7 Best Dual Voltage MIG Welders [110 & 220] in 2023

The Eastwood MIG 180 misses some features found on the YesWelder above, like digital displays, inductance control, and Synergic MIG for auto settings. However, it’s produced by an established  USA brand, comes with a 3-year warranty, and offers a better arc and build quality.

Since it’s just slightly more expensive than the YesWelder MIG-205DS, we believe the Eastwood MIG 180 offers better value for users requiring durability. The Eastwood MIG 180 is a reliable welder; even professionals can use it for light-duty jobs.

However, the MIG 180 has a relatively low duty cycle with the 110V input, like most MIG welders (full MIG 180 review here). This is not an issue if welding the thin sheet metal. But, the machine can’t handle thicker sections without pausing now and then.

Still, the Eastwood MIG 180 is a steal for hobbyists and less demanding shops. Plug it into a 220V outlet, and you’ll get a decent duty cycle and up to 551 inches per minute (“IPM”) of wire feed speed, allowing you to weld thicker metal with root gaps and heavily beveled edges.

The YesWelder MIG-205DS is an inexpensive and hugely popular dual-voltage multi-process welder designed with a focus on the MIG welding process. YesWelder is known for hobbyist-grade welding equipment. But, they often hit that sweet spot between low cost and quality. That is especially true for the MIG-205DS.

While this welder offers dual-voltage input, you’ll rarely need to plug it into a 220V receptacle. The 110V input provides up to 160A of output at a 60% duty cycle. But, the 220V input packs a 205A punch with a 60% duty cycle. However, we don’t expect the MIG-205DS to handle the daily demands of professional work. This is a hobbyist welder, and you should treat it as such (full MIG-205DS review here).

The MIG-205DS offers more features than most brands. Along with the  MIG and flux-cored processes, it supports stick and TIG welding. Additionally, it includes an inductance setting for MIG, automatic and manual adjustments, and 2T/4T modes.

The welder has good build quality considering the low cost. But it stands out by combining two digital displays, infinite adjustability, DINSE connectors, and an all-metal wire drive system at an impossibly low cost. The price for all these included features makes the YesWelder MIG-205DS the best budget dual-voltage MIG welder. You can save 10% with the discount code “WELDGURU10” that was found online.

If you are looking for a professional MIG welder with an excellent price-to-value ratio, the Firepower FP-200 by ESAB is worth considering. The only downside of the FP-200 is a low duty cycle. You can’t do heavy-duty jobs since the machine sustains 200A output for just 90 seconds.

But, if you mostly weld thinner metals or don’t perform high-volume welding, the FP-200 is a good choice for professionals. It’s light, portable, and generator-friendly. So, it works where you do.

The digital display has an intuitive menu, and the infinite adjustability lets you fine-tune all settings, including inductance, wire run-in, and burnback time. The display shows wire feed speed (like all MIG welders), but it also indicates actual amperage output. This is not often the case, most MIG machines leave you guessing exactly how many amps you are using.

The Firepower competes well against brands like Lincoln, Hobart, and Miller in terms of arc and build quality, but it’s priced much more aggressively.

If you are on a tight budget, but want to start welding professionally, the Everlast Cyclone 200E may be a good choice. Automatic settings and a 5-year warranty make for a solid, easy-to-use unit.

But other than that, it doesn’t offer anything better than the Eastwood MIG 180. In general, the Everlast Cyclone 200E doesn’t include advanced functions and opts for a design that allows quick and easy welding.

Its automatic “PowerSet” mode sets everything for you in seconds. This is helpful for rookies and professionals because it saves time and provides the correct settings. But that also means you can’t modify bead width and height with an inductance setting, use 4T mode, tack weld, or set wire burnback time.

Additionally, the included ground clamp is a mere 5 feet long. That’s unacceptable for professional work, so you’ll have to upgrade it. On the other hand, the provided MIG gun at this price exceeds all expectations, beating out the one that comes with the similarly priced Eastwood MIG 180 and the YesWelder MIG-205DS.

Pure and simple, the Millermatic 211 is the best dual-voltage MIG welder for professionals. It’s been designed for daily welding at the shop or in the field. And it delivers, handing the demands of light to medium shops, tackling far more work than competing welders.

The maximum  600 IPM wire feed speed allows you to deposit filler metal rapidly, bridge the gap on large root openings, and achieve excellent penetration. However, Millermatic’s duty cycle limits heavy-duty applications. The duty cycle is slightly better than the FP-200, offering 2 minutes of welding at 200A.

The automatic mode is exact and supports all MIG welded metals. However, the manual mode provides arbitrary 1-10 and 10-100 values for voltage and wire feed speeds. We expect “real” numbers for welders in this price category. Professionals don’t want to guess when it comes to their settings.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a display or advanced functions like 2T/4T, inductance, wire burnback time, and others. If you don’t need maximum reliability, you should probably consider a lower-cost alternative with more features like the Firepower FP-200.

Unlike the Millermatic 211, the iconic Hobart 210MVP is transformer-based. This welder was one of the most popular portable MIG welders when it launched. However, after many years the Hobart 210 is no longer competitive in vital areas.

The Handler 210 is portable but weighs almost 80 lbs. Compare that to inverter-based MIG machines, which weigh as little as 25 lbs. Additionally, it doesn’t have any settings for arc control or standard DINSE connectors, and the integrated ground clamp makes the polarity switching for the flux-cored welding process far more complex.

However, with a maximum wire feed speed of 770 IPM, the Handler deposits filler metal exceptionally fast. This allows easy gap bridging and deeper penetration.

The Hobart Handler 210MVP is a USA-made welder with excellent arc and build quality. But, other than that, it doesn’t compare well to the Eastwood, Everlast, or Firepower welders we saw earlier. They are far less expensive and offer more features.

The Lincoln Electric Power MIG 180 has a lower amperage output than Hobart’s 210. But, it’s also lighter and more portable. Both are transformer-based, but the Power MIG 180 has a more optimized arc for out-of-position welding, making it a better choice for welding shops.

Unfortunately, due to the severely limited duty cycle, every welder on our list is a strong competitor to the MIG 180 unless you mostly weld sheet metal. The lack of DINSE connectors and advanced arc controls makes it overpriced.

On the other hand, Lincoln Electric is a well-known brand with excellent support, just like Miller and Hobart. The Power MIG 180 comes with a 3-year warranty and excellent build quality. Still, since it costs nearly as much as the Millermatic 211, it’s too expensive in our opinion.