What Is The Best MIG Wire – Welding Wires Reviews 2020

If there is anything that I learned from experience, that’s welding wires are equally important as welders. I can’t tell you how many times the wires ruined my welding. Thankfully, I’ve learned over the years. Now it’s time to share my precious knowledge with you!

I prepared you a list of best MIG wires that are most popular with users. You also have a chance to take a look at the buying guide, as well as an explanation when it comes to choosing the right size of wire.

By the end of this article, you should have all the knowledge about welding wires you need.

It’s a product from Italy. However, the thing that matters more than that is that the manufacturer used high-quality materials. If you are concerned about the budget, you can get this item at an affordable cost. 

The manufacturer recommends this wire for construction work, shaft buildup, truck bodies, tanks, as well as shop applications in general. The product uses a combination of Argon and nitrogen, but you can also use 100% argon for thick materials. This is one of the best MIG wires for mild steel of my list and that’s the reason it’s acquire the 1st place of list.

This product is suitable for car body repairs, as well as construction works, earthworks, and steel structural works. It is also appropriate for boilers and thanks, and it can deliver exceptional results. You should use shielding gas with this product.

The crucial thing to mention is that even beginners mig welders won’t have trouble welding with these wires. Operating with them is a piece of cake, and you can use it on a broad range of applications. That includes construction works, earthworks, as well as steel structural works (appropriate for thick steel). It is also suitable for boilers, tanks, and vehicle body repairs.

Other suitable uses include joining roofing sheet metal that is galvanized and repair jobs on vehicle sheet metal. Regardless of the type of work you do, Blue Demon E71TGS can deliver extraordinary results. You should just keep in mind to select the right wire size. The good news is that this item is available in three different sizes, including .030, .035, and .045 thickness.

The quality of welding can come down to the type of wire you choose. In theory, you can join any two metals with a MIG welder. However, the durability and quality of the work you do will depend on the right selection of the electrode (wire). 

Aside from securing better welding results, choosing the right wire also secures improved efficiency. That means you can weld more metals during the same time frame. That is particularly important if you are planning to use your welder often.

There are two types of MIG welding wires you can choose:

Flux Core Wire

If you aren't using shielding gas for your welding operations, your choice should be a flux-cored wire. In most cases, this electrode has silver steel on the outer part and a flux core on the inside. Its task is to keep any contamination from happening while welding and protect the area where you weld. Flux-cored wires are suitable for outdoor use since the wind can’t affect the quality of work. 

You can use these electrodes for materials that are painted, rusty, or dirty. As for the thickness of materials, it is recommended to go up to 18-gauge. While it can provide more heat than solid carbon steel wires, you should be cautious when dealing with thick materials. Some of the metals might require multiple passes before you are satisfied with the quality.

Gas-Shielded W​​​​ires

The alternative to flux-cored electrodes is using gas-shielded wires. There are three choices in this category:

Another thing to keep in mind is that the material you weld should be the same as the materials of the electrode. For example, if you are welding stainless steel, you will want that type of wire. Hope it’s become easy to choose best welds welding wire.

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You should also consider the size of the electrodes you use. The thickness of the material you are welding determines the wire size you need. 

Gasless Flux-Cored ​​​​Wires

When it comes to flux-cored electrodes, you should go with at least .030” of thickness. With that size, you can choose materials that vary from 20-gauge (.037) up to 14 gauge (.078). If you are planning on welding thicker materials, other alternatives are more suitable. You can use .035” wires for materials from 18-gauge (.050) to 3/16 (.188) of thickness. 

The thickest materials recommended to weld with flux-cored electrodes are of ¼” (.25) thickness. To deal with them, you can use .045 wires. These electrodes can also be used for thinner materials all the way to 16-gauge thickness. However, .045 wires are not appropriate for structures thinner than that. 

MIG Solid Wir​​​​es

As for MIG Solid wires, you can use them on a broad range of materials. Material thickness anywhere from 22-gauge (.031) up to ¼” is suitable for this type. However, you should choose a wire size depending on the size of the material you want to weld. The thinnest wire you should select shouldn’t be below .023”. You can use them for thin materials from 22-gauge (.031) up to 18 gauge (.050). As you can see, the versatility of this wire is not great.

That is why a far better option is using the .030” wire. You can use them for applications from 22-gauge (.031) up to 1/8” (.125). If you don’t plan to deal with thin materials, you can also choose the .035” electrode. They are suitable for thick applications up to 1.4” (.25). However, they should be used for materials thinner than 18-gauge (.050).

Don’t forget to also choose the right amperage. The general rule is that low amperage is suitable for thin materials, while thick applications will require high heat output.

There is no right answer to the question whether you should use gasless wires or those that require shielding gas. It all comes down to your preference. The thing that matters is to choose high-quality options for your welding. Consistent performance is a characteristic used to describe all the best MIG welding wires on my list.

I hope that this article cleared all dilemmas you had regarding welding wires. You should keep in mind the applications you want to use the wires for, as well as their thickness. That’s the sure-fire way to excellent welding results. If you have any questions remaining, don’t hesitate to ask them!

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