When it comes to fixing your exhaust, you have two options – weld it or use exhaust clamps. Both are great, but there’s a lot of debate as to which is better.
There are good reasons for both. Welding is strong and solid, but requires an experienced welder; exhaust clamps are great at working with a variety of materials, but can break easily. It’s worth looking into both and deciding which one is right for your project.
In this article we’ll look at the pros and cons of both, along with a few different options you can choose from.
Exhaust Clamps
These are great for quick fixes and basic repairs. They won’t last forever, but they will do the job you need them to do. They are also the cheapest option out there, so if you’re not experienced with welding or aren’t sure you’ll need to weld, these are a great place to start.
Pros
Cheap
The absolute best part of exhaust clamps is the price. It’s almost impossible to go wrong with them because they are so affordable, and you can buy them in bulk.
You can find a box of clamps for less than $20, and they’re often on sale for even less. This means you can buy a whole box of clamps and not have to spend any more money in the long run. You will only need these if you’re making a quick fix, or doing something simple like replacing a broken exhaust clamp.
Easy to Use
Exhaust clamps are super easy to use. You can just clamp them around your exhaust and start welding right away. This means you don’t have to worry about any setup or welding skills, and you can get right back to work. They are also very lightweight, which means they won’t weigh down your exhaust in any way. They’re also strong, so they will hold strong for the life of your exhaust if you don’t need to weld it.
Flexible
Exhaust clamps are also very flexible. They are not as strong as welds, but they can be bent into any shape you need them to be. This makes them great for making repairs to pipes, bends, or even different size exhausts. You can take them and mold them into whatever shape you need, or make them into the exact size you want. This is a great feature because it allows you to make your exhaust exactly the way you want it.
Check out YesWelder’s lineup of MIG, TIG, STICK Welders. Designed for professionals and hobbyist.
Shop High-Quality Welding EquipmentCons
Not as Strong
This is the main reason you would use exhaust clamps over welds. Welds are stronger than clamps, and won’t break any time soon. They can bend, but they can’t break. This means that if you’re working on something like a car that might be driven hard, you should use welding so it won’t break. However, in most cases exhaust clamps are a great option because they won’t break.
Losing Clamps
There are a few different types of exhaust clamps, but the biggest issue is that they can all break, and they are not very durable. This means you’ll have to buy a new box of clamps every other time you need to weld something. This can get expensive really fast if you’re doing this often, so it’s best to only use them when you need to.
Size of Clamps
The size of the clamps is another issue with exhaust clamps. They can only be about 1″ wide or so, which is not very big at all. This means your exhaust pipe will be very small, and this is something you should consider before going with this option.
Welding
Welding is the strongest option for exhaust repairs. It’s also the most expensive option and will require you to be familiar with welding and have a lot of experience with it. If you don’t know much about welding, it’s best to choose this option. However, if you feel comfortable with welding and have a good understanding of how it works, then welding is the best option.
Pros
Strong
Welding is very strong and will hold strong for the life of your exhaust. This means you don’t have to worry about it breaking at all. You can also weld headers, pipes, and other parts that would be difficult to use clamps on, which makes it even better. You could weld your exhaust into place, then weld the clamps onto it and be done with it.
Durable
Welding is also very durable. It is much stronger than clamps, so you don’t have to worry about them breaking or bending at all. This means your exhaust will be much more secure, and it won’t break easily if you need to repair something in the future. Welds are also very flexible, so you can bend them into any shape you want.
Cons
Expensive
Welding is the most expensive option out there, and it will cost you more than the cost of clamps to repair your exhaust. This is a good reason to only use welding if you are very experienced with it. You should also decide if you want to weld your exhaust and then put on clamps, or do the opposite. If you do it the other way around, it will be much cheaper because you don’t have to buy a whole box of clamps.
Not Ideal for Smaller Projects
Welding is only good for larger projects, or those that require a lot of welds. It is not ideal for smaller, more simple repairs like replacing exhaust clamps. This is because welding is very heavy and can make your exhaust too heavy for your pipes. If you’re just making a small repair, it’s much better to use exhaust clamps because they are lighter and won’t weigh down your pipes as much.
Not Ideal for Bending
Welding is not ideal for bending as well, because it’s too heavy and strong. You can’t bend it very easily, so you will have to use clamps to change the shape of your pipes. This means you can’t make bends or curves, and you need to get the exhaust exactly where you want it before welding starts. This is one of the reasons why welding should only be used on larger projects, or when you need more welds.
Choosing the Right Welding Option
Now that you know what the options are, it’s time to decide which one is right for you. If you’re just starting out and don’t have much experience with welding, it’s best to go with exhaust clamps because they are easier to use and cheaper. However, if you’re experienced with welding and feel comfortable welding your exhaust, it’s best for you to go with welds. This will be more expensive than clamps, but it will also be much stronger and last longer.
ced
Check out YesWelder’s lineup of MIG, TIG, STICK Welders. Designed for professionals and hobbyist.
Shop High-Quality Welding Equipment