Our Rating
Summary:
4.3
A portable MIG welder is almost impossible to find. Most welders in this category tend to weigh upwards of 80 pounds. That’s not the case with the GoPlus MIG 130 Welder with Automatic Feed. Coming in at just 35 pounds, it is one of the truly portable welders that you will find in any category.
Because it is lightweight, the amount of welding power is somewhat minimal with this particular welder. Think of this MIG welder as a tool to use when you need to have a professional finish. It does well on many thin steel welding processes, including car bodywork, so that you can work quickly and effectively on task after task.
You’ll want to watch this installation video to get to know this welder a little bit better: https://youtu.be/UPLeEqvTCpk
Here are some of the key features that you’ll want to know about when looking at the GoPlus MIG 130 Welder as well.
- It offers 4 different settings for the user. You have a minimum, a maximum, and a 1 or 2 setting in which to use. The “2” setting is just below the maximum amperage the welder is able to produce.
- Both single-pass and multi-pass wire works well enough with this particular welder. Use either .030 or .035 for best results.
- You’ll get wire that comes shipped with this welder. It’s always live, so you need to make sure you’re careful about setting your gun down somewhere.
We found that the best setting for this welder tends to be with the .030 wire on the 1 setting. This allowed us to weld pretty consistently without causing downtime due to overheating. It would be nice to have a DC output on this little welder, but considering the portability that you’re able to receive with it, the trade-off is even in our view.
Tips to Help Make the GoPlus MIG 130 Welder Work Better
If you’re using this welder, then make sure you take extra time to prep the surface of your materials. There just isn’t the power available within the arc to push anything out of the way as you’re attempting to lay down a good bead. You’ll be able to weld tubing, sheet metal, and similar materials with ease, but only if they are clean.
When attempting to weld items that are somewhat oily or dirty, the bead looks more like you tried to tack weld the items. It really does a poor job in that scenario, so make sure you take the time to do all of your prep work. There are no shortcuts here.
Our Bottom Line: The GoPlus MIG 130 Welder with Automatic Feed is not a high production piece of equipment. If you’re going to use it for at-home projects or the occasional production need for a neighbor or a friend, this will help you get the job done. Beginners will need to take care with the gun to avoid an unpleasant surprise, but otherwise we found this to be a straightforward, no-frills welder that gets the job done.
Click here to view the price on Amazon and get the best deal.
Check the best MIG welder reviews today for information about other brands and models that are best for MIG welding.