Every welder gets a score from 0 to 100% built from four factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Welders are grouped by process: AC/DC TIG, DC TIG with high-frequency start, and stick, which includes stick welders that can lift-arc TIG with an add-on torch.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Value | price per amp of maximum output | 30% |
| Duty cycle | duty cycle at full output | 20% |
| Features | arc start, pulse, foot pedal and dual voltage (stick: dual voltage, lift TIG, VRD) | 25% |
| Warranty | warranty on the machine | 25% |
Where the numbers come from
Output, duty cycle, input voltage, features and warranty come from the maker’s spec sheet, manual or product page. Prices are checked at Amazon, the maker’s own store and welding retailers, and the lowest is used.
The factors
Value is the current price divided by the maximum output on the highest input voltage, on a log scale, so halving the price per amp always counts the same. AC/DC TIG welders score zero at $10 per amp and full marks at $2; DC TIG welders zero at $6 and full marks at $1; stick welders zero at $6 and full marks at $0.40.
Duty cycle is the share of a ten minute period the welder can run at full output: 20% scores zero and 60% full marks. When a maker rates duty cycle below full output, it’s carried up to full output by the square of the current, the rule welding duty cycles follow (heat rises with the square of the current), and the factor is marked estimated. Makers rate at different ambient temperatures; the standard is 40 °C, and the product page shows the temperature when it’s published.
Features for TIG welders counts high-frequency start (30%), pulse (25%), a foot pedal in the box (25%) and dual voltage (20%). For stick welders it counts dual voltage (50%), lift TIG with an optional torch (30%) and a voltage reduction device (20%).
Warranty is the maker’s warranty on the machine: 1 year scores zero and 5 years full marks.
What isn’t scored
Output on 120 V, a TIG torch in the box and weight are listed but not scored.
Missing data
If a figure isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated. The exception is warranty: a maker that doesn’t publish one gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero, the same as the shortest warranty on the scale, and is marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.