welders

I am looking at buying a welder for use around my house. It is a pain to bring small projects somewhere to weld or have a neighbor come over with theirs. I would probably only use it a couple times a year for small projects like adding a hook to my tractor bucket and small fabrications. Nothing super major like a dune buggy frame…

Anyone have a suggestion of stick vs wire feed? What is the most versatile? Which would be best for limited use? I like the idea of a 120 just to be mobile but have a 200 service in my shop.

120 is a waste of money. If you have the power get one that you can do more with. I just upgraded from a stick to a wire feed and could not be happier. A stick welder is fine just not as smooth but I got by with one for years and you can find a used one cheap to get started. A wire feed involves having gas unless you get one that can use Flux core. But with a wire feed you can weld aluminum by just switching the wire and gas out. I know there are more knowledgeable welders on here that will chime in as well. The 120 stick I had would not weld a hook on to a tractor bucket.

Also for very limited use a stick welder will always be ready. A wire feeder you have to check the wire didn’t get rusty sitting in the garage for the last six months and the tip could be dirty , I guess what I’m saying is a wire feed requires more maintenance.

A friend of mine just tried to help me weld some 1/4″ tube to 1/4″ plate with a 110v welder, wire feed, and the results were beads that looked like an abortion. The 110 just doesn’t seem to get or stay hot enough. I don’t know what thickness a 110V would be good for but it ain’t much.

For occasional use I’d get a 240v stick welder. Your going to need a lot of power to stick a hook on the bucket of a tractor.

I learned to weld on a stick and in some ways it’s just simpler, usually not as pretty though.

My neighbor has a wire feed Hobart welder than runs on 220a- he’s built my smoker and a garage floor drain box & grate. I don’t know anything about welding but it seems to be the cat’s meow. He says stick welders suck.

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Agreed.

I have a little 120 stick in the garage, you can get small jobs done on thinner metal, but it just doesn’t penetrate on thick metal or run heavy (normal) rods.

You have plenty of power for a 240, use it.

I agree to just get a stick. They’re maintenance free and ready to go anytime.

My welder has stick, mig, tig, and spool. I use stick 90% of the time. Just prefer the speed and ease of setup, and they just lay a pretty dang nice bead. If you’re doing anything over 3/16″ thick then definitely need 240volt. Anything that needs a strong connection I would use stick, stick allows you to jam the rod into the joint and get heat and penetration much deeper than anything else can.

For occasional home use I would get a 120/240v stick machine from everlast. I’m a certified pipe welder and these things run a dang nice bead. Price is much better than the blue boxes! Stick welding is simple and not too hard to learn. Just keep your rods dry! Also, get an auto darkening helmet. They cut the learning time considerably because most people have issues starting the arc.

Acdc stick. The Lincoln “tombstone” is a solid unit.
Dc carries a more stable arc and generally looks nicer.
Switching to ac will allow for deeper penetration but is a bit more difficult to weld with ac compared to dc. It just takes practice.
Play with both settings and different dia. and number rods.

I own a metal fab shop and we run mostly Miller products. Arc stick welding is well known and will give you a functional weld but somewhat old school mentality. Wire feed is the fastest and is most used in production. We tig weld 80% of our welds whether it be steel, s/st, or aluminum to obtain a cleaner looking weld.

Machine size – Approximate math would be metal thickness is equal to the amperage of the machine.

What’s your budget?

Thanks guys! Sure seems like a stick welder is the most versatile. I like the idea of the 120/240 machines. I will look at the stick welders or maybe a combo unit like Munchy has. Sounds like fishing poles…. one doesn’t fit all.

I would not say a stick is the most versatile, but it is the easiest and you can get a good strong weld with it. No maintenance, oh and my dad actually uses his to cut metal by cranking it up all the way, not that I would recommend that but it is possible, although a bit messy. Good luck, and get a fire extinguisher. 😂

before i turned to the life of a union thug, i was a certified welder with 17 certs with tig and mig (wirefeed) welding stainless. did it for 28 years.

get a wire feed!!!!!!! 240 verson!!!!!