 110 volt or a 220 volt outlet to get the same results. With the voltage you can get up to 200amps with this welder. The start Tig contains a high frequency and it even includes a foot pedal for control during your welds to sustain its quality. The welder includes a post flow, pre-flow and balance function to help keep your welding under control.

There is even a special switch for AC mode that makes the welder suitable for welding aluminum. I love the portability of this welder because I travel around for my work a lot and need to weld when I get to my destinations. Luckily, I have a 5000 watt generator because without it you will have a real tough time working in rural areas.

If you don't have a generator and need to work remotely then make sure you purchase a generator with 5000 watts. Also, you will need to purchase Argon gas and filler rods as well because they don't come with the welder. Overall, this is a nice welder if you have a lot of money to spend on it. Otherwise, you might want to go with a cheaper welder that has less power.

90 Amps.

Northern Industrial Stick & Tig Welder (90amps) is a powerful welder for its size and price. This is my first stick welder and I am impressed by the results of it. I didn't think a 9 pound welder could do such a fine job of welding and repair work. It will certainly dissolve any 3/32 rod that you use. There is a hot-start mechanism that tends to overheat thinner materials. It can even cause a blowout, so professionals with experience should probably use this more than novices.

Therefore, I try to use thicker materials in my welds. I have never had any problems with overheating since. However, I did purchase a cooling system just in case it does overheat for some reason. You don't have to do this if you work with thicker metals though.

But still, I love versatile welders like this because they can handle stainless steel, mild steel, hard surfacing and cast iron materials. It does all of this and has only up to 90 amps from 115 volts, which makes it suitable for any standard household outlet. If you know how to prepare the joints properly then it can handle steels with low alloy.

Personally, I like to use this welder in my garage to tinker with different metals just as a hobby. But that doesn't mean professionals can't take it on the road with them as well. In all, it is suitable for everyone and you should give it a try because it is truly worth the money.