I'm using a MIG because its quicker and more handy then a TIG is, plus I have never TIG welded either

 

mig is definitly faster, but you have no control over the weld puddle and in the end it usually looks like crap. for a professional job, I vote tig.

 

You must not have a lot of welding experience to make a statement like that. Yes a TIG is much more controllable and make pretty welds, but it is also very slow. With any type of production welding, a MIG is defiantly the way to go. If you know what your doing, you have plenty of control over the weld puddles and MIG welds are very strong and look very clean. There's a little more to it then just point and shoot with a MIG to get a quality weld.

 

well i learned how to weld on a lincoln stick welder and i've tried to weld with a MIG. but, i just don't like it for some reason. maybe i was just using a welder that hadn't been set up right or something. But my vote is for a stick welder i can go just as fast with it as a mig

 

i can make a mig weld pretty and it wont break. we have 3 miller welders at our shop and i believe they got another one on the way. i believe we have 2 250's and one 210. not 100% sure though.

 

Any idiot can make a pretty mig weld IMO. The trick is knowing the machine and how to set it. 75% of welding is knowing how to set the machine.

 

I agree, TIG takes a lot more time, I also have great control over the puddle, granted MIG is the easiest type of welding to learn but not just anybody can do it, like the statement above, there's a little more to it then just point and shoot

 

I too can make a strong weld and make it still look good with a mig, tig isn't the only way to make a pretty and strong weld, also makin a bbq pit, most of the welds we grind flat anyways and put extra welds on the inside so there's really no use to use a TIG, a big part of makin a bbq pit is not not have welds showing everywhere, it looks more professional with the welds grinded flat and lookin as if one whole piece

 

we only use tig at work whenever doing pressure welds. Otherwise tig is just too time consuming and not worth it. But then again, i prefer to tig over mig. Its just soooo much better if you have the time.

 

If you need a MIG get a Miller, Lincoln, or Esab. Need a TIG, stick with Miller, or Lincoln.

I personally have an Esab Multimaster 260, I like this because of the variablility in the heat settings, plus the digital read outs. This particular machine can also tig, and stick weld but they are limited. The tig feature is straight DC no frequency adjustment, and the stick is also straight DC but when the only rod I use is 6010 who needs AC. I got this machine about 7 years ago and just finished my 5th 44 lb spool of .035 wire. Esab makes a very good wire welder but nobody has never used one.

As for looks of welds the only process that looks better than MIG is TIG, but that is because of control of the arc. As for strength of a good MIG weld, if you are using ER70S-3 (common wire) rated at 73 kpsi (Tensile). The tensile strength of the wire is higher than the tensile strength of low carbon steel (1020, this is structural steel) which is rated at 55 kpsi. Most welds are usually stronger than the material, unless you are an idiot and use ER70-S wire on 4340 material (103 kpsi) when you should be using ER120S-1.