Pick a welder

[john in la]

Help me pick out a welder.

I am not a novice because I have taken a welding course when I was in my 20's and can stick weld uphill in any position.
On the other hand I would not call myself a welder because I only weld once or twice a year and my 65 year old eye hand coordination is not what it use to be.

The only welder I have ever owned is a tombstone AC buzz box that has seen better days and no longer works.
It has to be 40 years old.

While I was ready to buy another stick welder I was at harbor freight today getting a tarp and decided to look at their welders to get some ideas. I hear so much about these wire feed flux welders but know nothing about them.
I will never use a gas shield so those upper end mig and tig units are not for me.

So give me some ideas.
Like I said gas is out so no need to mention those units.
I think (but do not know) that limits my choices to stick and wire flux.
So should I upgrade to a wire flux welder or just stick with a stick unit.
This welder will only be used to do minor repairs around the house.
Fix a broken box scraper or weld up a tractor fender.

What have I left out that will help you guide me better.

 

[grizz02]

A wire flux welder as you can them is a mig welder you can weld with gas with mig wire or gasless with flux core wire best of both worlds

 

[wh]

Flux core works great. There is a learning curve on using it. Some flux wires can also require gas. All in all flux core works just as good as stick. Just takes some practice to adjust your wire speed on machine and the wire stick out on the welding gun when using it. I am sure there are u tube videos that will explain it perfectly. Would not be afraid of the upper priced harbor freight units for home use.

 

[M-MAN]

I tried the Flux wire with my Hobart and didn't care for it. Unless the metal is new it looks like chicken poop. Gas is much better. I have an industrial tombstone stick. 100% duty cycle. That's all I use for heavy metal.

I would tear into the old tombstone and try to bring it back to life. Might be nothing but dirty contacts.

 

[guido]

John in La,

I would buy another stick welder, as it does appear that you will only be welding steel anyhow.
I would suggest though, you get a dc welder. It WILL make you a better welder.

Nothing as good running uphill on dc, and you can run low hydrogen rod. You won't believe the difference on the way the dc rod goes down.

If you can try one before you buy one, you will see what I mean,

Guido.

 

[john in la]

guido
I have used a DC welder.
The school I went to taught us with DC welders.
I have only personally owned an AC welder though.

I have gotten by for over 40 years stick welding everything.
Some things are hard to weld with it like thin metal but I get by.

It is just I have never used a wire feed welder and know nothing about them.
With all the raving some do about how good a wire feed is I figured I would ask about them before I buy another stick welder.
But if I need to go to a gas shield unit to get the advantage of wire feed I will just pass and buy another stick unit.

So I guess what I am asking is what is between a DC stick welder and a unit that uses gas as a shield.
And why would I want to buy this unit over a stick welder.

 

[chvet73]

I know you said you wouldnt use Mig with gas. But please reconsider that. You will not believe how easy they are to use. They make everyone a good welder.

 

[tom upton]

I still have and use a lincoln 225 ac that my dad bought me when I was 13 or 14. Other than a couple of cooling fans, rod holders, ground clamps this thing has served me well for getting close to 50 years.There is absolutley nothing wrong with a good ac welder for doing general welding. This old 225 lincoln will burn 7018 with no problem when some AC welders just want to stick. If you are in need of a welder only couple times a year then why spend the extra money on a DC machine. If you are used to welding with a old lincoln tombstone you will be badly disapointed with flux core wire feed.

 

[guido]

John in La,

Well it is a very expensive unit that can do it all. I had a miller at work that did it all. I used a one pound spool for aluminun and steel welding. The gun is the best as you can put down a the whole spool, without raising your helmet, and there is less slag, dending on the metal you are welding.
I used a tomstone at my friends the farm. Welding buckets and brackets, as you said, it worked just fine.


The unit also had a 350 amp water cooled tig, probably 10k then.
As you know, a dc reverse polarity weld has a very stable arc. I hear that the inverter welder are the greatest thing since sliced bread, Never used one. But the Miller I used for years, was a all I used at work for aluminum and steel.

One service call, with a few resistor going south, that was it,

Guido.

 

[RobCons]

A wire feed welder is fairly easy to use. Still need hand eye coordination. Flux core wire is similar to a stick. But unless you get a large wire feed unit it probably wont weld thick material like your buzz box.

 

[MJMJ]

Flux core will do everything you need to do, and do it well. Those that complain about poor looking flux core welds simply haven t figured out how to set it properly. Its not quite as clean as gas shielded, but its very close. It also penatrates better, as well as works outside in a breeze MUCH better. It just takes a little practice to figure out how to adjust your amperage and wire speed to get clean welds. Most better ones will accept a bottle of shielding gas if you ever decide you need it.

 

[Roy Suomi]

I own a Snap-On YA-212 . But, they're pricey. I had real good luck with the Hobart Handler 135. Both wire feed, both gas. I probably wouldn't go back to a stick machine unless it was a portable. I made a few bucks thawing water lines with the Hobart G-250 machine. Oh, I welded with it too. Along with air arcing excavator and loader buckets. A wire feed makes even my welds look good. I think my uphill welds look better with stick. Just like Keeping your powder dry, You gotta keep your rods dry.

 

[stevieb49829]

John, I'm confused. You seem pretty set on it, but why DON'T you want a shield gas wire feed welder? Like others have said, if you get one that uses gas shielding, you can still run flux core without buying a tank of gas. I haven't run flux core in my Lincoln 170T because I really like welding with gas shielding. And I grew up using a Craftsman 240 for a very long time (I bought it in high school). With the smaller 220 MIG's you can change wire size to fit your needs, from sheet metal to somewhere around 3/8''. And with the right gas and wire you can weld aluminum and stainless. It won't burn through rust like a good 6011 stick, but it sure goes further down into the thin stuff better, as long as its clean. If its all thin stuff, you could even get one that runs on 110. I don't even use my stick welder anymore, until I run out of wire, or gas in the middle of a project.

 

[stevieb49829]

If you have a HS shop class nearby, talk to the teacher and see if you can try their machines.

 

[RusselAZ]

Keep your eye on craigslist market place or or Facebook market place for an old (er) Forney box welder. Or a pawn shop. They are wonderful old welders. Shipping is to expensive but they usually are offered in the 100 to 200 dollar range. They were designed for mid century farm power supply and do not require the high amp inputs of the new stick welders. I have had one or two since the early 70's and run them on 30 amp breakers.

 

[kcm.MN]

John, I have both types that you are asking about. I have a Hobart flux core that does not accept gas, and I HAD an old buzz box, but now have a 220V inverter stick welder. That little thing is awesome! It's SO lightweight. Hard to believe it's 100% duty cycle.

My Hobart isn't meant for very thick stuff, but I have made due with it sometimes. However, the stick welder gets the really heavy stuff. Bought it off Amazon. They have newer/better units now - like maybe this one:
https://www.amazon.com/DEKOPRO-Machine-Digital-Display-Electrode/dp/B07NWFB2S9?th=1

There are others that are 250amp. This got good ratings from a fairly good number of people.

Can get a 140A Forney IGBT for $240. The Forney is a good brand, but as little as I use one, I went for the cheap stuff -- and it WORKS!! :mrgreen:

 

[woodbutcher]

I've had he same experience. Got rid of my Lincoln tombstone and bought an inverter stick welder off Amazon. I have a wirefeed
for fluxcore, but seldom use it.

Butch

 

[MarkB_MI]

John, I think you're looking at it the wrong way. Rather than 'what welder do I need?', think 'what do I need to weld?'. If all you ever weld is steel, 1/4 inch or thicker, then an AC/DC stick welder IS probably your best option. But if you tend to weld light material, or might weld something other than steel, then you should open up your mind to other options. Of course MIG and TIG welders can get expensive, particularly those big enough to weld heavy material.

 

[John T]

John FWIW when I sold my farm I left behind my old AC Buzz Box Tombstone stick welder and last year went to HF and bought a wire flux welder. Sooooooooooo after talking to several friends and welders with yearssssssssss of experience and research having never opened the box, I decided it was NOT for me and returned it for a full refund......It may or may NOT be for you ??? it depends on your welding needs, Im ONLY saying after studying on my needs and experience IT WAS NOT FOR ME.........

Best wishes take care now

John T

 

[caterpillar guy]

Rod welder it doesn't have to be squeaky clean to weld with a wire machine it does. There are places where the wire machine is nice for light sheet material and for heavy material low amperage welders just will not get the job done. I have a friends little 140 amp wire machine here and welding on an auger tube was about all it could do set wide open on heat and just would not penetrate well. This was on gauge thickness steel. Gas machine and had to weld outside on a still day might have still been to much air movement. I like my Miller portable welder will both weld and can be used as a generator in the same machine. Mine has a little Kubota diesel in it. I probably don't use it enough to justify the cost really but has been handy to weld in remote locations or use the generator for days straight when the power is off. In 24 years it probably only has about 200 hours on it. Wire will only really be an advantage if you want to branch out to other metals like stainless or aluminum.