0

5 Best Cheap Welder For Exhaust: To Fix Broken Pipes

Fixing an exhaust system is a pretty tough job for a welder. But when the equipment is suitable, welding exhaust pipes becomes an easy game for the player.

With so much advancement in technology, many welders have now become user-friendly. Plus, the latest design and modifications have made these machines more profitable in terms of quality.

However, while so many fishes are in the sea, it gets challenging to choose the right tool with great features at affordable prices. So, if you want to buy a good welding machine, we have named our top picks so you can get the best cheap welder for exhaust.

Best Cheap Welders For Exhaust: Simplify Welding Job

Below you will find the five best cheap welders for exhaust welding below $850, along with their features, benefits, and things we don’t adore about them.

#1. Hobart Handler 140 MIG Welder

Hobart 500559 Handler is a powerful MIG welder. One of the most incredible things about this welder is its requirement to get everything done at standard household electricity supply. All you need is 115V to run this exhaust welder.

Moreover, the Hobart 505599 140 MIG comes with a 5-position voltage controlling system, allowing you to make smooth arcs and fine-tune the thickness level as per your requirements.

Also, it offers industrial-level performance due to its heavy-duty work clamp and industrial-grade aluminum cast system.

Some other features of Hobart 500559 Handler 140 MIG welder are:

• You can use this welder to work on 24 gauge up to mild steel material with a maximum of 1/4 thickness
• Feel free to use the Hobart 505599 welder on different types of materials, such as aluminum, stainless steel, and steel
• It has a 40-700 IPM wire feed range and 50-740 IPM range when there’s no load
• With a 25-140 amperage range, this welder includes a 20% duty cycle @90
• The welder comes with a lot of accessories, such as a 10ft cable with clamp, HR-100 10ft MIG gun, gas hose and dual-gauge regulator, contact tops, material thickness gauge, “quick select” roll drive, and flux-core wire spool

#2. Forney Easy Weld 261 (140 FC-i)

Forney Easy Weld 261 is a budget-friendly welder. Although this welding machine isn’t 100% flawless, it is still better than most of the portable welders available in the market.

The 261 Easy Weld by Forney is basically a wire feed welder that requires 120V to run. The welder comes with a dial controller to adjust the speed. You can use this tool to weld mild steel material. And while this is still portable equipment, it can easily handle wire rolls up to 10 pounds.

The 140 FC-I is ideal for home-based projects and hobbyists, such as small maintenance, metal fabrication, and repair.

Here are a few more features that we like and wanted to share:

• Forney Easy Weld 261 has a 30% duty cycle @ 90 ampere
• It consists of an 8 feet torch and ground cables
• It supports flux core welding, which works on mild steel plates with a 1/4 thickness

#3. AHP Alpha TIG 200X

If you are looking for the best TIG welder for exhaust, Alpha TIG 200X by AHP might impress you. As we researched, we figured out that TIG 200X welds all common metals but with more clarity and fineness. So, if you want an excellent welder to complete your day-to-day tasks, this machine is a good option.

Yes! It is pricey but performs well when welding aluminum and stainless steel materials. But with a high price, Alpha TIG 200x also offers “freedom to weld.”

In other words, whether it is about minor home maintenance and repair tasks, or medium-level professional welding projects, this tool won’t disappoint you with the outcomes. Besides, you can enjoy TIG and Stick welding when you have Alpha 200X.

A few other features of Alpha TIG 200X are:

• Straightforward welding machine without complex options
• You can switch from AC to DC with just a push of a button
• The welder has a digital display for showing the output amperage
• Alpha TIG 200x is functional on both 110V and 220V
• It includes Advanced Inverter Technology with Pulse Width Modulation
• Alpha TIG 200x has a 60% @ 200-ampere duty cycle for TIG welding
• 35% @ 155-ampere duty cycle for Stick welding
• It comes with a 2T/4T switch in case you need to weld out of position without using a foot pedal

#4. Everlast Power i-TIG 200T

The Everlast Power i-TIG 200T is a game-changer welding machine. This is the most expensive pick on our list, as it can do wonders for your DC TIG welding projects.

This welder’s first and foremost trait is its user-friendly interface compared to Hobart and other makes you can find here. It’s a digital Stick and TIG welding machine featuring the latest microprocessor technology.

The welder offers high-quality arcs and lowers the thresholds to 3 amperes. Moreover, this tool comes with programmable memory, permitting you to store different welding settings, so you can quickly start. And apart from that, even if you shutdown the entire unit and open it after a few days, the machine will still remember the last setting you left on it before turning it off.

Another great feature about the Everlast 200T is that you can control the frequency to a maximum of 500 Hertz to control the heating issue ultimately. Additionally, it comes with a dual voltage system so that you can work with any standard electric supply.

Last but not least, with Power i-TIG 200T, you can perform all significant professional tasks. Therefore, it is a reliable tool for skilled welders, especially those looking for the best welders for exhaust work.

And some of the other exciting features of this welder includes:

• It comes with HF and Lift-TIG start types
• The machine can work on 120V and 240V
• You can use this machine for TIG and Stick welding
• It has a 35% duty cycle @ 160 amperes for Stick welding
• Simple setting of the TIG pulse frequency from 1 to 500Hz
• The welder can remember and store 9 different welding settings
• This machine has a 35% duty cycle @ 200 amperes for TIG welding
• It has easy speed shifting as the welder has an IGBT inverter design
• 5/16 inches maximum TIG steel welding thickness at 240V
• Possible TIG welding up to 1/4 thick steel materials at 120V
• Easy TIG welding up to 1/2 inches thick steel material on multi-pass at 240V
• You can Stick weld up to 3/32 inches thick materials at 120V
• You can use this machine to weld 1/8 inches metals at 240 volts, using the Stick welding mode

#5. Amico Power ARC-160

Finally, we landed on the fifth welding equipment and picked the Amico ARC-160. Why? Because if you want a welder with a combination of Lift-TIG and Stick Arc welding features, then this is the one.

With ARC-160, you can use most of the electrodes, such as the E6010 and E7010 series. This machine works magnificently on stainless steel and all other common metals.

Furthermore, this unit includes an “Automatic Selection” feature that helps detect the current electrical supply and makes the machine works accordingly.

That means, if your workplace has a fluctuating voltage supply, the welder will adjust the input power, and you can continue working on your project.

We have researched a few more features of Amico Power ARC-160, such as:

• It possesses an IGBT inverter technology for arc stability
• ARC-160 has an already installed “hot start” feature
• You can weld 1/16 to 5/32-inches thick material at 230 volts
• At 115V power supply, you can weld 1/8 to 1/16 thick materials
• It comes with thrust adjustment, current-intensity control, and over-voltage/current functions
• This welder has an 80% duty cycle @ 160 amperes on 230V and 80% duty cycle@130 amperes on 115V

Welding For Exhaust Pipe [Special Note]

While deciding the best cheap welder for exhaust, we did in-depth research and chose the five companies and models mentioned above.   

Each product is different from the other in terms of features. So, if you want the best MIG welder for exhaust or want to bring home any of the welding machines, make sure you first evaluate your requirements.

Some welders are made for MIG welding, while others are ideal for TIG and Stick welding. Therefore, take your time to go through the traits. And if you’re in a hurry, just try to look at the comparison chart to decide the best welder that comes in your budget with all the valuable features.

FAQ’s Of Welder For Exhaust Work

Q1. What kind of welder should I use for exhaust?

Exhaust pipes are thin; therefore, we recommend that you use MIG welders, as they are capable of welding thinner materials. But if you have Stick or TIG welders, which can weld thin materials, you can also use them to fix the exhaust. However, the MIG welders are the first choice for exhaust welding.

Q2. How can I weld my exhaust pipe without using a welder?

While there are many hacks available online, the reality is that you can’t weld an exhaust pipe without a welding machine. Even if you use an epoxy bond or any other material to cover the damage, it will not be a reliable way to fix a damaged exhaust pipe.

Therefore, it is suggested that you go for at least a cheap welder (if you can’t afford an expensive welding tool) to save your time from repeated repairing.

Q3. Can you weld an exhaust at home?

Any welder that allows you to do MIG, TIG, Flux Core, or Stick welding can do the job at home. However, you should have some previous welding experience to do things correctly. Moreover, a suitable welder can make your job a lot easier.

Q4. Is exhaust welding hard?

Exhaust welding is a bit complicated process and having experience in this work is a plus point. The real challenge is not attaching the exhaust pipes but welding the broken ones.

But with the right tools, welding an exhaust becomes a lot simpler because you can fuse the filler materials correctly with the right temperature to create a strong bond.

 So, if you are new to exhaust welding, ensure a reliable welder, so there are fewer machine errors in this process.

Final Thoughts

From our 5 best cheap welders for exhaust review, you can select the most appropriate one for you.

While it is your sole decision to make which welder to buy and which to avoid, we do suggest that you pick the one that offers MIG welding, like the Hobart 140 500559 Handler. Although it is expensive, it has everything you need to fix the exhaust pipes.

On the other hand, if you want a really cheap welding machine, you can choose the Amico Power ARC-160, as it offers both Lift-TIG and Stick welding. But keep in mind that it is not a MIG welder, so you might not enjoy high-quality welds, as you would get from a MIG welding machine.