MIG welding settings chart

Mild steel · ER70S-6 solid wire · 75/25 Ar·CO₂ · DCEP (+) · starting points: verify on your machine

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MIG welding settings chart

Q: What voltage and wire speed should I use to MIG weld 1/8 inch steel?

Start at 17–19 volts and 200–250 ipm wire speed with .035 wire. That lands around 123–157 amps . On .030 wire, feed about 250–310 ipm instead. These are starting points. Run a test bead and trim from there.

Q: What amps do I need to MIG weld 1/4 inch steel?

About 167–213 amps at 21–23 volts, with .035 wire feeding at 270–330 ipm. A quarter inch is heavy for one pass. Bevel the joint, run more than one pass, and pre-heat if the shop is cold.

Q: What polarity does MIG welding use?

Solid wire with shielding gas runs DC electrode positive (DCEP), also called reverse polarity ( Miller ). Gasless flux-core wire usually runs the other way, electrode negative (DCEN). Check the label on your wire.

Q: How fast should I travel when MIG welding?

About 10–20 ipm on 24 gauge sheet and 14–19 ipm on 3/16 inch plate. Both match the figures Hobart Brothers publishes . The Travel column has every thickness. A bigger bead means slower. A stitch weld means faster.

Voltage, wire speed, amps and travel speed for every thickness from 24 gauge to 1/2 inch. Start here, then tune to your machine and your bead.

Wire ER70S-6
Gas 75/25 Ar·CO₂
Polarity DCEP (+)

Common jobs

16 ga: 15–17 V · 180–220 ipm · 88–112 A.030 wire
1/8 in: 17–19 V · 200–250 ipm · 123–157 A.035 wire
1/4 in: 21–23 V · 270–330 ipm · 167–213 A.035 wire

See the full chart ↓Print it for the wall

Updated October 2026. Every number is a starting point, not gospel.

Dial it in

Pick your thickness and wire. Read your starting settings.

Showing 1/8 inch steel. Read any other thickness in the chart below.

Volts17–19V

Wire speed200–250ipm

Amps123–157A

Travel15–22ipm

Wire 0.035 in · ER70S-6 · Gas 75/25 Ar·CO₂ · Polarity DCEP (+) · Heat input ≈8.2 kJ/in

Start here, then tune to your machine and your bead. Dial up if it's not biting; back off if you're burning through.

The chart

MIG settings by metal thickness

Mild steel, solid ER70S-6 wire, 75/25 argon/CO₂, DCEP. Each row uses the wire that suits the thickness. ipm means inches per minute.

Swipe sideways for every column →

MIG welding settings chart for mild steel: wire, volts, wire speed, amps and travel speed by thickness
Thickness	Wire	Volts	Wire speedipm	Amps	Travelipm
24 ga0.024 in · 0.6 mm	.023	14–16	150–190	44–56	10–20
22 ga0.030 in · 0.8 mm	.030	14–16	110–130	52–66	11–21
20 ga0.036 in · 0.9 mm	.030	14–16	120–150	59–76	12–21
18 ga0.048 in · 1.2 mm	.030	15–17	150–190	75–95	14–23
16 ga0.060 in · 1.5 mm	.030	15–17	180–220	88–112	16–24
14 ga0.075 in · 1.9 mm	.030	16–18	220–260	106–134	16–24
12 ga0.105 in · 2.7 mm	.030	17–19	240–290	116–148	15–23
11 ga · 1/8 in0.125 in · 3.2 mm	.035	17–19	200–250	123–157	15–22
10 ga0.135 in · 3.4 mm	.035	17–19	210–250	127–161	15–22
7 ga · 3/16 in0.188 in · 4.8 mm	.035.045 also runs	19–21	240–290	145–185	14–19
1/4 in0.250 in · 6.3 mm	.035.045 also runs	21–23	270–330	167–213	11–16
3/8 in0.375 in · 9.5 mm	.035.045 also runs	21–23	310–380	191–244	10–16
1/2 in0.500 in · 12.7 mm	.035.045 also runs	21–23	350–430	216–274	9–15

Amps are a working range, 12 percent either side of the middle. Wire speed is worked out from the amps and the wire size, give or take 10 percent.

Travel is for one normal pass. A bigger bead means slower. A stitch weld means faster.

On 3/16 inch and up, the wire speed shown is for .035 wire. .045 also runs there and feeds slower for the same amps: see the wire table below.

Gauge is steel sheet gauge, rounded to the nearest row. Plate over 1/4 inch wants a bevel and more than one pass. A heavy line across the chart marks where the recommended wire size changes.

Wire speed by wire size

Fatter wire feeds slower

Same amps, different spool: a fatter wire feeds slower. Find your wire size, then read down to your thickness. All numbers are wire speed in ipm.

Swipe sideways for every column →

MIG wire speed in inches per minute, by thickness and wire size
Thickness	.023 wire	.030 wire	.035 wire	.045 wire
24 ga0.024 in · 0.6 mm	150–190	90–110	70–90	60–70 (poor fit for this thickness)
22 ga0.030 in · 0.8 mm	180–220	110–130	80–100	70–80 (poor fit for this thickness)
20 ga0.036 in · 0.9 mm	210–250	120–150	100–120	80–100 (poor fit for this thickness)
18 ga0.048 in · 1.2 mm	260–320	150–190	120–150	100–120 (poor fit for this thickness)
16 ga0.060 in · 1.5 mm	310–370	180–220	140–180	120–140 (poor fit for this thickness)
14 ga0.075 in · 1.9 mm	370–450	220–260	170–210	140–170 (poor fit for this thickness)
12 ga0.105 in · 2.7 mm	400–490	240–290	190–230	150–190 (poor fit for this thickness)
11 ga · 1/8 in0.125 in · 3.2 mm	430–520	250–310	200–250	160–200
10 ga0.135 in · 3.4 mm	440–540	260–320	210–250	170–210
7 ga · 3/16 in0.188 in · 4.8 mm	500–620 (poor fit for this thickness)	300–360	240–290	190–240
1/4 in0.250 in · 6.3 mm	580–710 (poor fit for this thickness)	340–420	270–330	220–270
3/8 in0.375 in · 9.5 mm	670–810 (poor fit for this thickness)	390–480	310–380	250–310
1/2 in0.500 in · 12.7 mm	750–920 (poor fit for this thickness)	440–540	350–430	290–350

The wire the chart picks for that thickness Poor fit. Thin wire on plate means a fast feed and extra passes. .045 on sheet means burn-through.

Using it

Four moves to a good bead

Pick your thickness.Read across: wire, volts, wire speed. Set those on the machine.
Run a test bead.Use scrap the same thickness, same joint. Listen for a steady sizzle, like bacon in a pan.
Trim one thing at a time.Stubbing and pushing the gun back? Add voltage or slow the wire. Long, spitty arc? Lower the voltage or speed the wire up.
Match the bead to the job.Blowing through? Drop the amps a notch and speed up your travel. Not biting? Dial up a little.

Setup basics

Gas: 75% argon / 25% CO₂ for mild steel. Start at 20 to 25 CFH (cubic feet per hour). Too little gives porous welds. Miller
Polarity: DC electrode positive (DCEP) for solid wire with gas. Miller
Stick-out: About 3/8 inch (Miller). Keep it short: 5/8 inch or less on small wire (Hobart Brothers). Too long and the arc turns irregular.
Position: Welding vertical? Back the voltage and amps off 10 to 15 percent from the flat setting. Miller

Print it

Tape it to the machine

MIG welding settings chart for mild steel: voltage, wire speed, amps and travel speed by thickness, one page

One page, Letter size: the chart and the wire speed table, the same numbers as above. Print it, laminate it, tape it inside the wire-feed door.

Download the PDF Save the image

Honest by design

Every number is a starting point.

Published charts disagree with each other by 20 to 30 percent, so these sit in the middle and lean a little cool. Start here, then dial up. The 24 gauge and 3/16 inch rows line up with the figures Hobart Brothers publishes. Your machine's door chart and your wire maker's data sheet win over this page. Always follow your WPS and shop safety.

Where the facts come from

Quick answers

MIG welding settings questions

What voltage and wire speed should I use to MIG weld 1/8 inch steel?

Start at 17–19 volts and 200–250 ipm wire speed with .035 wire. That lands around 123–157 amps. On .030 wire, feed about 250–310 ipm instead. These are starting points. Run a test bead and trim from there.

What amps do I need to MIG weld 1/4 inch steel?

About 167–213 amps at 21–23 volts, with .035 wire feeding at 270–330 ipm. A quarter inch is heavy for one pass. Bevel the joint, run more than one pass, and pre-heat if the shop is cold.

What gas flow rate should I use for MIG welding?

For mild steel with 75/25 argon/CO₂, Miller's mild steel guide says to set 20 to 25 CFH (cubic feet per hour). Miller gives 25 to 35 CFH for short-circuit MIG. Too little gas makes porous, pitted welds. Too much just wastes gas. Your machine manual and wire data sheet have the final number.

How do I set wire speed and voltage on a MIG welder?

Set the volts and wire speed from the chart. Run a test bead on scrap the same thickness. Listen for a steady sizzle, like bacon in a pan.

Wire stubs into the plate and pushes the gun back? Add voltage or slow the wire. Long, spitty arc with the wire balling up? Lower the voltage or speed the wire up. Change one thing at a time.

What polarity does MIG welding use?

Solid wire with shielding gas runs DC electrode positive (DCEP), also called reverse polarity (Miller). Gasless flux-core wire usually runs the other way, electrode negative (DCEN). Check the label on your wire.

How fast should I travel when MIG welding?

About 10–20 ipm on 24 gauge sheet and 14–19 ipm on 3/16 inch plate. Both match the figures Hobart Brothers publishes. The Travel column has every thickness. A bigger bead means slower. A stitch weld means faster.

Will this chart work on my welder?

It works as a starting point on any MIG welder. Machines differ, and published charts disagree with each other by 20 to 30 percent. The chart inside your wire-feed door wins. If your wire-speed dial has no units, use that door chart to see which number matches ipm on your machine.

What about stainless, aluminum or flux-core?

They need different wire, gas and numbers, so this chart does not cover them. The WeldSet app does: MIG on stainless and aluminum, flux-core, TIG and stick. MIG on mild steel is free in the app. The rest is one optional unlock.

The chart is the free part

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weldset.aiappnation.com/mig-welding-settings-chart · Updated October 2026 · Starting points only. Follow your machine's chart, your WPS and shop safety.