7 Best Engine Driven Welder Generators

The Eagle Plus 10,000 by Lincoln Electric is one of the industry’s most commonly seen engine welders. This generator welder provides 9000 continuous watts for welding or power generation and a peak power of 10,500 AC watts for device starts. It’s an unusually high-quality unit, fully powder-coated with a completely enclosed engine compartment. The doors are removable for servicing the 23-horsepower Kohler engine and the generator.

The Lincoln Eagle Plus runs multiple processes, including 225 amp DC stick, 200 amp DC TIG, MIG, and flux core wire feed welding from 50 amps to 225 amps. It’s also able to do gouging and plasma cutting on up to 3/8-inch thickness of plate steel. Running below its max-rated current output can also run other power tools and small welders off its generator up to the maximum 9000 running watts AC power.

Lincoln Electric is well-known for rugged, well-built machines made to last for decades. The Eagle Plus engine welder is often seen mounted to truck beds for use by piping and steel crews. Lincoln provides a 20-foot electrode connection and a 15-foot work clamp.

The Hobart Champion Elite 225 is a 23 HP engine-driven welder with an 11,000-watt peak rating and 9500 continuous watts. This one is a lot of machine and Hobart is known for ruggedly built industrial quality machines.

The Champion Elite is aimed squarely at professional welders, with an electric starter and a 100 percent duty cycle at 225 amps. You can start this machine up, strike an arc, and weld 1/2-inch steel until it runs out of gas. The 40 amp lower end will let you get down to thin 1/8-inch plate. Unfortunately, the Hobart Champion elite doesn’t ship with welding cables, doesn’t have wheels, and isn’t available in California.

It’s got an idle control feature, which lets the machine throttle down the engine speed when demand drops to save fuel consumption and wear on the machine itself. The Hobart Champion Elite offers 4 20 amp 120-volt ground fault circuit interrupter plugins, one dual voltage 120/240 volt 50 amp outlet, and another 240-volt outlet rated at 50 amps. Hobart offers a 5-year warranty on the Champion Elite, and Kohler warrants the engine separately.

The Klutch 6000K Arc Welder/Generator is a new update with inverter technology using a 429CC gas engine to spin the generator, putting out a respectable 6,000 watts of continuous power. That’s enough power to weld up to 3/8 inch steel and run your handheld power tools. This makes it an excellent alternative to the Hobart Champion 145, providing better value for money.

Engine-driven welders tend to weigh over 400 lbs., even the small ones. But the Klutch 6000K weighs just 230 lbs.

That makes this unit your choice if you do need to move the welder often as you work. Plus, the included running gear lets you roll the machine around like a wheelbarrow.

The negatives for some users are that the Klutch 6000K only welds using a DC stick process, and its duty cycle is 30% at the maximum amperage. But for those who need to do things like weld equipment out in the middle of nowhere, this is plenty to get those remote jobs done.

On the positive side, the Klutch 6000K can arc weld stainless and mild steel, hard surfacing, aluminum, and cast iron. This versatility to remotely weld various types of stock combined with an attractive price tag will appeal to many.

As a bonus, Klutch manufactured this affordable engine-driven welder rugged enough to handle the rigors of welding in unusual places. Plus, they back it with a  3-year limited warranty (2-year limited warranty on the engine).

The Lincoln Electric Ranger 250 GXT Multi-Process Welder/Generator packages all the common welding processes in one machine. It can also put out up to 250 amps of welding power with a 100% duty cycle.

Like most welders in this class, you customize the unit with accessories bought separately. You can add a foot pedal or finger trigger to take your TIG welding to the next level.

Speaking of TIG welding, the 250 GXT can also AC TIG. If aluminum is a metal you must work with in places with no electrical outlets, this Ranger is worth a look. Many engined driven welders omit AC TIG.

As an electric supply, the generator pumps out 10,000 watts of continuous power to run various tools or electric appliances like an air blower, compressor, or plasma cutter in remote locations.

The 12-gallon gas tank gives the engine good run times to keep you working. Plus, Lincoln included an easy-to-see electric fuel gauge mounted right into the control panel. No bending over or using a flashlight to check how much fuel is left.

This is not the cheapest option, but it will please those with serious welding needs. Also, keep in mind this unit weighs just over 600 lbs. You will need a truck or trailer to haul the 250 GXT around.

The Ranger 250 GXT will appeal to professionals who need electricity while tackling various welds and base metals in places with no power outlets. Farms and construction sites for example, or anyone who does remote maintenance/repair work.

The HOBART Champion 145 is a classic engine-driven welder offering 4000 watts of continuous power and a 4500-watt peak for starting demands. It has built-in wheels and handles, making it a portable welder generator. This makes it easier to move around the site and position for access to your work. Owners praise the easy starting and quiet operation of the 10-horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine.

Hobart equipped the Champion 145 with a big 6.25-gallon fuel tank, giving it hours of uninterrupted operation. There’s nothing more irritating when you’re in the groove than having to stop everything and shut down to take a refueling break.

The owners didn’t like the fact that this engine welder comes without any welding leads and the poor quality of the wheels mounted on the machine (full review here). While most users will probably load it into a truck and move it around in storage, you may want actually to take advantage of the mobility of the welder, so it really should have better wheels on it.

The Hobart Champion 145 is extremely durable, made in the USA, and comes with a 3-year warranty at a great price.

The DuroStar DS4000WGE Generator Welder is produced by DuroMax Power Systems of Ontario, California. A 16-horsepower gasoline engine powers this machine with an electric start. This machine is equipped with a large 7-gallon fuel tank, rated at 8 hours of operation at 50 percent capacity. The DuroStar DSD4000WGE offers a generator rated at 3300 watts running capacity, 4000-watt peak, 3 separate 120-volt outlets, and a 12-volt battery charger.

This welding generator is a DC stick arc welder rated from 50-210 amps current output. That’s good to weld from 1/8-inch thin steel plate up to 1/2-inch thick steel plate. Users are very pleased with how quiet this generator welder runs, with a noise rating of 69 dB. Many users have complained that the fuel petcock doesn’t always close completely, causing the carburetor to flood or a gas smell from a seeping leak. Another similar issue is that the overflow on the gas tank vents back to the air cleaner and can cause flooding if the tank is too full or on a very hot day out.

The Miller TrailBlazer 325 brings lots of power and many welding processes all in one machine. But there is no AC TIG. However, this welder accepts a spool gun if you need to weld aluminum.

The Trailblazer 325 also comes with a couple of remote options to control the generator and the welding settings. Minimal running back and forth to the welder/generator keeps you working.

Plus, you can air carbon arc cut or gouge with this unit. Some might use a separate plasma cutter plugged into the generator. But this machine gives you a “built-in” cutting method that may eliminate the need to carry around a separate unit.

An EFI engine option offers better fuel efficiency as well as smoother starts, even in adverse weather. You can also get an LP engine if that is your fuel of preference.

The welder puts out up to 325 amps of power and the generator pumps out 10,500 watts of continuous juice. That is enough for many professional applications, including fabrication, maintenance, repair, structural steelwork, sheet metal, and pipework.

For pipework that needs clean, flat welds, Miller also includes their regulated metal deposition (“RMD”) mode. If you do a lot of pipe welds, the Trailblazer 325 may be a good choice.

After adding leads and other accessories, the Trailblazer 325 is at the high end of the price scale. But as already noted, certain included features will appeal to some and they may be willing to pay extra to get them.