About the 250 Welding Machine

Considerations

• Depending on the type of 250-amp welding machine you purchase, the flow of current may or may not be constant. Two basic types of welding machines exist: constant current machines and constant voltage machines. In a constant current machine, the voltage output varies in order to maintain steady amps. In a constant voltage machine, the voltage remains steady while the amps fluctuate. When you purchase a 250-amp constant current welding machine, the machine will supply 250 amps of power continuously. In a 250-amp constant voltage welding machine, the amps fluctuate rather than remaining at a steady level.

MIG Welding Machine

• Metal inert gas welding, commonly referred to as “MIG welding” requires that a welder have a feed machine. The feed machine contains a coil of thin wire and a welding gun with a contact tip. The contact tip on the gun is extremely hot. When the welder presses a trigger on the gun, the machine feeds wire through a tube and into the welding gun. The contact tip melts the wire and the welder uses the melted wire to create secure joints. The output for feed welders is usually lower than 250 amps, but larger feed welders with outputs as high as 350 amps are available.

Arc Welding Machine

• Unlike a MIG welding machine, arc-welding machines do not require a wire feed. An arc-welding gun transforms incoming voltage into amperage by creating and subsequently manipulating a magnetic field around the welding gun's tip. Pressing the trigger on the welding gun completes an electrical circuit that heats the gun's tip. Although available amps varies, 250-amp arc-welding machines are not uncommon.

TIG Welding Machine

• Tungsten insert gas welding is a form of arc welding in which the welding gun creates a gas shield between the gun's tip and a metal surface. This gas shield prevents bubbles from forming in the metal during welding – leaving behind a “cleaner” weld. Like machines used for both MIG and arc welding, TIG-welding machines are available with a 250-amp output.