Selecting the Right Welding Method
When thinking about renting welding equipment, many contractors imagine visiting a local hardware shop with a small selection of soil compactors and other basic items. In reality, today’s rental solutions are nothing like that. You can find high-quality precision machinery maintained in optimal condition, from plasma cutters to TIG rentals
With professional welder rental, companies in countless industries are able to reach their goals on time and within budget:
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Aviation
- Oil drilling
- Industrial pipe welding
- Transportation
- Automotive assembly and repair
- Specialty production and prototyping
Before beginning your project, it’s important to know which type of welder rental can give you the best results. This guide shows you the advantages of each type of welding equipment and explains how to choose effectively.
Welder Rental Options
What types of welders are available to rent? As long as you choose the right rental partner, you can gain access to a complete catalog of commercial welding equipment:
- MIG welders
- TIG welders
- Stick welders
- Seam welders
- Multi-process welders
- Diesel engine welders
- Submerged arc welders
- Plasma cutters
There are also specialized solutions for niche applications and industries. You can discuss the specifics of your upcoming project with welder rental professionals to get recommendations you can trust.
MIG Rentals: Speed and Strength
MIG welding (technically called gas metal arc welding) uses a continuous welding gun that combines everything you need to make a high-quality weld: a continuously fed wire electrode, a gas nozzle and the filler metal.
As you weld, the solid wire creates the arc and simultaneously delivers filler metal to the weld pool. At the same time, the gas nozzle provides inert gas to protect the metal surface from atmospheric contamination.
Advantages
This jack of all trades provides many benefits for any project:
- Fast welding speed: MIG welders provide excellent penetration without complicating things. Thanks to the continuously fed wire electrodes, you can weld long seams without stopping.
- Easy operation: MIG is point-and-shoot welding. You don’t need much training to get strong welds and good results.
- Great adaptability: You can use MIG for a variety of material types and thicknesses, from thin panels of aluminum to large columns of steel.
- Low production cost: Not only do MIG systems have a comfortable price tag, but the work is also faster than both TIG and stick welding. That means business owners spend less money on labor for welding.
- No slag: There’s no spatter or mess to worry about with this type of welding. The appearance isn’t as beautiful as TIG, but it is much better than stick welding.
Disadvantages
MIG does a lot of things well, but none of them perfectly:
- Seam issues: MIG provides strong welds, but the seams may have small holes that prevent airtight seals. For high-pressure applications, TIG rentals are usually better.
- Positioning problems: MIG welding guns are bulkier than other welding electrodes and you need a wire feeder. This can make it hard to maneuver into tight areas or reach certain welding positions.
- Indoor use only: Because MIG requires a constant flow of inert shielding gas for the work surface, it doesn’t work well in places with wind or dirt.
Common Applications for MIG Welding
MIG welders are popular for construction, large-scale manufacturing and automotive repairs. They’re the go-to option for any kind of aluminum welding. You can perform high-quality autobody work, weld massive steel bridges or save time with automated manufacturing.
TIG Rentals: Precision, Style and Performance
TIG welding (technically called gas tungsten arc welding) relies on a fixed tungsten electrode. Unlike the wire electrode in MIG, the tungsten electrode in TIG doesn’t get consumed during the welding process. Instead, the welding technician adds filler metal by hand with a welding rod.
TIG requires using both hands at the same time: one to hold the tungsten electrode and the other to push the welding rod into the molten weld pool. The inert shielding gas gets delivered automatically alongside the tungsten electrode via a gas nozzle.
Advantages
TIG rentals offer maximum control over your welding temperature, speed, penetration and finished results:
- Stronger welds: TIG welders use a narrow arc that concentrates heat in a smaller area. This naturally provides deep penetration into metals, giving you incredible strength even for simple tack welds.
- Increased precision: Another advantage of the narrow arc is that you can heat specific surfaces exactly the way you want. Navigating complex edges and welding detailed assemblies is possible.
- Amazing adaptability: You can control TIG amperage from a foot pedal, adjusting your arc temps on the fly. This allows experienced welders to swap from thicker metals to thinner layers without stopping.
- Perfect seams: TIG systems can produce airtight seals with incredible strength. They can meet the most demanding project specs.
- Beautiful finished results: With TIG equipment, every weld can look flawless. You don’t need to clean up afterward. When appearance matters, TIG is always the right choice.
Disadvantages
TIG is a larger investment than other types of welding:
- Complexity: TIG welding is one of the most difficult types to master. It can take a while for experienced MIG welders to feel comfortable with the two-handed setup of TIG.
- Cost: The price of TIG rentals is in the ballpark of MIG systems, but the process itself is more expensive overall. This is because of the slower speed required for completing TIG welds.
- Preparation: You need perfectly clean metal surfaces for TIG welding. Depending on the type of metal you’re working with, getting rid of grease, rust and dirt can take a while.
Common Applications for TIG Rentals
TIG welding is popular for metal products that need to have a beautiful appearance. Virtually all stainless-steel items feature TIG welds, from kitchen appliances and restaurant prep surfaces to staircase railings and sculptures.
TIG is also preferred for high-performance metal parts in the aviation, aerospace and automobile industries. It’s the main welding method for specialty metals such as titanium.
Stick Welders: Cost-Effective Welding Anywhere
Stick welding (technically called shielded metal arc welding) is a type of arc welding that uses welding rods. These electrodes contain both filler metal and flux. As the welder starts the arc, the consumable electrode deposits filler metal into the welding pool while the flux keeps rust and contamination out.
Advantages
Stick welding is popular for small-scale jobs:
- Budget-friendly: The low cost of the equipment required makes stick welding accessible for any construction project. There’s no need for inert gas, so you don’t have to rent any gas regulators, bottles or hoses.
- Usable anywhere: Unlike MIG and TIG welding, stick welding can perform just fine outdoors and in windy conditions.
- Portable: Less equipment means easier transport. The small size of many stick welding machines means you can get work done in tight spaces easily.
- Narrow: The electrodes used in stick welding can reach awkward spots fairly easily. You can take care of out-of-position welds without trouble.
Disadvantages
When you’re looking for high-volume welding for industrial applications, stick welding usually isn’t the answer:
- Electrode changes: Unlike MIG welding, it’s not possible to keep a continuous weld going with stick welding. You have to swap out electrodes at frequent intervals, which adds to work time and can waste material as well.
- Cleanup work: You always need to eliminate slag and spatter after stick welding.
- Control of arc, temperature and deposition: Stick welding isn’t as complicated as TIG welding, but it’s more difficult than using MIG. You have to know what temp you need beforehand, as well as keep the electrode at the right distance and speed.
- Overheating: Burning through layers is a real risk with stick welding, especially when combining materials of different thicknesses.
Common Applications for Stick Welding
This type of welding is popular for small-scale jobs where you’re moving around a lot. Repair techs can load and unload equipment from a pickup truck in seconds. Stick welding saves you money when you need a strong weld on dirty metal and appearance doesn’t matter. That’s why it’s a favorite for construction worksites, mining operations, off-shore rigs and other places with intense welding conditions.
Multi-Process Welders: Maximum Versatility for the Worksite
Why settle for one type of welding when you can adapt to any situation and surface? That’s the idea behind renting multi-process welders. Many of these welding systems can handle MIG, TIG, stick welding, flux-core welding and arc gouging without problems.
This adaptability lets your team handle complex jobs with multiple steps more quickly. You receive the benefits of each welding method.
This type of application is ideal for jobs where you have to transition between inside and outside. A multi-process welder can adapt to different welding joints, different metal thicknesses and different base metals without problems.
Expert Assistance With Welder Rental
These days, many construction and manufacturing businesses opt to rent welding equipment for specialized work projects or jobs that exceed their current scale. Welder rental provides significant benefits, allowing your business to adapt and profit.
Selecting the right type of welding equipment can save you money, increase your team’s productivity and improve the qualify of your finished results. See complete specs for TIG rentals, MIG rentals and other welding equipment that meets your project needs. Contact the pros at Red-D-Arc right away.
