Prices checked Nov 13, 2026. No. 1 today: Pepetools Helix Starter KitHelix Kit, 9.6/10.See the ranking

Our No. 1: Pepetools Helix Starter Kit
A jeweler's wooden workbench with hand tools
9 welders, ranked Nov 13, 2026

Best permanent jewelry welding machines, sold on their own

9 welders sold without chain or a course, from $300 to $3,199: right if you already have supplies, or a mentor.

No. 1 here: Everlinx EVERARC + EVERSHIELD9.2/10Excellent · $1,749 at Everlinx, checked November 13, 2026

Check price at Everlinx
Photo: Anthony Camp / Unsplash

Welders only: the 9 welders, in order

How this order is built

Ranked on the "Overall" weights. Each product keeps its one overall score.

Best overallWelder only

Everlinx EVERARC + EVERSHIELD

$1,749$1,8999.2/10Excellent

Best for anyone buying a welder alone who wants to see the weld without dark glasses.

  • 0.5–20 J
  • Auto-darkening screen
  • Manual + support
  • 3 lb
  • EVERSHIELD: a screen that dims before each weld, mounted on the stylus
  • 0.5 to 20 joules in half-joule steps
  • 3-year warranty on the welder and on the EVERSHIELD

The catch: "Training Not Included", says the bundle page: you get a manual. The range stops at 20 joules. Everlinx names no safety certification on the pages we read. And the screen protects the person holding the stylus; your client still needs to look away or wear glasses.

$1,749 at Everlinx, checked November 13, 2026
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Best priceWelder only

Pepetools Helix

$1,499$1,9999.1/10Excellent

Best for the best price on a 30-joule welder with glasses and a 3-year warranty.

  • 1–30 J
  • Shaded glasses
  • Manual + support
  • 2 lb
  • 1 to 30 joules for $1,499 on sale: the widest range under $1,500
  • 72 inches from the body to the electrode tip, billet aluminum stylus
  • 2 lb, dual voltage, steel stylus stand in the box

The catch: The price is a sale price: without it, the Helix costs more than a Zapp Plus 2. Steps are a full joule. Pepetools' refund policy allows a restocking fee of up to 25% "in some instances", the stiffest wording we read. And the darkening screen is a $449 to $499 extra.

$1,499 at Pepetools, checked November 13, 2026
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LightestWelder only

Sunstone Zapp Plus 2

$1,6999.0/10Excellent

Best for artists who want one light Sunstone welder they won't outgrow.

  • 1–30 J
  • Shaded glasses
  • Manual + support
  • 1.9 lb
  • 1 to 30 joules: low enough for fine chain, high enough for thicker rings
  • 1.9 lb and about 13 by 15 by 7 cm: the lightest welder we compare
  • 72-inch removable stylus, so you can seat the client where the light is good

The catch: Steps are a full joule, where the EVERARC and the Orion mPulse move by half. Eye protection is a pair of shaded glasses: an auto-darkening lens is an extra $312 or $510 at Sunstone. There's no course in the price, and returns cost 10%.

$1,699 at Sunstone, checked November 13, 2026
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Welder only

Everlinx EVERARC

$1,549$1,6998.7/10Very good

Best for artists who want half-joule control and plan to weld without argon.

  • 0.5–20 J
  • None in the box
  • Manual + support
  • 3 lb
  • Starts at 0.5 joule and moves in half-joule steps: gentle on fine chain
  • 30-day returns with no restocking fee on welders (Everlinx policy)
  • 3-year warranty, built in the USA

The catch: The box lists no eye protection: no glasses, no screen. You must add something before your first weld. The ceiling is 20 joules, lower than the 30 of the Helix and the Zapp Plus 2. Everlinx names no safety certification on the pages we read, and its course comes with the starter kit, not with the welder.

$1,549 at Everlinx, checked November 13, 2026
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Welder only

Sunstone Orion mPulse

$3,1998.6/10Very good

Best for studios that also do bench work and want Sunstone's finest control.

  • 1–30 J
  • Shaded glasses
  • Manual + support
  • 3-year warranty
  • Half-joule steps from 1 to 15 joules: the finest control in Sunstone's range
  • Touchscreen interface and what Sunstone calls "Tru-Fire" technology
  • 72-inch stylus, front-facing ports and three ground ports

The catch: Price, mostly. It costs nearly twice a Zapp Plus 2 for the same 30-joule ceiling and the same glasses-only eye protection. Sunstone doesn't state its weight on the page we read, so it's missing from our pop-up ranking. No course is included, and a return costs 10%, about $320.

$3,199 at Sunstone, checked November 13, 2026
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Welder only

Sunstone Zapp

$1,2498.5/10Very good

Best for a first welder on a tight budget, if you'll only close small jump rings.

  • 3–10 J
  • Shaded glasses
  • Manual + support
  • 3-year warranty
  • One dial, eight settings (3 to 10 joules): hard to set badly wrong on your first day
  • Shaded safety glasses, a ground clip and a metal practice card are in the box
  • 3-year warranty, and Sunstone answers by phone and text from the US

The catch: The range starts at 3 joules and stops at 10. You can't go lower for very fine chain, and there's no headroom for thicker rings. Sunstone's page doesn't state the welder's weight or the stylus length. And a return costs you 10%, refunded by check.

$1,249 at Sunstone, checked November 13, 2026
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Welder only

Everlinx EVERARC R Series

$1,9998.4/10Good

Best for outdoor markets and events where you can't count on an outlet.

  • 0.5–20 J
  • None in the box
  • Manual + support
  • 3.4 lb
  • Runs on its own battery: up to 1,500 welds per charge, says Everlinx
  • Same 0.5 to 20 joule range in half-joule steps as the corded EVERARC
  • Argon-free by design: nothing else to carry

The catch: No eye protection in the box, like the corded model. The 1,500-weld figure is Everlinx's, for continuous use; your day will vary. Battery life over the years and the cost of replacing the battery aren't on the page. And you pay $300 for a feature that only matters away from power.

$1,999 at Everlinx, checked November 13, 2026
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Welder only

Tooltos CNC Spot Welder

$299.908.0/10Good

Best for learning at a bench for the price of a dinner out, not for client work at events.

  • Joules not published
  • None in the box
  • Manual + support
  • 17.6 lb
  • $299.90: less than a third of the price of the next welder we list
  • Works with or without argon; pressure gauge and two gas tubes included
  • Tungsten needle grinder and needle set in the box

The catch: No joule scale: settings are amps and milliseconds across five preset modes, so no chart from another welder will transfer. No eye protection in the box. 17.6 lb and 42 cm wide: this stays on a bench. No safety certification is named on the page, and the page gives an email address for support.

$299.90 at Tooltos, checked November 13, 2026
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Welder only

LINKED Luxe

$9977.6/10Fair

Best for students of LINKED's course who want the welder it teaches on.

  • Joules not published
  • None with the welder
  • 1-year warranty
  • Under $1,000 for a welder made for permanent jewelry
  • Simplified settings interface, aimed at beginners
  • Argon compatible, 110 and 220 V

The catch: LINKED publishes no joule range, no weight and no eye protection for the welder sold alone. The warranty is one year, against three for every Sunstone, Everlinx and Pepetools welder. And the refund policy is plain: "All sales of supplies, materials, and machinery are final."

$997 at LINKED, checked November 13, 2026
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The first six, side by side

Open the comparison tool
Best permanent jewelry welding machines, sold on their own: comparison table
Product
Everlinx EVERARC + EVERSHIELD9.2/10$1,749 · Nov 13, 2026
Pepetools Helix9.1/10$1,499 · Nov 13, 2026
Sunstone Zapp Plus 29.0/10$1,699 · Nov 13, 2026
Everlinx EVERARC8.7/10$1,549 · Nov 13, 2026
Sunstone Orion mPulse8.6/10$3,199 · Nov 13, 2026
Sunstone Zapp8.5/10$1,249 · Nov 13, 2026
What you getWelder onlyWelder onlyWelder onlyWelder onlyWelder onlyWelder only
Power range0.5–20 J1–30 J1–30 J0.5–20 J1–30 J3–10 J
Eye protection in the boxAuto-darkening screenShaded glassesShaded glassesNone in the boxShaded glassesShaded glasses
Training in the priceManual + supportManual + supportManual + supportManual + supportManual + supportManual + support
Chain includedNone (welder only)None (welder only)None (welder only)None (welder only)None (welder only)None (welder only)
Welder weight3 lb2 lb1.9 lb3 lbNot statedNot stated
Warranty3-year3-year3-year3-year3-year3-year
Where to buyCheck price at Everlinx Check price at Pepetools Check price at Sunstone Check price at Everlinx Check price at Sunstone Check price at Sunstone

✓ marks the best figure of the row. "Not stated" means the brand doesn't publish it. Each product keeps its one overall score; this page only changes the order. Prices checked November 13, 2026.

Hard to choose?

Compare the top 3

What to know before you choose

Buying the welding machine on its own is the right move in two cases. You already have chain, tools and someone to learn from. Or you're replacing a first welder you've outgrown. In both, you don't want to pay again for a course and 25 ft of chain.

Nine machines, three families. First, the pulse arc welder for permanent jewelry as the trade knows it, with a published joule range and a 3-year warranty: Sunstone's Zapp, Zapp Plus 2 and Orion mPulse, Everlinx's EVERARC (corded or rechargeable) and the Pepetools Helix. Then the LINKED Luxe, a purpose-built welder whose maker publishes no joule range. And a generic bench spot welder from Tooltos at $299.90, which stands for the whole class of cheap machines you see in search results.

The Everlinx EVERARC + EVERSHIELD comes first (9.2/10) because it's the only bare welder that ships with a screen that darkens for each weld, for $1,749. The Pepetools Helix (9.1/10) is the value pick at $1,499 on sale, and the Sunstone Zapp Plus 2 (9.0/10) is the lightest at 1.9 lb. Remember what none of these prices include: chain, pliers, a leather patch and training.

How this ranking is weighted

Every product keeps its overall score from the public formula. For this page we re-order the eligible products with the "Overall" weights: price 20%, power control 15%, eye protection in the box 15%, training and support in the price 15%, and the rest for the other 4 criteria. The full table is on the methodology page.

Head-to-heads between products of this list: Sunstone Zapp Plus 2 vs Sunstone Zapp, Sunstone Zapp Plus 2 vs Sunstone Orion mPulse, Pepetools Helix vs Sunstone Zapp, Pepetools Helix vs Sunstone Zapp Plus 2, Sunstone Zapp Plus 2 vs Everlinx EVERARC, Pepetools Helix vs Everlinx EVERARC.

Other rankings: permanent jewelry welders, all ranked, permanent jewelry kit, permanent jewelry welder for beginners, cheap permanent jewelry welder, mobile permanent jewelry.

Joule ranges, weights and warranty terms are each brand's own figures. This page helps you buy equipment: it isn't safety, legal or financial advice, and it promises no income. Read your welder's manual and protect your eyes on every weld.

By Sienna Blake, editor, permanent jewelry equipment · updated November 13, 2026

Guides that go with this ranking

All guides

Welders only: questions buyers ask

More answers in our guides
What is the best permanent jewelry welding machine?
Sold on its own, the Everlinx EVERARC + EVERSHIELD (9.2/10): 0.5 to 20 joules in half-joule steps and an auto-dimming screen for $1,749 on November 13, 2026. The Pepetools Helix (9.1/10) follows at $1,499 on sale.
What kind of welder is used for permanent jewelry?
A micro pulse arc welder: a capacitor releases a short pulse through a tungsten electrode, which melts a spot under a millimeter or two wide. Sunstone gives 0.5 to 2.0 mm for the Zapp Plus 2 and Pepetools 0.5 to 1.5 mm for the Helix. It's not a soldering iron and not a laser.
Can you use a cheap spot welder for permanent jewelry?
You can close a ring with one, but look at what's missing. The $300 Tooltos publishes amps, not joules, weighs 17.6 lb and says protective eyewear is not included. We go through it in are cheap permanent jewelry welders worth it.
What else do you need besides the machine?
Chain and jump rings, grounded pliers, cutters, a leather patch to keep the arc off skin, eye protection if the box has none, and training. If you want argon, a tank and a regulator: Sunstone's argon tank was $549 on November 13, 2026. A permanent jewelry starter kit bundles most of it.
Which welding machine has the longest warranty?
Seven of the nine come with 3 years: the three Sunstone welders, the two Everlinx EVERARC models and the EVERSHIELD bundle, and the Pepetools Helix (3 years or one million welds). The LINKED Luxe and the Tooltos come with 12 months.

Not sure which welder fits? Ask Sienna

[email protected]

Tell her where you'll weld (salon chair, market stall, parties), what you already own and your budget. She'll point you to two or three welders or kits from the ranking, with the reasons. We answer within two working days. We can't give legal, tax or safety advice: your state, your insurer and your welder's manual have the last word.