Portability and power supply matter as much as the process itself. A stick welder will run from a generator or a domestic supply in places a gas bottle can't easily follow, while MIG and TIG set-ups need a gas cylinder and, for anything beyond light-gauge work, a heavier electrical supply. Workshop layout, the materials you weld most often, and how frequently the machine needs to travel are all worth weighing up before settling on one process.
Abrasive discs look interchangeable on a shelf but perform very differently depending on what they're made from and what they're used on. Cutting discs are generally thin, designed to slice through material quickly with minimal heat build-up, while grinding discs are thicker and shaped to remove material from a surface or clean up a weld, rather than cut all the way through it.
Most domestic UK properties are supplied with single-phase power, typically 230V, which is more than adequate for light-duty inverter welders used for hobby work, repairs and general fabrication. Three-phase supply, commonly 400V to 415V across three live conductors, is standard in industrial premises and delivers power more efficiently to heavier equipment, which is why higher-output welders and plasma cutters, including some Fronius and ESAB machines, are often offered in a three-phase version.
TIG welding relies on a handful of small consumable parts inside the torch that have an outsized effect on how the arc behaves. The tungsten electrode itself doesn't melt into the weld; it simply carries the arc, and different tungsten types, distinguished by their alloying elements, suit different current types and materials. Getting the wrong tungsten for the job typically shows up as arc wander or poor arc starts long before it shows up anywhere else.
Budget for a first machine is rarely just the welder itself. A gas cylinder and regulator for MIG or TIG, a decent auto-darkening helmet, gloves and basic workshop ventilation all add to the real cost of getting started, and skimping on the supporting equipment tends to cost more in frustration than it saves in cash. It's worth pricing the whole set-up before settling on a machine at the top of the budget.
Cutting capacity is usually described in terms of clean cut and maximum cut thickness, and the two are worth distinguishing. Clean cut is the thickness a machine handles with a good edge finish and reasonable speed, while maximum cut is the thickest material the machine will get through at all, usually slower and
similar resource site with a rougher edge. Buying with your typical material thickness in mind, rather than the thickest job you might occasionally face, generally gives a better day-to-day result.
