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Unless you’re an experienced metalworker, welding is usually a little bit intimidating. High voltages, bright flashes that can potentially damage eyesight, hot sparks, and mistakes that seem permanent can cause some timidness or trepidation. But the payoff is worth it, as welding can be a lot of fun.
The YesWelder MIG205DS Welder promises an easy, beginner-friendly approach to this trade. Does it deliver? We performed hands-on testing with this machine to find out. Keep reading to learn more in this YesWelder MIG205DS Welder review.
The YesWelder MIG-205DS Welder: At a Glance
Rating: 8.2/10
PROS
- Compact design
- Operates on 110-volt or 220-volt power
- Relatively simple to set up
- An affordable way to get into welding
CONS
- Not as powerful as larger, more powerful models
- Newer name in the welding industry
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What Is the YesWelder MIG-205DS Welder?
First, let’s start with a bit of a backstory. I’m not completely new to welding. I took a few courses in high school metal shop, and I did reasonably well. But that was 20 years ago, and my metalworking experience since those glory days is, well, lacking. So while I’m not totally new, I’m absolutely a beginner welder. When I got a chance to try out the YesWelder MIG-205DS, I couldn’t pass it up.
The MIG-205DS welder from YesWelder is an affordable, DIY-friendly take on welding. This machine is a three-in-one tool capable of Metal Inert Gas (MIG), Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG), and simple stick (arc) welding. It’s designed to run on 110-volt electricity as well as 220-volt electricity, which means any shop with an outlet can run this machine.
Despite the machine weighing less than 35 pounds, this welder uses special inverter technology to provide enough power for welding. It has a digital display with push-button adjustments for choosing between welding types, wire feed speed, and more. There are also automatic settings that adjust the speed and voltage relative to the amperage setting, as well as totally customizable values for experienced welders (I stuck with the automatic settings).
The MIG-205DS is a MIG welder at heart, and it’s capable of gasless or gas MIG welding. It also comes with everything necessary to get started in MIG welding (other than wire), such as the MIG gun, a gas hose (for gas welding), contact tips for different wire types, and a ground or an earth clamp. It comes with an electrode clamp for stick welding as well. Anything required for TIG welding will be an extra purchase, though the machine is fully capable on its own. Also, this welder does not come with a mask or gloves.
How Easy Is the YesWelder MIG-205DS Welder to Set Up?
I don’t have a lot of experience setting up welders, so my evaluation of setup is certainly subjective. But, I’ll say that the setup was truly frustration-free. YesWelder is purposely marketing its welders to DIYers, and as such, it recognizes that many of its customers are first-time welders. The major benefit to this that I found is that the setup instructions that the company provided are crystal clear.
Ultimately, setting up the welder took just a few minutes of reading and then a few more minutes of assembling. The welder came fully assembled, but I had to attach the gun, some electrical fittings, the earth clamp, and load it with wire. I also had to choose the correct tip size for the wire I was using (.035 flux core, in my case). All of this took maybe 30 minutes to do, and I was ready to start tacking pieces of metal together.
Is the YesWelder MIG-205DS Welder Easy to Use?
In my opinion, where the YesWelder MIG-205DS welder really shines is in its ease of use. My plan was to weld brackets onto one of my trailers so I could attach removable walls, and the MIG-205DS made the job quite easy, even for someone with limited welding experience.
First, I needed to have an idea of the metal thickness that I was welding. Experienced metalworkers and welders can do this by touch, but in my case, I needed to do some research and then some guesswork. Once I had a reasonable idea of the thickness of the metal, I was able to set the MIG-205DS welder to the proper amperage and let it do the rest of the work.
Actually welding with the MIG-205DS was a breeze. The gun fed the wire smoothly and consistently, and the earth clamp had plenty of tension for creating strong ground connections. Because both the clamp and gun are 10 feet long, it was easy to maneuver between the sides of the trailer. However, I did have to spin the trailer around between welding the back and the front.
How Well Is the YesWelder MIG-205DS Welder Designed?
I really enjoy the MIG-205DS’s design. Whatever inverter technology that YesWelder uses (which is beyond the scope of my technical knowledge) allows this welder to be much smaller than a traditional welder. It’s light and compact, so it’s easy to store it away on a shop shelf or under a workbench.
There are some give-and-takes to this design, however. One of the first things I noticed was that the spool reel setup contains mostly plastic parts. It’s been some time since I’ve loaded welding wire in a larger Lincoln or Miller welder, but I don’t believe these brands use plastic reel parts. However, I don’t think this is a downside for the average DIYer. Even welding a time or two a week, the MIG-205DS won’t see even a fraction of the use a welder in a production shop will see. The plastic feels like it’s high quality, and I imagine it will last as long as the welder.
Also, the average DIYer doesn’t typically have 220-volt electricity on tap in their garage, which can really limit the type of metalworking they can do. The YesWelder’s inverter allows it to function on 110-volt or 220-volt power, which is truly something I appreciated about its design. While it might not provide the type of penetration of a high-voltage welder, it’s great for small repairs around the shop, some automotive work, and hobby metalworking.
Is the YesWelder MIG-205DS Welder Worth the Money?
I can honestly say that answering the “is the product worth the money?” question isn’t always easy. I have to balance the cost of the product versus its competitors, how easy it is to actually use, and how often someone would typically use it. In the case of the YesWelder MIG-205DS welder, the answer to the ultimate question is a resounding “YES!”
First, when I compare its price to other entry-level welders with similar capabilities, the MIG-205DS is much more affordable. Second, while my welds weren’t pretty, the machine is incredibly easy to use and not at all intimidating once you get to work with it. Finally, paying someone to weld something isn’t cheap, so even if I were to use this welder only once or twice a year, it would pay for itself over and over again.
But, that said, I doubt that this welder will outlast a comparable model from Miller or Lincoln. There are some plastic pieces, and YesWelder is relatively new to the welding industry compared to those well-established companies. So, if you’re planning to use this welder many times each week, it might be worth investing in a pro-grade tool.
For everyone else who prefers a tool that takes some of the intimidation out of welding, the YesWelder MIG-205DS welder could be the way to go. It was for me.
Where to Buy the YesWelder MIG-205DS Welder
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