What's the Difference Between A MIG and a TIG Welder

Do you want to understand the difference between a MIG and a TIG welder? Well, you have reached the right place. In the article below, we will explain the major differences between these two different types of welding and whether there are any particular advantages of choosing a particular type of welding.

Before you begin, you need to understand that both these types of welding are arc welding processes wherein an inert gas and metal electrodes are used for the welding process. Both these types of welding are easy to learn and these welding processes can typically be used on almost all the common materials.

As far as MIG welding is concerned, the acronym stands for metal inert gas welding. It is also known by many other names including metal active gas welding. In this method, a consumable metal electrode and shielding gas is used for the welding process. An electric arc is used in this process for heating the material and for joining the pieces.

The electrode acts as a filler which is melted and deposited on the area that is being welded. It can be semiautomatic or automatic in nature. Typically, argon gas is used in this process which is also combined with carbon dioxide in certain cases. One of the biggest advantages of this welding process is that it is considered user-friendly as well as quick as compared to some of the other welding processes.

This process of welding also tends to be cheaper as compared to the TIG welding process. However, it also has certain disadvantages as compared to the other welding processes. This particular welding process leads to production of a less stable arc which means the sections produced through this welding process may not be as stable as compared to sections produced through other welding processes. This type of welding process also leads to creation of more smoke, sparks and fumes which makes the other welding processes cleaner as compared to this particular type of welding process.

The TIG welding process is an acronym for tungsten inert gas welding. In this type of welding, a tungsten electrode is used for the welding process and the gas used is argon gas. The fundamental difference between this type of welding process and the above-mentioned welding process is that the electrode is non-consumable which means an external filler needs to be provided. In some cases, no filler is used.

This type of process is a semiautomatic welding process and a foot pedal is typically used for controlling the arc. This type of welding is typically used for combining nonferrous metals but it can also be used for welding iron alloys. The biggest advantage of using tungsten electrode is that it leads to reduced contamination in the process. It also leads to creation of fewer fumes and sparks as compared to the above-mentioned welding process.

Overall, both these welding processes have a lot of similarities except that tungsten is used in the TIG welding process. Both these have their own advantages and disadvantages and choosing one over the other will depend on the particular application as well as the cost of welding and certain other factors