Welding gloves

[gnaws628]

I am looking to buy a pair of welding gloves for MIG welding and Plasma cutting and not sure which are the best. I know some of them are so thick and stiff they are hard to work with and after they get hot they get even worse. Please reply with any suggestions you have. Thanks

 

[Soundguy]

lotsa option on welding gloves.

I prefer a soft lined long gauntlet cuff.

tractor supply sells them.. harbor freight even.. welding supply shops.

my sugestion... go stick yer hand in any of those that you got locally.. see what feels best.. then buy them.

some places have a few premium types.. and some basics.. and even some multi packs.

I like to keep a pack of the generic multi pcks around. IE.. HF 3 par for like 10$.. good for handling hot metal after torching...etc.

i have a nice brown soft set for torching.. has to be supple to move the valves and such.

I don't mig.. just stick.. so any old piece of cowhide works for that..

get a good apron.. and show protection or boots...

sparks can find their way into tennis shoes..

 

[troutsqueezer]

Wouldn't over think the whole glove thing. The ones from Home Depot work fine, or Lowes. You're not going to be stringing beads together here. All you need is to be able to squeeze the trigger and not burn your hands/arms.

 

[BIG DOOLEY]

I prefer tillman tig welding gloves.
they are soft goatskin gloves with lots flexibility and feel.
nice for picking up parts etc. and they have the heavy gauntlets

TILLMAN TRUEFIT MECHANICS WORK GLOVES 1470L STIHL CHAINSAW LARGE GOATSKIN | eBay

you can pick them up on ebay cheaper than shops usually or try online retailers.
find the size that fits you and look them up online.
everyone has their own opinion and i like the feel you can get with goatskin and the ability to pick up items easily.
tom

 

[undercut]

I had a bad experience with a pair of welding gloves from Harbor Freight. They were bundled with a welding apron. There was so much dye still left in the leather that they stained anything they touched as soon as they got wet. Even sweaty hands would make the dye rub off on my hands and clothes. YMMV!

I've heard very good things about Tillman gloves. See if you have a place nearby where you can try a few on. Remember, properly sized gloves are equally important as the material that is used. Good luck!

 

[Shield Arc]

I don't put a lot of thought into welding gloves, I'm easy, if my hands fit I'll wear them. Only thing I can suggest is, I worked for a company years ago that bought us Black Stallion welding gloves. The key word here being BLACK! We were all welding 400 + amps running Innershield! Can you imagine the heat 400 + amps puts out? Then have to wear BLACK gloves!:duh:

 

[Turbys_1700]

I am a hobbyist welder at best...
I tend to buy the cheapest gloves that I can find...
Several weeks ago I was surprised to find a pair at a lower price at Lowes than Northern Tool...
They were on sale for around $5...
No better welder than I am they are fine...
And the comments on the apron, shirt, and shoe protection are correct...
I know from experience...

 

[Gary Fowler]

Tillman gloves are the top of the line welding gloves. The Tillman glove also seem to not get hard as quick as other brands when handling hot metal. They offer styles for TIG (thin, very flexible, able to pick up a nickel from a flat surface) MIG (more heat shielding but still a bit flexible) Stick Welding (heavy leather and lots of liner for better handling of hot materials, sewn with Kevlar threat so sparks dont burn the threads).They even make a 3 finger mitt that is pretty good for high temp work.
Even with a particular brand, each glove has a unique fit so I like to try them on to make sure there is no uncomfortable bulges between the fingers etc. A good glove will cost $15-30 depending on the type but they will last a hobbiest many years compared to the $5 that have cotton threads in the seams that wear out rather quickly.
A glove needs to fit snuggly but not to tight that you cant remove it quickly if needed. I always preferred the pigskin or deerskin for TIG welding and for light duty welding around my shop that is all that I wear. I am not running 250 amps or higher welding so I dont need the super thick insulation that a professional stick welder would want.

 

[Artisan]

...I couldn't disagree more w/ the gentlemen who suggest
you shouldn't over think gloves. True, I get accused
a lot on this board for "Over Thinking" (makes me laugh actually)
but usually my ways work VERY well...not always, but usually...

Maybe I have graduated to a professional welder?
Doubt it...but this set up is soooooooooooo nice!

I found that trying different gloves was a God send and now
I run for my elbow length gloves, AND, I accessorize each
glove with a back-of-hand/knuckle protecting heat reflective pad!

The right protection make all the difference in the world.

Here are the heat reflectors I have been running;

Here are the gloves I run, there awesome! LOVEM!

 

[troutsqueezer]

People focus on different things. You can buy very expensive driving gloves if you choose but do they make you a better driver? Expensive welding gloves make no sense economically and have limited practicality. It's a poor return on investment. Perhaps you'll get bragging rights, but for many, welding gloves are the means to an end and no more. Sorry Artisan, but that's what great about the Internet, right? All kinds of opinions, all in the same place. If you go around buying the best of everything, you'll end up owning very little unless you're rich but then you would hire someone else to do things for you.