TIG v MIG

Which is right for you, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each and you’ll be able to choose the right one for your application.

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is a very common type of arc welding, commonly used in the automotive industry, it uses a continuous consumable roll of wire electrode and a shielding gas to create the weld.

MIG Pros: It’s faster, if time is of the essence then MIG is the answer. It’s inexpensive, a very popular choice for home use with initial equipment costs being relatively low.

MIG Cons: In the wrong hands excessive heat can cause damage to the metals being welded, the process can also be messy causing a lot of splatter and smoke.

Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Slightly more complicated than MIG, the TIG process combines a non-consumable tungsten electrode or rod, a shielding gas and on occasion a metal filler.

TIG Pros: TIG is very clean, sparks and splatter are much fewer than MIG, there is also significantly less smoke making for a far more comfortable work environment. TIG welding can be autogenous, this means no filler material is required allowing for a very clean precise weld. Precision is where TIG comes into its own, the welder has far more control over the heat of the electrode resulting in far less distortions. TIG can be used on a far wider variety of materials.

TIG Cons: It’s undeniably more expensive, the overall set and weld process is slightly slower than MIG.

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