Top 5 Best Spot Welders Reviewed – Buying Consideration Included

Spot welding is ideal for welding thinner metals together when other welders like TIG or MIG welders aren’t always up to the task. Most other types of welders create too much heat that distorts the thin metal parts you are welding. A spot welder creates high heat from both sides to fuse the metal with a tiny weld in such cases.

No filler material is necessary for spot welding because it works by melting together a small section of the metals. These welders are built for one purpose only and have a simple design.

In today’s piece, we share reviews of the best spot welders from the vast numbers of welders we have tested and have worked with to see how they compare. We have selected the top five, as well as shared our expert spot welder buying guide below.

Furthermore, our comprehensive guide to spot welding will increase your knowledge on the subject.

Comprehensive Guide To Spot Welding

If you are considering to add spot welding to your skills, then our guide to the basic spot welding information is shared below:

What is Spot Welding Process?

Spot welding is a type of welding process that uses resistance to fuse two metal sheets to make a thicker piece. Commonly, spot welding is used in the automobile industry for joining auto body parts.

A spot welder produces thermoelectric heat through the copper alloy electrodes, and the heat is applied to the “circular points” of the metal. The electrodes of a spot welder are designed especially for electric conduction. The result and how well the machine performs will depend on the amount of pressure you use and the device. Typically, the welds measure 3 and 12.5 millimeters in diameter.

 What Metals Can Be Spot Weld?

A great thing about spot welders is its capability to work with a range of different metals and alloys. These welders are most commonly used to fuse metal or wire mesh.

Steel is one of the best and easiest materials to spot weld due to its low thermal conductivity and high electrical resistance. Materials such as titanium, nickel, and stainless steel alloys can be weld using this process.

However, high carbon rating metals such as high carbon steel should be avoided due to its brittle nature that cracks and fractures easily.

On the other hand, metals that don’t conduct electricity are usually challenging and best avoided when you are spot welding. These materials include zinc, aluminum, and galvanized steel. You would require a welder with higher current output to work on these metals.

Finally, another important consideration besides the type of metal for spot welding is the thickness. Ideally, you don’t want to work with metals thicker than three millimeters. Furthermore, it is crucial to ensure that the two metals you are combining are also of a similar thickness. According to experts, The ratio of the metal thickness levels should not be over 3:1, which means if one metal piece is three millimeters thick, then the other has to be no less than a millimeter thick.

Advantages Of Spot Welding

• As with other welding processes, spot welding has its advantages and disadvantages. In our experience, spot welding provides extraordinarily strong welds. Therefore, if you need metal parts joined together reliably and durably, spot welding is the way to achieve those desired results.
• Spot welding reduces the need for additional weld materials, which also saves costs. This welding process relies on electrical currents passing through the electrodes, which produces heat. Thus, the only requirement is an electrical power source.
• The process does not produce extreme heat either, which means you don’t have to worry about causing burns to the metals you are working with.
• Spot welding is a comparatively easy process for beginners to learn at their welding journey. Thanks to the simplicity of spot welders, they are easy to use.  However, as with other skills, practice is important, and learning to use the equipment correctly is key to ensuring great results.
• Another advantage of spot welding is speed. With spot welders combined with the simplicity of the process, work is done quicker. The equipment is also compact, which allows you to carry it around to wherever needed, but you have to ensure that there is electricity to power it.

Disadvantages Of Spot Welding

• The greatest limitation of spot welding is that it doesn’t work on all materials. Stainless steel, nickel alloys, and titanium are suitable to work with.
• Many beginners find it difficult to maneuver spot welder electrodes. How the electrodes are positioned often influences the limitations of the process. Spot welding isn’t ideal for working with angles and odd shapes.

Spot Welding Safety Precautions

• The electrodes of a spot welder pass electricity and produce heat, and there is a risk of burns and fire hazards during use. To avoid any danger, you must ensure that the electrodes have cooled down completely before they are placed on a surface, which could be flammable.
• Always remember to wear your heat resistant protective gloves when working with any welder.
• Spot welding process also creates sparks and heat, so always make sure that you are wearing protective eye and face gear. Also, the light produced by spot welders during welder should never be looked at directly because it can cause serious damage to your vision.
• Improper alignment and messy working conditions can cause electrodes to become stuck. This problem can also arise if the force is too low or there is too much heat.
• As a precautionary measure, we advise that you add corrosion protection to your metals, such as sealers, bonders, primers, or finishing paint coats, before welding. This will increase the manageability of your task.

Read Also: Welding safety Tips And Precaution

Buying Guide

Now that we have briefly discussed what spot welding is and the safety precautions you should take, let’s examine a few of the key considerations you need to make and the information you should be watchful of when selecting best spot welders for your specific needs.

Whether you decide to buy online or from an actual brick and mortar store, we suggest that you keep these crucial points at the forefront of your mind to ensure that you end up making the better choice among hundreds of spot welders currently available in the market.

Price

Price is, certainly, one of the biggest determining factors of whether you buy a spot welder or look for another product within your budget.

The brand, quality, and the capabilities of a model of spot welder will usually decide its price.

Therefore, it is crucial that you set the budget according to your needs. There are plenty of best spot welder choices fitting every budget, including some pricey variants that pack some cool features.

Warranty

Having a warranty backing your purchase gives you the peace of mind that your investment is secure. Thankfully, most reputable brands offer some form of warranty on their best spot welders. Just be sure that you learn about the type of warranty and the period it will last before you purchase a welder.

Voltage Input

According to our experts, a top consideration is the electrical voltage input of each device. You will see that a bulk of spot welders can be plugged into a standard 110V outlet, and some require a 240V outlet in its place. High-powered spot welders require the correct voltage input to draw power safely, so you will need to a 240V outlet to use your welder.

Professional shops or workshops generally have 240V circuits due to their work requirements. However, home users working in garages and workshops have standard 110V outlets. Therefore, it is indispensable that you obtain best spot welders that run on the voltage outlet in your workspace.

5 Best Spot Welders Reviewed!

1. Stark Professional Portable 120V – heavy duty spot welder

Stark 120V Spot Welder is a highly recommended single-phase, heavy-duty spot welder. Stark 120V Spot Welder offers a promising performance with a 2.5 KVA output and a 50% duty cycle.

Stark 120V is amongst the best spot welders as it comes with high-quality steel replacement tips. Therefore, you do not have to replace the welder; rather, you can replace the welding tips of this best spot welding machine whenever it is necessary.

Stark Professional Portable 120V Spot Welder is an excellent option for beginners as it is simple to learn and easy to operate. Additionally, it provides professional-grade welds; thus, it is a popular mobile spot welder for professionals.

Pros

Cons

2. Mophorn 737G Pulse – cheap spot welder

The Mophorn 737G Pulse Spot Welder is ideal for buyers with a limited budget. It performs well against very thin (0.03 – 0.2 mm) nickel-plated steel plates and works on rechargeable lithium batteries.

The convenient LCD screen allows you to keep an eye on the settings. Suitable for working on small projects, which do not require a welding pen. However, it should be noted that the Mophorn Pulse Spot Welder does not weld aluminum or copper. Unfortunately, the welder lacks power, which is reasonable considering the price.

Pros 

Cons

3. SUNKKO 737G+ Battery – best battery spot welder

SUNKKO 737G+ Battery Spot Welder is amongst the best spot welders if you require a battery-operated device, yet affordable and offers exceptional welding quality. SUNKKO 737G+ offers an impressive 120-1200A welding current range, 1-8 adjustable welding current, and 2-18 adjustable pulse. It can efficiently solder metals within a short time as it reaches 300-degree centigrade within a few seconds.

SUNKKO 737G+ is the best battery spot welder powered with reliable 14500 Lithium Batteries. It also offers several advanced features that allow you to achieve heavy-duty, durable welds every time and also accomplish welding tasks with different types and thicknesses of metal materials.

Pros

Cons

4. Lenco Welder Mark II – best spot welder machine

If the price isn’t an issue for you and you only want a spot welder of high-quality and durability, then Lenco Mark II might be the best option for you. Equipped with a set of two different separate arms placement of the electrodes anywhere is easy and convenient.

However, this model isn’t the best choice for inexperienced welders. Working with this welder requires accuracy and knowledge because otherwise, you might ruin the metal or the equipment.

Pros

Cons

5. Tooluxe RIDGE10915L – portable spot welder

Tooluxe RIDGE10915L Spot Welder is hands down one of the best spot welders when it comes to producing heavy-duty welds. The Tooluxe is also the best portable spot welder that features a single-phase design, operates on 115V/60Hz of power, includes steel spot welding tips, and operates at a reasonably rated 30% 6.6k duty cycle.

Tooluxe RIDGE10915L is a compact spot welder designed to work with mild, galvanized, and stainless steel. It can easily weld metal materials with an applied spot welding thickness of 1.0+1.0mm. Although it is fairly easy to use, you have to turn “off” the trigger switch manually as it doesn’t automatically turn off.

Pros

Cons

Verdict

Spot welders are an excellent option for beginners and unskilled works because these welders are usually easy to operate and offer heavy-duty, durable welders on different metal material types and thicknesses within no time without the need of any fillers.

However, it is essential to invest in the best spot welders for achieving the required welding results. We have shared our detailed best spot welder buying guide and FAQs, along with our list of 5 best spot welders to help you choose the best.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Spot Welding?

Spot welding is a resistance welding process; thus, it is also called resistance spot welding. The spot welding process is usually used for welding two or more metal sheets together by applying electric current heat and pressure to the weld area.

 

2. Where is Spot Welding commonly used?

Spot welding is commonly used in many industries, including aerospace, rail, automotive, white goods, electronics, metal furniture, medical building, and construction.

Spot welding is popularly used in joining process high volume manufacturing lines. In particular, spot welding is an important part of the joining process in constructing steel cars for over 100 years.

 

3. How Spot Welding join metal sheets?

Spot welding is amongst the welding processes; this form of resistance welding joins two or more metal sheets by applying pressure and heat to the weld area. This type of welding process does not require any filler material.

In a spot welding process, metal sheets are weld using shaped alloy copper electrodes. These electrodes convey electrical current heat through the weld pieces that cause the material to melt and fuse the parts at this point the heat from current is turned off, and the pressure is maintained to solidify the molten “nugget” to form the joint.

Read Also: Types of Welding Processes

 

4. What are the top advantages of spot welding?

Spot welding is popular for several advantages, including:

• It is the most economical and quick welding method of joining Weldable Base Metals.
• The process does not require any extra filler/flux.
• Spot welding is an ideal option for robotic/automated welding.
• It effectively welds similar and dissimilar metals.
• An excellent welding process option for beginners and unskilled labor, as it is easy and quick to learn.

 

5. Is it essential to follow safety measures during spot welding?

Yes! No matter which welding procedure you are conducting, it is essential to follow the necessary safety instructions and operational guidelines. Also, ensure that you are well equipped with the essential welding gear, including welding boots, welding gloves, and a welding helmet.