If you're setting up a home or small business workshop and trying to choose between MIG and TIG, the honest answer is that most people don't need to choose — they need to know what job is in front of them most often. Here's what actually decides it.
What each one is built for
MIG feeds wire automatically through the gun, which makes it faster to learn and quicker to lay a bead. It's the right call for mild steel, general fabrication, and repair work where speed matters more than finesse - gates, trailers, brackets, general steel fixing.
TIG gives you full control over the arc with a separate filler rod, at the cost of speed. It's the better choice for thin sheet, aluminium, stainless steel, or any job where the finish itself matters - car bodywork, exhaust repairs, anything visible.
If your work is mostly steel and mostly about getting the job done, start with MIG. If you're working aluminium or stainless, or the weld needs to look right as well as hold, TIG earns its place.
Machines that cover both
You don't always have to pick one machine for life. The Sealey MIG/TIG/MMA Inverter Welder – 200A (£671) covers MIG, TIG and stick in a single unit, which suits a workshop that does a bit of everything and doesn't want two machines taking up floor space.
If you know MIG is 90% of your work, the Sealey Gas/Gasless MIG Welder – 150A 230V (£348) is a straightforward dedicated option. For a workshop set on MIG as its main process, the Cobra by Stealth 200-1 2R Compact MIG Welding Machine (£1,105.20) or the Stealth Digi-MIG 200 LCD (£930) step up in duty cycle and control.
Wire and consumables, sorted by process
Whichever way you go, the consumables are process-specific:
- MIG steel: Super 6 SG2 (ER70S-6) wire, available in smaller reels or 15kg (£24–£71)
- TIG steel: Super 6 A15 Steel TIG Wire (£55)
- TIG stainless: Super 6 316L Stainless Steel TIG Wire (£74)
- TIG aluminium: Super 6 4043 or 5356 Aluminium TIG Wire (£31–£32), depending on the alloy you're welding to
Gauntlets differ too — a Premium Split Leather MIG Gauntlet (£10) is built for grip and heat resistance during fast wire-feed work, while a Premium Goatskin Leather Split Cuff TIG Gauntlet (£11) is cut thinner for the dexterity TIG welding needs.
The short version
MIG for speed and mild steel. TIG for control, thin material, aluminium and stainless. If you genuinely don't know which you'll use more, a MIG/TIG/MMA combi unit like the Sealey 200A means you're not committing until you know.
Not sure which suits the job you've actually got coming up? Give us a call and we'll talk it through.