stick

[Tim]

are there any advantages to using a stick welder over a mig wire feed?

i havent used a stick in many years but i was good with it then. i was given one recently before i could get a mig and now i wonder if i really need to buy one. (its a 220 btw.)

[Allen]

Is it AC/DC or AC only?

DC is usually required for thin stuff, and AC is better for thick.

As long as you understand that, use it.

Stick will offer you a bunch more flexability in rod selection verses MIG wire, but only because most small welders use small spools of wire. If you were using 33lb and larger spools of MIG wire that would not be the case, but the small spool availability regarding some of the oddball stuff is limited from what I've seen. For example, if you need some nickel rod to weld up a small cast iron job.....good luck finding that in a 2lb spool of .030 wire.

The only downsides to stick compared to MIG, it's slower, and the chipping of slag, not to mention the learning curve. And good luck with the thin stuff such as sheetmetal, even with DC. The thinnest stuff I've suffessfully been able to stick weld is .060 to .090. And given my preference, I'd stick to TIG for the thin stuff.

Eventually you'll figure out if you need a MIG or not.

Allen

[Tim]

i think its ac only

finally got a look at it today. its an old forney and unlike the lincoln buzz boxes ive used in the past, much more primitive. i think it was manufactured before i was.

i need to change out the plug and cord on the back and find some leads for it. other than that it works pretty good accordng to my father in law. i have the original leads but i dont feel like doing the chicken or blowing the soles off my feet.

[Stu Olson]

Originally posted by T.Dome
I would rather do it with a chicken than blow the soles off my feet.

Fixed it for you.

[Robert J. Yates]

....harsh crowd today

[Tim]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
....harsh crowd today

i think when you hit 51 you automatically become outwardly perverted heh!

BTW: i would never use the whole chicken

[Stu Olson]

Something for you to look forward too!