Expert advice from the counter team at Multi Trade Combines — authorised Shakti & ESAB dealers on AT Road, Guwahati, since 1993.
This guide reflects what real fabricators, contractors and workshop owners across Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Shillong, Imphal and Dimapur ask us before buying. No filler — just practical Northeast India context.
Compare MMA, MIG, TIG and plasma cutting before you decide.
| MMA / ARC (Stick) | Most versatile. Works with ESAB & Ador electrodes on steel, CI, alloy. Best for site fabrication, structural repairs and rural setups with generators. Shakti ARC-200N and MMA-250G are top sellers across Assam. |
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| MIG (Wire-feed) | Fastest for mild steel production welding. Clean finish, higher deposition. Needs stable power — a Shakti MIG-270G on single-phase handles most shop jobs. Add wire from our MIG welding wire stock. |
| TIG | Highest quality welds on stainless, aluminium, thin sections. Needs inert gas and skilled operator. Shakti TIG-200A suits precision fabricators and food-grade SS work. |
| Plasma Cutting | Not a welding process but often bought together. Shakti Cut-40 plasma cutter handles 12 mm mild steel cleanly. Single-phase. Common in sheet metal and HVAC shops. |
| Single-phase supply | MMA up to 300A and MIG up to 250A work on single-phase 230 V. Most rural and semi-urban shops in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland run single-phase. |
| Three-phase supply | Higher amperage, higher duty cycle, better for continuous production. If your site or workshop has 3-phase (415 V), invest in a 3-phase machine for long welding shifts. |
| Generator use | Size the generator at 2× the welder's kVA rating with AVR. IGBT inverters are far more generator-tolerant than older transformer welders. |
Amperage determines what metal thickness you can weld comfortably:
A practical NE India rule: buy 20% more amperage than your thickest regular job — it extends duty cycle and machine life in the humid monsoon climate, where machines work harder to maintain arc stability.
Power infrastructure varies enormously across the Northeast, and your power situation must drive your buying decision:
The machine is just the start. Budget for:
We are authorised dealers for Shakti Welding Machines and ESAB. Here is why these brands dominate NE India workshops:
Yes, but size your generator at least 2x the welding amperage in kVA. For a 200A inverter MMA, a 7.5 kVA generator with AVR is adequate; for a 400A machine, 15–20 kVA. Modern inverter machines (IGBT) handle generator power far better than older transformer sets. Avoid running MIG or TIG on small generators without AVR — wire-feed instability is the most common field complaint in the Northeast.
If your workshop or site has reliable three-phase power, a three-phase machine gives higher duty cycle, lower input current draw per phase and longer machine life at heavy workloads. If you are on a domestic or rural single-phase supply — very common across Assam and the hill states — a modern single-phase inverter MMA (up to 300A) or MIG (up to 250A) will do most fabrication jobs. Check your MCB rating before purchase.
MMA (stick/ARC) is the most versatile and works with ESAB or Ador electrodes on any steel, CI or alloy — ideal for repairs, structural work and site jobs. MIG (wire-feed) is faster for mild steel production welding with a clean spatter-free finish. TIG gives the highest quality on thin stainless, aluminium and precision joints but requires more operator skill. Most NE fabrication shops start with MMA and add MIG once volumes grow.