Best MIG Welder for 1/2″ Steel (in 2023)

The Eastwood MIG 250A is the best budget welder for 1/2 in thick steel. Configured for light fabrication and DIY hobbyists, the design does lack some high-end features. The streamlined functions limit it in a professional environment, but Eastwood built this welder to sustain daily heavy-duty use.

If you run a welding shop, it can certainly handle the load. But it misses crucial features like pulse MIG, push-pull gun support for advanced aluminum welding, 2T/4T, etc. Hobbyists don’t need most of these features, so the low price, excellent build, and arc quality make this Eastwood model a bargain.

The welder is as simple to operate as Hobart’s Ironman 240 and includes everything. However, the Eastwood 250A’s leads are shorter than competing models. The 3-year warranty rivals high-end brands, but the build quality falls short of the high-end brands. For example, there is no digital display, and the wire drive system uses a basic cast aluminum design (you read my full Eastwood MIG 250 review here).

Eastwood’s power output supports welding of 1/2 in. steel, but other welders in our review have a higher amperage output, allowing them to weld faster. However, Eastwood’s duty cycle is longer than the Hobart, Miller, and Lincoln welders also on this list.

The Hobart Ironman 240 is a basic MIG welder with exceptional arc and build quality. The absence of advanced features lowers the price, making it one of the most affordable MIG welders with a high amperage output for professional welding shops.

Hobart manufactures their products in the USA to high production standards. Couple its build quality with a transformer core, and you get a welder that will live to see your grandkids. However, this durability comes at the cost of portability. The Ironman weighs 186 lb and is difficult to move.

But a beefy welder like the Ironman 240 handles 1/2 in. thick steel better than the Eastwood 250A and welds faster. Additionally, the high deposition rate possible with a 700 inches per minute (“IPM”) wire feed speed allows you to fill significant gaps quickly while easily keeping the puddle wet.

Also, the immense duty cycle and a maximum output of 280A handles high-volume production in any welding shop. However, since Hobart priced the Ironman 240 aggressively, home hobbyists often buy this machine, too, which spikes demand for this welder. That results in it selling out at times. You may have to wait if you want to order one.

Besides steel, this Hobart unit also does an excellent job with aluminum. Its 280A output keeps a hot puddle on thick aluminum parts that can be challenging for the Eastwood 250A. But above all, Hobart’s well-known arc quality achieves flawless joints, significantly improving the resulting weld quality.

The Lincoln Electric Power MIG 260 is more expensive than the Hobart and Everlast on this list. But it has far more features than the Hobart but less than Everlast. Still, it satisfies the essential needs of a demanding welding shop while offering top-of-the-line arc and build quality.

The best thing about Lincoln’s welder is its 7 in. display. That’s the biggest we’ve seen so far, and it makes setup a breeze, thanks to a well-organized menu. Lincoln built this welder for productivity. An intuitive menu and crucial features like 2T/4T and push-pull gun support speed up the work and allow you to weld at a professional level.

The productivity-first approach is apparent in tiny details, too. The inclusion of two 120V outlets on the front lets you keep your power tools like die or angle grinders right where you need them, at the weld area. The tilting gas tank tray speeds up the bottle installation process, and the multiple hooks on the unit conveniently hold cables and other accessories.

Like Miller and Hobart, Lincoln Electric is synonymous with the welding trade. The Power MIG 260 is an excellent choice for demanding users. But, if you prefer or need portability, go with the Everlast. If you are on a budget, then the Hobart is a good choice but lacks some advanced features.

The Everlast PowerMIG 275P is slightly cheaper than Hobart’s Ironman 240 and includes many features that Hobart does not. However, it’s not a well-known, established brand name. So, if you are after maximum reliability, Hobart is a better choice.

That said, Everlast has proven itself as one of the leaders in the industrial market, and the PowerMIG 275P has a major advantage over Hobart, Lincoln, and Miller. It’s portable and designed for high-end welding, unlike the Eastwood 250A.

Everlast packed the PowerMIG 275P with numerous functions. Professionals will find at least a few that are game-changers for their work. Everlast’s unique pulsed MIG quickly comes to mind.   This welder provides an easy-to-use pulse by varying MIG voltage instead of wire speed, unlike competing brands. This feature significantly improves your control over weld parameters like heat input, arc stability, penetration, heat transfer, and bead profile.

Everlast welds up to 5/8 in. thick, surpassing Hobart, Miller, and Eastwood. However, the user interface can’t compare to Lincoln’s, which is much easier to operate. Additionally, Everlast’s wire drive has four rollers, which is good. But the other brands on our list, except Eastwood, have better quality drive systems.

The Millermatic 252 MIG welder has a slightly better build quality than Lincoln and Hobart, making it a best choice for extreme heavy-duty work. However, this small gap in build quality no longer justifies its high price. It’s an old machine, which also has a positive side. It’s tried and tested, and some people may prefer it for this reason alone.

But, it uses a complex settings process that requires powering off the welder, keeping the MIG gun trigger pressed, powering on the welder, and adjusting the values. It’s nowhere near as efficient as the Lincoln 7 in. display we already covered.

We suggest the Lincoln for advanced users and this Millermatic only if you must have the best build quality. However, the Millermatic is still an excellent choice for welding thick steel. It has a slightly better arc quality, more power than Hobart, and the same 700 IPM wire deposit speed.

The integrated cart supports a gas bottle but doesn’t have additional hooks for the MIG torch and other tools like the Lincoln unit. Also, the two digital displays are too basic for a $4000 plus welder. Cheap hobbyist inverter-based welders use these displays nowadays, so Miller needs to step it up.