The result: welders that weigh as little as 15 pounds. For example: Lincoln Electric’s Century Inverter Arc 120 has a 70-amp max welding capacity, weighs only 17 pounds and costs $320.

“Inverter welders store power in a series of capacitors, and their software controls the release of that power,” Glotz says. “They’re very portable and can run off either 120 or 240 volts.