MIG welding gloves are an essential welding supply that will help you get done any welding project in your shop. Welding gloves protect your hands from sparks and harmful UV rays that are emitted when you weld. Welding gloves are one of the less expensive welding supplies you can pick up, and therefore it’s worthwhile picking up gloves that will deliver superior protection, last a long time, and provide enough movement that you can weld effectively. Some of the bestselling welding gloves at Baker’s Gas and Welding are made by Tillman. Let’s take a look at some of the bestselling MIG welding gloves that Tillman offers:
General MIG Welding Glove Guidelines
Before we get into specific gloves, there are some general rules to keep in mind while you’re looking for a MIG welding glove. While everyone has different welding glove needs, here are several key qualities to look for:
Kevlar Thread: This is a heat resistant thread that holds welding gloves together without melting. Kevlar also keeps the gloves together better, making them more durable for the long term no matter how rough you are with them.
Top Grain Leather: There are top grain and split grain leathers available for welding gloves, but the thicker, stiffer split grain leather isn’t as high quality and flexible as the top grain leather. Stick welding gloves that use split grain leather work great since you’ll need more protection from the heat and sparks, but you’ll also lose dexterity with the thicker leather.
Lined vs. Unlined Welding Gloves: Depending on your conditions, you’ll either want lined or unlined gloves. If you’re working in a colder climate and you don’t mind losing a little bit of flexibility, you can make a lined glove work just fine for MIG welding. It may take some practice to get used to the extra bulk. However, if you can manage it, an unlined glove will give you the best range of movement for your fingers.
Types of MIG Welding Gloves
Tillman 32K Grain Pigskin MIG Welding Gloves
These durable, thick MIG welding gloves are the highest quality leather you can get from pigskin and provide both the protection and the flexibility you need to MIG weld effectively. You’ll find a lot of pigskin stick welding gloves, but provided you go with the top grain leather pigskin, you’ll be in great shape to MIG weld with these gloves.
Tillman1300 Heavy Duty Top Grain Cowskin MIG Gloves
Top grain cowskin provides all of the comfort and protection you need in a MIG welding glove without giving up too much dexterity. Many MIG welding gloves are made from top grain cowskin because it’s affordable and extremely durable.
These gloves offer an especially wide thumb so that you won’t be constricted in any way as you work. You’ll also find the cuffs to be a convenient feature for protecting your wrists from sparks or heat while welding.
Tillman 39 Heavyweight Reverse Golden Deerskin MIG Gloves
When you first put on these deerskin welding gloves, you’ll find that they are quite thick and heavy, and you may need some time to adjust to them. However, deerskin is especially popular because it will mold itself to your hand over time, providing an added level of comfort and flexibility that will make work much easier with a tightly fitted glove. Deerskin welding gloves provide a tremendous amount of protection and will give you the flexibility you need if you give them some time to take the shape of your hand.
The cotton-foamed lining along the back of the glove also provides an excellent layer of protection against the heat given off during MIG welding projects.