Top 5 Best Flux Core Welders in 2023

Our top pick for the best flux core welder is the Forney Easy Weld 261, which is versatile and powerful, and can weld up to 1/4″ steel. It runs up to 140A, states that it will weld up to 1/4″ steel, in truth it can do 1/4″ at a breeze so you can get a bit more out of this machine if you want. The duty cycle is 30%@90A, meaning you can use 0.30 and 0.35″ wire with both 2lb and 10lb rolls; meaning this welder is versatile and powerful.
It weighs only 19lbs, making it one of the lightest on the market. This makes it perfect for anyone looking for a flux core welder for repair and maintenance and needs something portable. The machine is really simple to use as well as it has voltage and wire speed settings which makes it a great welder for beginners. All you need to do is set the voltage and wire speed and you’re ready to go!
Overall for an all-round balance of price and features, we don’t think you can beat this. It’s great for beginners and also more experienced welders who want a reliable, portable gasless MIG welder in their workshop.

Yedwelder have started taking the welding market by storm with a range of incredibly priced products and this machine is no different. It’s excellent value for money and you can’t beat it for the price.

One of the coolest new features of this model is that it comes with an 8ft stinger, so you can stick-weld right out of the box. However, it doesn't come with flux wire or welding rods; those are additional items you'll need to purchase separately.

The user interface is simple, with a wire speed and voltage knob on the front. There are no charts or instructions in the box, so it may take some trial and error to get your settings right.
It’s hard to believe there’s a welder on the market weighing 13lbs, which is light even for an inverter and you can tell it’s not the most solidly built welder on the market with some plastic parts. That being said, many people have had good experiences with these for over a year now and you do get a one year warranty to protect your purchase and they have a good reputation for customer service.
This is a great deal for the ultimate portable MIG welder that offers you 135A max amperage and ability to weld 5/32″ steel for an affordable price.

The Hobart Handler 100 is a transformer welder. It is affordable, reliable and makes nice smooth welds. It is about 3 times as heavy as the Forney model, but it might be easier to repair if it’s damaged. If portability isn't an issue and you just need a flux core welder for the garage that will be sat on a welding cart, then this is a great choice.

The Hobart wire welder offers 30-100 amps of power and is capable of welding 18-ga. to 3/16″, making it a great choice for thinner steel. It doesn't produce too much spatter with Hobart wire and it's not too difficult to clean up.

On the welding machine is a dial that allows you to adjust voltage output for different thicknesses and wire speed. You just need to set these and you’re good to go. You can use both 0.30 and 0.35 wire with either 4 or 8 inch spools. It also has a built-in contactor which keeps the wire in the gun electrically “cold” when not welding, which helps usage and is a nice safety feature. Overall it’s a great flux core welder if portability isn’t key but you want a reliable and versatile machine.

This lightweight flux core welder is great if you’re just looking for a cheap flux core welder for occasional repair work.

The stainless steel body makes it lightweight at 18 lbs. The front panel doesn’t allow you to adjust the wire feed and diameter, but instead lets you choose from different metal thicknesses: 0.5 mm (24 ga) to 4 mm (5/32″) so you can weld 1/8” nice and smooth. It has a duty cycle of 35% @ 120A with thermal overload protection.

It’s got a wire diameter of 0.6-0.8mm and comes with a 1lb spool of 0.31 wire. The instructions for setting up the machine aren’t great, so it’s probably better if it’s not your first time using a wire feed welder. Overall it’s a decent machine that’s well priced, great for DIY repair work.

The Lincoln Handy Core is a top-quality flux core welder. Its 120V power and 35-88A amperage range make it ideal for light repair work and welding thinner steel in the garage. This machine comes with a 1lb spool and chipping hammer and brush for removing slag. It also comes with a welding helmet, but really you’ll want a better auto-darkening welding helmet, you can pick these up for very cheap off Amazon.

On the front are 10 wire feed speed settings and four voltage settings. Lincoln explains which settings are optimal for each metal thickness, making it a good choice for beginners.

The welder is heavier at 46 pounds, so we’ve marked it down on portability. If you’re using it in your workshop, however, then this model is worth considering. Just note that it’s not that powerful; we tend to recommend that if you think you might want to weld thicker steel that you get something with more power to save you having to purchase again down the line.
Overall it’s a good welder for beginners and those looking for a reliable flux core welder to weld thinner steels.
Overall it’s a good welder for beginners and those looking for a reliable flux core welder to weld thinner steels.