Welding gloves

[ManglerYJ]

I weld VERY rarely. The last time I welded anything substantial, I had a set of welding gloves that fell victim to mice where they were stored.

I am getting ready to start some welding on a project that I've been slowly gathering parts for, and was wondering if I NEED to:

a) buy another set of welding gloves
b) weld bare-handed
c) wear heavy leather work gloves that used to be fleece-lined but no longer have the fleece lining
d) wear thin leather work gloves that are the type that ranchers use


The welding that I will be doing will just about all be done with me looking down on the welds, but it will be done with a flux core welder.

 

[BigBody79]

#1 Rule: Don't touch hot metal.

For the actual welding c & d would work. But, A is the best choice.

I'm going to have to get some new gloves. I've always stick welded and didn't need the finger dexterity. Now that I have a MIG I've on more than one occasion pull the trigger on accident.

Find something between a & d.

 

[ManglerYJ]

Is there anything special about the quality or thickness of the leather in welding gloves that makes them special for welding aside from the longer "sleeves"?

The reason I ask is that I already own C and D. D will give better dexterity, but I just bought them not long ago and would prefer not to trash them. C is already "trashed", so I don't mind if welding in them finishes them off.

 

[Mac5005]

For tacking I use a thin pair similar to baseball batting gloves. This allows me to work and Fab with still having gloves on. Usually I trade out my left hand for a thicker glove for extended welds. I really prefer a dedicated pair of mig gloves. Thick enough to keep the heat off you but thin enough to keep mobility and dexterity up. Don't bother with name brand, I get about a year out of my Tillman brand, and that's welding 4 hrs a day 5 days a week and usually 8 hours a weekend. I really like the ones with extended cuffs to go over sleeves. For $20, its cheap insurance to not
Burn your digits up. For the record, a $20 3 pair pack of tractor supply brand stick gloves lasted my student about 3 weeks. So I would spend a little money to get a good glove but not necessary to buy $$$miller stuff.

 

[frankenyoter]

Agreed. The three pack cheapies are cheap. They have their place and for me its camping gloves to move a dutch oven around or rearrange logs. Buy a decent pair, even the Lowes house brand work. Mine get thrashed grinding, cutting and welding. $20 is worth keeping the fingers working properly.

 

[frankenyoter]

Hey Mac, what is the best welding glove value (cost/quality)?

 

[strange1]

I vote for a new pair of gloves, a flux core welder will burn your hands hands up worse than regular mig. The guys above are better at recommending good gloves. I like long cuff, fairly thin gloves.

I should add that most of what I have done would not be considered welding by people that know how to weld....

 

[XJsavage]

Real mean don't wear gloves. Suck it up cupcake.

 

[Mac5005]

Miller used to have some that the leather was "inside out" but has since discontinued and changed them.

Best bang for the buck for stick gloves is radnor brand black gauntlet gloves. $7-$9 per pair from airgas, I've had two pairs in the last 7 years.

Mig gloves are Tillman, I'll get the series # in the morning. I use two different pairs, one has reinforced areas on Palm side of fingers and in palm, the other pair are much much thinner on the palm side, but have double insulation on back side.

Tig gloves are both Tillman and miller. Miller have an extra gusset for thumb webbing, and this is where most thin tig gloves fail first. Tillman look like gardening or ropers gloves, kid skin on the palm side but cow hide on the back side.

I'll get all the brand and model #s in the morning.

I hate "mechanics" gloves with nylon on the back. Have many scars from burning them up tacking with mig, and burning them up grinding.

The worst is when welding a quick overhead tack, and molten spatter ball melts through the nylon back and then stays inside the leather palm burning your fingers up.

 

[shawn]

I wear regular old stick gauntlets because I'm dumb and grab hot metal.

But they do let you set your rest hand in stupid places and not worry about the heat.

 

[Mac5005]

Radnor Stick gloves great insulation, 2 pairs in 7 years, last time I bought them $8

Mig gloves. Don't pay over $18.

Tillman 50L have extra on the fingers and palm, pretty comfortable and durable. Been using these for the last year.

Tillman 45L have fairly thin palm and fingers but double insulation on the back of the hand. Wonderful mig gloves for fab work and light welding. For heavy mig I usually swap my left hand for the radnor stick glove, and keep the thinner glove on the trigger hand. Had 2 pairs of these in last 4 years and I love them.

These millers are great and fit well but I couldn't get any more last time I checked. Don't last as long as other but fit very well for a mig glove. Around $20 iirc.

Was told they have been replaced by a newer glove that felt terrible and didn't fit well. These have the leather "reversed" from normal.

Tig gloves.

I don't pay over $12 for Tillman and over $20 for miller

These millers are very nice but pricey. Fit well and keep a lot of mobility and dexterity. I like the long cuff when wearing heat sleeves. Twice the price of the Tillman

These tillmans are great. Very thin but excellent for working with thin metals and fabbing with tig. Half the price of millers. Watch out when working with sheared stainless, can cut right through glove and Into finger.

As far as general work and grinding. I use either these roper style gloves of these mechanic style. I no longer grind with the mechanic style due to nylon back.

Both are great for in the woods, mechanic work, and working with winch lines.

Both pairs I pay less than $10 per pair. The all leather ones are definitely a lot tougher but aren't as comfortable until they get broken in.

Typically the gloves that fit better brand new (miller) don't last as long as the ones that need a break in period to get really comfortable.

Hijack:/off].

For flux core work, I would stick to a long cuff all leather glove and some leather sleeves.

 

[ManglerYJ]

Radnor Stick gloves great insulation, 2 pairs in 7 years, last time I bought them $8

View attachment 187614

Mig gloves. Don't pay over $18.

Tillman 50L have extra on the fingers and palm, pretty comfortable and durable. Been using these for the last year.

View attachment 187615


Tillman 45L have fairly thin palm and fingers but double insulation on the back of the hand. Wonderful mig gloves for fab work and light welding. For heavy mig I usually swap my left hand for the radnor stick glove, and keep the thinner glove on the trigger hand. Had 2 pairs of these in last 4 years and I love them.

View attachment 187617

These millers are great and fit well but I couldn't get any more last time I checked. Don't last as long as other but fit very well for a mig glove. Around $20 iirc.

Was told they have been replaced by a newer glove that felt terrible and didn't fit well. These have the leather "reversed" from normal.

View attachment 187620


Tig gloves.

I don't pay over $12 for Tillman and over $20 for miller

These millers are very nice but pricey. Fit well and keep a lot of mobility and dexterity. I like the long cuff when wearing heat sleeves. Twice the price of the Tillman

View attachment 187618

These tillmans are great. Very thin but excellent for working with thin metals and fabbing with tig. Half the price of millers. Watch out when working with sheared stainless, can cut right through glove and Into finger.

View attachment 187619


As far as general work and grinding. I use either these roper style gloves of these mechanic style. I no longer grind with the mechanic style due to nylon back.

Both are great for in the woods, mechanic work, and working with winch lines.

View attachment 187621

View attachment 187622

Both pairs I pay less than $10 per pair. The all leather ones are definitely a lot tougher but aren't as comfortable until they get broken in.

Typically the gloves that fit better brand new (miller) don't last as long as the ones that need a break in period to get really comfortable.

Hijack:/off].

For flux core work, I would stick to a long cuff all leather glove and some leather sleeves.

Holy cow! That was like a textbook! Awesome insight and I can tell you walk the walk. Looks like I'll be getting some new gloves, and thankfully now know how much to expect to spend.

 

[Mac5005]

Holy cow! That was like a textbook! Awesome insight and I can tell you walk the walk. Looks like I'll be getting some new gloves, and thankfully now know how much to expect to spend.

I do receive a discount on my supplies, so I'm not fluent with how much of a discount I get on what items and what retails prices are, but I can tell you there is a huge price difference with branding.

 

[catfishblues]

Tillman 24c is a great all-around glove. They're designed as a TIG glove, but I use them for everything. Thick enough to protect you from some heat, but thin enough to use as a work glove and still have some dexterity. Dedicated MIG gloves wear me out. I get tired of bending my fingers through the thick insulation, and end up releasing the trigger accidentally on long welds where I'm paying attention to the puddle, not my finger. I beat the hell out of them like Mac, but my Tillmans usually last a good long time. I tried a set or two of Miller TIG gloves, but blew the stitches in short order. Not worth the money. I tried some $8 Horrible Fright MIG gloves that were actually pretty comfortable. Not too thick, well designed to allow fingertip dexterity, Again, though, blew the stitching out quickly. Back to the Tillmans! Get one with a cuff. Nothing sucks like a flaky sunburned triangle on your forearm where your glove didn't overlap your sleeve. Nothing says "dumbass" quite like that red spot you see every time you look at your watch!

 

[hurt4x4]

I use regular old Tillman cowhide gloves and wear sleeves because I go back and forth between welding, grinding and cutting so much. I hate the black randor gloves they are just too thick, and they make picking up small objects near impossible. But those are my only 2 free options.
Thin gloves do not stop hot welding wire that well though.

 

[XJsavage]

^^ that looks painful! I used to wear thin gloves for grinding and whatnot but found out the hard way that any cutting blade will go through them like a knife through a hot pancake.

 

[BigBody79]

Well this thread inspired me to go buy some gloves. I got some Tillman MIG Gloves. They feel like surgical gloves compared to my old Stick gloves. From what I can tell they are pretty middle of the road for what they offer. Picked them up from my local welding supply.

Should have been wearing them last night right before I sliced my hand open

 

[ManglerYJ]

Well this thread inspired me to go buy some gloves.

Typically the only thing I inspire in anyone is a general sense of nausea. Hope the hand feels better soon!

 

[OnlyOneDR]

These millers are great and fit well but I couldn't get any more last time I checked. Don't last as long as other but fit very well for a mig glove. Around $20 iirc.

Was told they have been replaced by a newer glove that felt terrible and didn't fit well. These have the leather "reversed" from normal.

View attachment 187620

I also have a set of those Miller gloves and they are the best I have ever used. I see that Grainger still has some L and XL on clearance right now.

*Edited to Add*: I just bought a few pairs since I now know they are discontinued! Thanks for the timely thread!

 

[OnlyOneDR]

My new gloves delivered yesterday from my Grainger order. I am set for a few years now!