--- title: "3M vs Lincoln Electric: Which is searched more?" description: "Is 3M or Lincoln Electric more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Welding supplies brands set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/3m-vs-lincoln-electric" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # 3M vs Lincoln Electric: Which is searched more? Is 3M or Lincoln Electric more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Welding supplies brands set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: 3M and Lincoln Electric - **Competitive set**: Welding supplies brands - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **3M Share of Search**: 39.4% - **Lincoln Electric Share of Search**: 9.4% ## Is 3M or Lincoln Electric more popular in search? - In September 2026, 3M had more branded searches than Lincoln Electric among welding supplies brands worldwide. 3M had about 450,000 branded searches, while Lincoln Electric had 107,000. 3M made up 39.4% of all welding supplies brand searches we track, and Lincoln Electric accounted for 9.4%. - 3M was ahead of Lincoln Electric in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, 3M’s share of searches among welding supplies brands worldwide moved from 36.5% to 39.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 450K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lincoln Electric’s share of searches among welding supplies brands worldwide moved from 9.3% to 9.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 115K to 107K. ## Top welding supplies brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Lincoln Electric appeared in all five answers. 3M was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Lincoln Electric was listed before 3M in every answer. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Lincoln Electric | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Miller Electric | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | 3M | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Hobart | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | BOC | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about welding supplies brands - Asked ChatGPT "Which welding supplies brand should I buy?": 1. Lincoln Electric, 2. Miller Electric, 3. Hobart - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best welding supplies brands?": 1. Miller Electric, 2. Lincoln Electric, 3. Hobart, 4. 3M - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best welding supplies brand for shop consumables?": 1. Lincoln Electric, 2. 3M, 3. Miller Electric - Searched Google, AI Overview "industrial welding supplies": 1. Miller Electric, 2. Lincoln Electric - Searched Google, AI Overview "best welding supplies": 1. Lincoln Electric Not named in any answer: BOC. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for welding supplies brands worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, Lincoln Electric gained share of searches among welding supplies brands worldwide, from 8.6% to 9.4%. - In September 2026, 3M lost share of searches among welding supplies brands worldwide, from 44.3% to 39.4%. ## Month by month | Month | 3M estimated searches | 3M Share of Search | 3M rank | Lincoln Electric estimated searches | Lincoln Electric Share of Search | Lincoln Electric rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 450K | 36.5% | 1 | 115K | 9.3% | 4 | | Nov 2025 | 450K | 38% | 1 | 107K | 9.1% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | 450K | 38.5% | 1 | 93.6K | 8% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | 450K | 36.3% | 1 | 107K | 8.6% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | 450K | 41.9% | 1 | 107K | 10% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | 450K | 35.5% | 1 | 107K | 8.4% | 4 | | Apr 2026 | 450K | 36.8% | 1 | 107K | 8.8% | 4 | | May 2026 | 450K | 36.8% | 1 | 107K | 8.8% | 4 | | Jun 2026 | 450K | 40.1% | 1 | 87.6K | 7.8% | 4 | | Jul 2026 | 450K | 42.5% | 1 | 87.6K | 8.3% | 4 | | Aug 2026 | 550K | 44.3% | 1 | 107K | 8.6% | 4 | | Sep 2026 | 450K | 39.4% | 1 | 107K | 9.4% | 4 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using 3M’s and Lincoln Electric’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **3M**: Measured on the search term “3m”. - **Lincoln Electric**: Measured on the search terms “lincoln electric” and “lincoln welder”, summed into one figure. - [3M profile](/demand/global-en/brands/3m) - [Lincoln Electric profile](/demand/global-en/brands/lincoln-electric) - [All welding supplies brands worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/welding-supplies-brands): The set both shares are measured inside, 5 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is 3M or Lincoln Electric more popular in search? In September 2026, 3M had more branded searches than Lincoln Electric among welding supplies brands worldwide. 3M had about 450,000 branded searches, while Lincoln Electric had 107,000. 3M made up 39.4% of all welding supplies brand searches we track, and Lincoln Electric accounted for 9.4%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "3M vs Lincoln Electric: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/3m-vs-lincoln-electric This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/3m-vs-lincoln-electric. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.