Welding & Cutting Machines

Welding and cutting machines from SanRex, MapleWeld and Stryker - MIG, TIG, stick and plasma inverters, engine-driven welders for sites without power, and battery-powered welders for work away from an outlet. The range covers light fabrication and field repair through to sustained production duty.

Read the duty cycle, not the amperage

The headline amperage on a machine is its peak output at a stated duty cycle, usually quoted at 40 degrees ambient. A 200A machine at 40% duty cycle delivers 200A for four minutes in ten, then rests. For production fillet work that is a different machine from one rated 200A at 100%. Sizing on headline amperage alone is the most common and most expensive machine buying error.

Match the power source to the job site

In the shop, single-phase versus three-phase and the input current draw decide whether a machine can run on your existing service - check the input requirement against both the receptacle and the breaker before ordering. Away from the shop, an engine-driven welder brings its own power, and a battery-powered welder gives you arcs with no generator, no extension cord and no fuel.

Process capability

• MIG - highest deposition rate, best for production and for thicker material. Needs gas.
• TIG - the most control and the best appearance, essential for thin material, stainless and aluminum. AC capability is required for aluminum.
• Stick - the most tolerant of dirty material, wind and field conditions. No gas to carry.
• Plasma - cutting rather than joining, sized by the thickness you need to sever cleanly rather than the maximum it will pierce.

Try before you commit

We run a walk-in showroom in Toronto, on-site demonstrations, welder rentals and machine repairs. For a capital purchase, renting the machine on a real job first is a cheaper way to find out whether it suits your work than buying and discovering afterwards.

Talk to us about spec before ordering a machine - the right answer depends on your material, your duty cycle and your power supply.