Picking out a stick welder (features to look for and top 10 recommendations)
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- Опубліковано 5 сер 2024
- In this episode we look at stick welding features you should look for and I give my personal list of the top 10 stick welders I would buy.
0:00:00 Intro
0:01:01 Features explained and what to look for
0:15:47 Top 10 stick welders
0:29:13 Runner up welders
0:31:05 Conclusion
So glad I discovered this channel. Learning so much, and unlike many of the bigger channels, not a total shill for whatever flavor of the month is dropping machines in their lap.
I am not joking, I have received atleast 40 offers for free products. I never understood why a lot of welding channels have the same welders and how so many of them claim they are really good, despite the fact I know they were trash. It wasn’t until I started a channel and got offers did I realize what was going on. The sad part it to me is a lot of people have posted asking why they are having problems with their welder, and it’s hard for me to tell them that they got “took” on the purchase of their welder.
So many of the companies lie on specs and capabilities, they commonly say “it will run 6010” and “excellent stick performance” yet it’s pure trash. That’s why I only recommend stuff I know works and is worth looking at. Most of my welders are also esab machines despite being more of a miller fan than esab, which definitely shows i am not brand loyal lol.
I appreciate that. There’s a lot of “esab sucks” on YT and I suspect it’s the typical case of someone blaming the machine when they dropped it off the tailgate or such. Everyone will blame a machine instead of themselves.
Like he said, the harbor freight Titanium stick 225 is surprisingly good. I changed the stinger and ground clamp and also bought 25 feet of 4 awg cable for each side and can now weld anything.
I am sure some people scoffed at it being that high on the list but honestly considering it’s price, how it’s available everywhere, and how well it welds, I don’t think you can beat it. If someone is worried about it lasting buy the warranty and call it good.
I actually made a mistake. I went to 2 awg cable! Even better!
I put 30' of 1awg on it and good clamp and stinger. (Cost as much as the welder) I can weld anywhere in my garage with the power supply out of harm's way. And the cable doesn't get warm.
Hi Greg, that was very helpful feature list. Cheers.
TIG next please?
Even if there is multiple videos out there, there is nothing like watching a video from a reliable source.
I have finished all the stick videos I need to edit them and get them up. I will then be diving back into tig for a while. Any specific things you want to see? I will be doing a aluminum tig repair tomorrow that I will film and put up. 😀
@@makingmistakeswithgreg videos for stick welding have been extremely helpful so continue with similar content: welder recommendations, heavy strength welds like the D ring and hook exercise, etc.
Love my Everlast 255EXT. Great tig and stick welding.
Great overview for a new welding student! Thanks Brother! 👊🏼🇺🇲👊🏼
Thanks for the kind comment 😀. I want to see people building some cool stuff 👨🏻🏭
Thanks Greg, just what I was looking for
Glad to hear it helped you
Great points !
I'm glad you mentioned PFC
Power factor corection
It makes a huge difference for sure. I have a video coming out soon dealing with running welders on generators. The difference PFC can make is huge, in my testing it can be over 20% more efficient at turning input power into output power.
Exactly@@makingmistakeswithgreg
I have two stick welders. Both Lincoln. One is 225 AC/DC tombstone. Other is an Idealarc 250 square model. It weighs a ton but it stays in one spot.
You should check out the Yeswelder brand.. I've had a few of the cheap Chinese small welders I also have a Miller 250 twin and a Hobart AC welder. And the Yeswelder ARC-205DS. 130 amp 60% duty cycle 85% efficient and runs 6010 actually does. And very well built. Looking forward to getting one of their multi-process machines
I recently bought my first welder and I’m so delighted with it, I thought I’d share my experience here because it’s most relevant to this video as I took Greg’s advice to heart. The Sanrex 160s I bought has almost every item on this list with a couple exceptions- it doesn’t have stuck rod shutoff and the arc force isn’t adjustable (it’s auto). It does have hot start and arc force, just not adjustable. But the Sanrex is $599- barely more than the Titanium 225 and crushes it IMO.
The Sanrex has more than 120a available- on a 120v 20a breaker! Now this is a residential breaker, so certainly less on a generator since it’s actually pulling 31a or so to deliver that rated 125a output. But I’ve tested it in my backyard and you can certainly get a really nice looking 1/8 7018 bead at 125a on that 20a outlet- on an extension cord no less.
The only gripe I could possibly muster about the Sanrex is that it’s hard to set with some precision because it’s just a twist knob with no digital display and the markings are too far apart- like every 20a. That’s much too coarse IMO especially for smaller rods where 5-10a can make a big difference.
The sanrex is an industrial unit with superb quality that just happens to be reasonably priced. If you are in the market for a compact inverter and are looking at the Titanium 225 and you don’t need amperage above 160, DEFINITELY look at the Sanrex instead. It’s much more efficient and real world useful for only a bit more money.
*I have no affiliation with Sanrex, just love the welder*
Kick ass video bro, thanks appreciate it!
No problem 😀.
Nice list, and it’s pretty damn accurate. I couldn’t find any flaws with your list. I primarily stick weld at work and home. I have an old tombstone 225ac with the white dial knob on it, I haven’t t used it in at least 7 years lol. My go to stick machine at home is the cst280. It’s a small but amazing machine. It makes 7018 restarts pleasant 🤣. I’d like to get a dual voltage machine for the portability and 120v option. I’m half torn between a rouge or the Miller 161. I’ve used quite a few of the 161stl’s and they too are great machines, just pricey. I’m enjoying the content and look forward to see what you do next
Glad your enjoying the content 😀. I owned both the esab rogue 180 and the maxstar 161 sth. They are both awesome welders. If I had to pick one of the two I would take the maxstar. For a couple reasons: 1) the stick stick feature works great and saves some swearing lol. 2) it is literally the perfect size to move around/carry. 3) the fan on demand shuts off when it doesn’t need to run which is a feature I really like with welders. It is expensive, but it welds so good and is so portable it’s worth it. The esab rogue is a great welder too. The solid handle makes it easy to carry. You won’t be disappointed in it, but if you tried both machines you would want the miller. The 161sth is the only welder I regret selling, and I have sold probably over 20 welders in the last 5 years lol. I actually sold it to buy my new dynasty and that’s so heavy I don’t want to bring it anywhere lol. I am going to probably buy the fronius battery powered stick welder soon and try that out.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg thanks for the insight. I never used a rouge and I wasn’t aware of the fan. I definitely liked the Miller 161’s when I used em. I’ll probably keep my eye out for a used one, but the local market here in Pittsburgh seems a little high and dry lately. I’m not too familiar with Fronius, but I’ve been lookin into them. They seem like killer machines. I’ve seen a few Fronius wire feeds unit on a job, but I never got the opportunity to run one. That accupocket seems like a great unit for the secluded or limited repairs.
very good , thoughtfull recommendations.....eventhough the video is 30 minutes....it was very helpful......thank you....😎😎😎😎😎😎
It’s hard for me to give a lot of advice in a short amount of time 😀. I just want to see people get a quality tool without getting screwed over. The difference a better stick welder can make is actually huge. Even the sub 300$ harbor freight is light years ahead in how it welds when compared to most sub 500$ stick welders. Without actually using both back to back it’s hard to know that. Anyway thanks for the kind words 😀
Great video Greg There’s a lot of great machines out there but u can beat the Everlast PowerArc 280STH duty cicle is fantastic this thing is incredible An even wen being use for tig (foot pedal with 26 tig torch included)u can pulse tig with this it doesn’t have manny different wave forms but it’s definitely something u gotta check out 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
Interesting stuff…thanks!
If you ever get a chance, I’m curious about your welding table and it’s construction.
I love your videos You seem to be a down to earth guy...
Glad you like them 😀.
Awesome video! Definitely looking into something more portable and 120v capable. My Hobart weighes 115lbs, which isn’t terrible but not ideal for me to lug around and pull my back 😆 definitely looking into that max star 161
The maxstar 161 is probably my most favorite welder I have ever owned. The portability of it is second to none and it’s super handy. I did buy a esab rogue 200 and will be doing a video on that soon. It’s super portable (as are all the rogue series) and are a far more affordable option over the miller. I am a big fan of small quality welders.
Great vid! I tried one of those cheap Chinese welders, Hugong ZX7, cost me about $100. Surprisingly it checks all the boxes and more, almost like a smart welder with assist, probably made for beginners, it’s very easy to use. Don’t know how long it’ll last though, got it a year ago as an emergency back up, barely used it since my 10yrs old Miller still runs smoothly.😂
I am all for a cheap little welder that works. Don’t get me wrong, many are basically electrical nightmares that are probably not code legal to plug into the wall lol. Something about the sketch factor and being something that probably shouldn’t work (but does) gives them a special place in my heart. I mean the fact a person could spend 100$ and get overnighted a stick welder that could help them build a trailer, is a awesome thing 😀.
Great video with honest opinions. I will be going to China for my first stick as I can afford better to waste that sort of money.
Please consider a separate review of the China ones as I hope some are better that others.
So I can tell you that in the US (not sure where you are) the best stick welder that’s affordable is the harbor freight titanium 225 for around 230$ new. When you get into the Amazon specials virtually all of them lie on specs and are sub par quality/capability. I wish I knew of a stick welder for 150-180$ that was solid but the truth is I don’t believe it exists (except used).
One thing I didn’t understand with welding until I became decent at it, is how some features make a significant difference in how easy it is to use a machine. Having hot start that’s adjustable, arc force adjustment, stick stuck (where it cuts the power when the rod sticks) high open circuit voltage, and the ability to run 6010 rods makes it so much easier for a skilled welder to get better results. They also make it easier for the average person to learn to weld, and to be less frustrated.
I have old oil bath machine and still works great and a inverter
Fun to look at all the new bells and whistles but I will (for stick welding, I have a lot of other machines for other processes and combinations) stay with my Miller Thunderbolt XL 300/200 AC/DC welder I bought new twenty some years ago. Does my heavy lifting and doesn't need to be portable as I have two hundred fifty foot of lead and a choice of breakers up to the 70amp I run it on. That gives me a 100% duty cycle at 140 amps. I started on the craftsman AC buzz box and after several years (money was tight) I upgraded to an AC/DC Craftsman which I used until I bought the Thunderbolt. I will say that I learned an awful lot from these machines since they had no easy start or arc force. If you use one of them going to a newer model will be a piece of cake. Also learning pure basic stick made going to MIG very easy. One of the things that made my AC days easier was Harbor Freight for a short while when they first opened their doors had a DC converter wand that plugged into the buzz box and made it DC for about $30. Just clipped it in the stinger and away you went. Worked great but a meathead plugged it into a DC machine and toasted it. They had stopped carrying it. A few years later I saw the same item at Eastwood and bought it, but it stayed on the shelf as by then I had upgraded to an AC/DC welder. They had quite a sale on the Thunderbolt as inverters were on the horizon then. Never regretted it.
That thunderbolt XL is a beast, and definately is a great stick welder to have. Sure it doesn't have bells and whistles, but that doesn't mean it can't welds some really nice welds. Arguably it might be a bit harder to start a rod but again experience trumps that. Thats one of the great things about stick, it can be done to x-ray level welds with even a simple machine. It has more to do with welding enough with a machine to know how it welds that machine options, and obviously you have the "seat time" with that machine to weld good with it.
Your also 100% right if you can stick weld good you can mig weld. Stick welding takes consistency of travel speed, hand position, arc gap, etc. That is the same with Mig, its just far more forgiving. Its trivial to go from stick to mig, much harder from mig to stick lol.
The Austrian giant Fronius Trans Pocket 180 tig which you showed is great machine, rich in features, reliable!! Another good machine, coming from Finland, again european brand is Kemppi Minarc Evo 180. Minus is that you don't have arc force control and I think it can't run 6010s.
The third european one and for me the best one (in the world) , which I'm gonna mention just as a brand name, coming from Germany is EWM.
The trans pocket 180 is well know excellent stick welder and tig. They are fairly unknown in the states which is unfortunate because they make quality products from what I have seen.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg That's right sir! I would like to upgrade my small and mobile stick welder (Kemppi Minarc Evo 180) with the Trans Pocket 180, but i would love to have as a workshop machine the EWM Tetrix 230 XQ! Aaah, one day, may be, quite pricey!
Bought that little Hone welder. I use it for barn repairs because it's super portable and dual voltage. I would only buy this for repair not to make a living.
It definitely is useful for those kind of things, and for the price you can’t beat it 😀
I have that hone. My first welder. Man it does everything I need to do.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Greg.
I am retired, only occasionally have welding projects, and can but dream of owning any of the higher-end stick welders that you recommend. I have a couple of cheap Chinese welders, one of which, a DEKOPRO 110/220V MMA Welder, 160A Stick ARC Welding Machine IGBT, has most of the features you listed as desirable; it won't do 6010, but I don't care about that. I also own a 250 Amp industrial buzz box, but the Dekopro is much more pleasant to use. My Dekopro does cut output, if a rod sticks, which is a huge improvement over my buzz box.
Like many I expect, I'll never get to experience a better welder, so I'll never know what I'm missing and anyway, through necessity, must make do with what I have. If my Chinese welders break, I may be able to repair them, if not, I'll buy another.
Again, thank you for sharing your expertise.
Thanks for the comment 😀. Obviously 6010 isn’t a end all be all capability. I am in the same boat as you, modern welders seem to just be more pleasant to use than older buzz boxes. I seem to have far bigger issues with arc blow with older transformer machines. Not to mention many old transformer machines are a/c only which I prefer dc. The modern machines are actually portable too, and don’t tend to loose amperage as you weld with them. I found that old buzz boxes drop around 5-6 amps as the transformer heated up, which makes it tough to get things dialed in. Thanks for the recommendation on the dekopro, I was going to buy that one over the little 99$ one but decided to save a bit of money. I am sure it’s far better than the hone one I bought, and for a average person it would give a lot of capability. 😀
@@makingmistakeswithgreg The Dekopro with the "smart panel" is the welder I have, it has many useful features, you can even lift tig with it, although I have not tried that feature yet.
I have an HF250 Dialarc for Tig. I would put a stinger on it when I needed to SMAW. It was so annoying to do that I bought a Titanium 225 for stick.
I'm glad I did. The 225 on 240v is so much better a welder than the HF250 running stick.
I don't know what is going on under the hood of the 225 in 6010 mode but you can hear a relay click as you turn the amp control past the 6010 range. So it is changing some functionality when you go above the limit.
Never had it trip on duty cycle. But I don't push too hard. 1/8" rod and 1/4" material is about my limit.
Yeah those 225s weld really good, I miss mine. I remember hearing that relay click, I believe it has something to do with its dual voltage capability. I never opened mine but it may actually have dual transformers to be able to run dual voltage. The clicking may be the change in what transformer is powered on. This is one way they could keep the voltage high enough to run 6010 at any amp setting and Input voltage.
Great videos! I’m a new welder that came across your videos last week and love the content.
Recently purchased an everlast 210 stl, DC SMAW/DC GTAW. It was like $380 shipped to my door, 5 year warranty
E6010 mode
Dual voltage
Hot start
Arcforce
Anti stick mode
2T/4T/pedal option for tig, upslope/downslope/pre flow/postflow adjustment
So far good machine to learn stick/tig on. Light and compact too!
I am a fan of everlast welders. They don’t lie about their specs, they do run 6010, and they are priced within a working persons budget. Far better than Yes welder and all the other dirt cheap welders out there. The only welders they make that I am not a fan of is the lightining series (I owned a 275). The software wasn’t the best on those. Miller, esab, and Lincoln don’t really have a product to compete at a beginner price for quality features everlast offers.
I have a Lincoln Electric 215 MPi. I think it checks about ten of those boxes and I am very satisfied with it
What do you think of it so far? I am a big fan of Lincoln’s Mig machines. 😀
@@makingmistakeswithgreg I've run 7018 sticks and flux-core with it and I think it's a great machine. The menu is very intuitive and it's easy to use. You can't use 6010 sticks nor run sticks on AC though
@@makingmistakeswithgreg I actually learned how to stick weld with a IdealArc 210 in college, that thing was a tank!
I knocked the dust off this old video and am glad I did, great opinions, thanks for sharing. yeah, I see a lot of the channels pushing machines that seem to flood the market so yeah, definitely product placement ads essentially. Gotta ask, have you had any experience with the Arc captain stuff? Seem to good to be true but seeings as I'm in the third world now, Millers and Esab units are unobtanium or stupid money. Thanks again for the great content =)
So I picked up a arc captain 135 to test it against a yes welder and harbor freight 125. It’s the only arc captain that I have used so I can’t speak for all of the other welders they market. I can say the machine has been disappointing thus far. A lot of stuff is very odd to me on it. It has markings of UL listed (and others) yet based on how bad it loads up the input power I don’t know how it’s even legal to sell lol. The video will be out within a week on that.
Here are my honest thoughts: It might sound crazy but if you want a more affordable welder buy a used Lincoln mig machine (or other name brand) or buy a harbor freight welder (any one but Chicago electric). Harbor freights welders have been “honest” in my testing. They actually output the claimed power, they function properly as a welder, and they have proven to be decently reliable. The arc captain, yes welder, and many others will put a ton of claims on the box and they flat out lie. I don’t like that, I see that as ripping people off.
Even if you look past the fact the specs are often all bs, there is an actual serious detriment to many cheap welders, that’s how they function. Virtually all of the Amazon specials have highly inaccurate digital readouts or dials. They often can’t hit proper output voltages so they flat out don’t run right. This is a problem because 1) it makes it harder to make decent welds, which can lead people to give up learning welding, and 2) if you ever upgrade to literally any welding machine that functions properly they will run completely different and you will have to relearn settings and 3) if you attempt to follow settings someone else suggests good luck.
So basically I would highly suggest looking at harbor freights titanium line because they are all actually pretty decent welders. Beyond them there really isn’t another “affordable” welder line that is universally available to people. Well one that’s decent enough that I think people should buy them.
The esab rogue 180 is my next welder
You won’t regret it. It’s built really good and runs 6010 great. For normal shop use and portable welding you can’t beat it. 😀
Thanks for the recommendation. I hope to get one in the future.
Have you tried the Everlast welders? I'm a beginner, but I have an Everlast 210STL that welds better than I can. It has adjustable hot start and arc force control. It also has a 6010 mode as well as stuck rod shutoff and is TIG capable. Sells regularly for $399. I don't have any affiliation with them, just a happy customer so far.
Everlast makes great welders in specific categories. Their dedicated tig, stick, and MiG machines are solid. Their all in one machines (mostly the lightning, I haven’t tried the new typhoon or whatever it’s called) I don’t care for. The software on it and the way you switch processes is terrible. However like I said their stand alone machines are absolutely solid and I recommend them to everyone. I like the fact that everlast doesn’t lie about specs, it does what they claim, thats huge In my book. They also have good adjustability even on their cheaper models.
I can reccomend the EWM Pico 160 cel puls if you have a a decent budget and are in AU/NZ/Europe. Possibly available in US. Has pulse on stick and TIG, in addition to everything else on that list. Needs 240V/15A though (though mine works ok on 10A plugs after I 'accidentally' cut the earth pin narrower :) It definitely runs 6010, though, its the entire reason I bought it.
Thanks for the recommendations, definitely helpful since every country seems to have their “own” welder companies. That Pico seems like a nice package, even has stick stuck which is hard to find.
Removing the earth does nothing to prevent a circuit fuse to trip. It will get you executed if the chassis of the welder get live due to internal fault. Cheers.
@@Cptnbond I made it skinnier to fit 10A sockets, I did not remove it. Cheers.
Take a good look at the Primeweld tig225x
I have a multiprocess machine, but I have so much fun with stick, I don't really feel the need to Mig or Tig, so what if you have to chip it, least you know the joint is solid. Its just satisfying.
What I do not understand is the Fronius TS2200 has a open circuit voltage of 90V, yet it says it cannot do 6010, I thought anything above 70V could do 6010, so why cant it run it?
I like the look of the old school Lincoln, buying a 2nd hand, you would have to restore that sucker.
I wonder how the CST280 would stand up against a transpocket 180, its hell of a lot cheaper.
Stick is a very functional process. The main shortcomings of it is welding sheet metal, welding aluminum, and metal deposition rate (wire blows stick out of the water for weld metal deposited). Mig tends to do what stick doesn’t do well, aka weld thinner material, is faster, etc. For much of what you might weld there won’t be a huge benefit to mig other than sheetmetal.
As far as why the fronius won’t weld with 6010, it has to do with its power supply. Most multi process machines are setup to max out at 25-26v and 6010 needs 28-32v depending on rod. The open circuit voltage being high makes it easy to strike an arc, but it doesn’t allow a welder to absolutely run 6010. How much voltage it can output under load is what matters, and most welders struggle hitting 30+ volts.
The cst 280 is a very solid welder. It’s nowhere near as portable (or likely as efficient) but on a 240v outlet it’s an awesome machine. Its output on single phase isn’t that high (it’s less than 280, I remember that) but its duty cycle will far exceed the fronius machine. If you want a machine to sit in a workshop and super portability isn’t a concern, you can’t go wrong with that machine.
got a transpocket 180. best small stick welder on the US market. pull the side covers and youll see the design and qaulity of components are second to none. and its duty cycle beats all other 180a machines. leads and clamps are top notch euro stuff. has pulse stick. temp controlled fan. expensive little guy but worth every penny imo
oh ya also the hot start ,arc force and arc break voltage are fully adjustable. has trouble code read out if theres ever a problem. records hour usage. quick connect power lead into the back. yada yada. brilliant machine for sure
The next machine I will be buying is a fronius. They seem to be quite the welder no doubt. Who knows, I might also switch my dynasty tig to a fronius too 😀
@@makingmistakeswithgreg
yes i have the iwave230 also. a lovely machine indeed and top shelf in every way. nice thing about fronius ,you dont pay extra for software updates. after having three fronius machines for two years now, i couldnt imagine buying or using anything else
What size rods can be used with the v155
Thank you for the content. Always helpful.
I own an old maxstar 150stl with foot pedal, do you think i will regret it sell the maxstar and upgrade to transpocket 180? | wish I can have both but I can’t afford both 😂
I don’t think you would regret it at all. The trans pocket is a better overall welder than the 150. The trans pocket is more efficient, has higher output on 120v, runs 6010 rods better, and the tig version has better features. The trans pocket would be easier to make good welds with because it starts rods easier, has more settings, detects if the rod is stuck and cuts power, and has more output power. It is slightly bigger than the maxstar but not enough to matter. I say do it 👍
Greg, is there a way to backdoor a judgement about 6010 capability? Lots of machines that can run it won’t say so, and many machines claiming the ability just lie. Is OCV the best hint?
Some machines have “arc force” settings but that isn’t a guarantee they will run 6010. To run 6010 the welder must produce 32-34 volts closed circuit. There are two ways to check for this. One is to use a volt meter on output on a welder and weld. Use a phone to capture the volt meters display (or a person). After an inch of the weld lift the rod off the plate a little bit at a time until the arc cuts out. If the arc cuts out at 28v there is no hope it will run 6010. The alternative method is to take a rod and just try and really long arc it. If you find the arc cuts out real quick after long arcing it odds are it won’t run 6010.
Most welders don’t run 6010 well (or at all), which is a bummer, because it’s a very useful rod. The cheapest welder I am aware of that is reliable/decent and runs 6010 fine is harbor freights titanium 225 for 260$ with coupon.
How about the Hobart 160i inberter stick
Absolutely maddening! No matter what I do, no matter the settings, prepping, grinding, clamping, cleaning, ran it on 110, 220, etc., the rods stick EVERY f#&$%! time. I literally just gave up. I recently purchased an ArcCaptain MIG200 & spent hours trying to make it work. Destroyed about 30-6011 & 7018 rods & a lot of scrap steel. What am I doing wrong?
Couple thoughts that should help you. Some welders have really low “open circuit” voltage, which makes it more difficult to start a arc. The higher the open circuit voltage the easier it is to start the arc because the arc will jump a slight gap easier. The two rods you picked are the hardest to start without sticking, so that’s partially why. Grab yourself some 6013s or 7014s and you will be in better shape by far. Once you can start the arc with zero issues with either of those rods it will be easier to go back to 6011 and 7018.
At the beginning it can be frustrating for sure, don’t give up. I think it’s just down to two things 1) inexperience, and 2) your welder probably has low open circuit voltage. Switching rods will help a lot. Switching to a different stick welder could also help, but you can work with what you have. I have never used that particular welder so it’s tough for me to know how much the welder is playing a role.
I had your problem with cheap welders, their current display is waaaay to low vs actual plus they dont have hot start.
All of my sticking problems virtually went with a decent machine, I got a Transteel 2200, but the cheaper transpocket are even better with stick inc 6010. That worked for me anyway. 6013 gave me nightmares with slag inclusion, I only started getting good with practice with 7018, my problem was I was going too fast and not feeling the rod very slightly scrape on the weld-you should be able to 'feel' it.
AC has still its place. I always use it on thin stuff, thats why having a good old buzz box isnt to bad. normaly i use my old norweld 182 Tig (mma DC), was sold in the US as lincoln 181 Tig. these machines were disigned for offshore use in the north sea and they cost around 150 euros here and they last for ever.
I have never welded much thin stuff with AC, but it seems to limit penetration in my testing, so it's definitely a option. And for the cost of one used they are hard to beat when learning to weld.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg AC with 6013 is good for thin metal and hold the electrode flatter than normal, more parallel to the metal and you can weld even thiner material. in the past we had only buzz boxes and had to weld sheet metal, thats how we did it 35 years ago.
EU folks go with Kemppi brand. Good machines
I have heard they are good, I have only seen them on UA-cam though (they don’t sell them here). One of these days I need to leave the country and run some welders in foreign (to me) countries 😀.
Greg, have you ever had any experience with the Everlast welders? If so, what are your thoughts?
So I have owned a few of them, and I like them. I am not a fan of the lightning series, that has crappy software and is kind of a pain to switch processes. Their stand alone welders are excellent and often have features many other welders don’t. I will say this though: the best way I can describe their welders in general is they lack polish. If you compare them in person/hands on with Lincoln, esab, and miller, every part is just a little bit cruder. The fit and finish, quality of the accessories, how loud they are when running, etc are across the board not as good as the esab, miller, and Lincoln’s. However from a welding perspective they across the board weld exceptionally good.
I definitely need to do a everlast comparison video on the channel since they are popular and I think I could do it justice. Compared to most of the other ones out there (think Amazon specials) they are far better, and they never lie on the specs. If they say their machine does something (like run 6010 rods) it will. There is something to be said for marketing honesty.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg Thanks for the info Greg, I love your channel. I recently retired from the military and I've always wanted to learn how to weld, so I got into the program at my local community college. I wanted to buy my first welder so I could practice at home too, and I was looking at the EVERLAST POWERMTS 211SI WITH TIG PACKAGE. Does is have the same software issues as the Lighting series? If so, do you have any other recommendations? I can't justify spending over 2k on a big boy right now not knowing where this journey may end up. Thanks
Greg, the number 7 welder is a 240 V Lincoln AC/DC tombstone. Would you expect this welder to be 6010 capable?
The DC capable tombstone should run 6010 no problem. I would highly recommend 6010 5p+ if you can find them. The smoothness of the arc will be a little easier to make a good looking bead. The 5p red rod produces a very rough bead appearance.
I own this welder along with the titanium 140. Hence, the question. Thank you
Have you used any of the Everlast stick machines?
Sure have, and I have owned a few. The most recent machine I owned from them was the lightening 275. Their stick machines and dedicated tig/MiG machines are great. I am not a huge fan of their all in ones (lightening). Everlast is one of the few cheaper welder companies that doesn’t lie about specs. If they advertise a 160 amp welder it will put that out without question. They don’t have weird problems with amperage adjustments (aka inaccurate amp meters) and if they say they run 6010 they will. The fit and finish and quality of accessories generally aren’t the best, but for the money they are generally not only a good deal but a pretty decent welder.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg I have their Powerarc 210STL. 👍🏽
Hi Greg, I was wondering if you had any experience with the Everlast welders?
I have owned two of them. There is a lot to like and some things that aren’t so good. They generally weld exceptionally well, they don’t lie about their specs, and they have proven to be reliable. From a negative point of view the fit and finish on things is not at the same level is esab, miller, Lincoln, etc. They tend to be really loud when running, many don’t have fan on demand. Their water coolers are obnoxiously loud as well. The way you switch processes on many of their all in ones is far less convenient than most other companies. The software on their lightening series lacks serious polish.
If I was going to buy a everlast I would stick to their simple interface units and stick with a stand alone (not multi purpose) machine. All of those are solid.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg Thank you, Greg. Miller, Lincoln and Esab are out of my price range, so I was curious if those would be a good choice, specially their stick welders.
@@makingmistakeswithgregNot knowing anything about them, where would you place them in your 1-10 list? Are they Amazon quality, Harbor Freight or are they actually well made like Miller etc.? Thanks for your replies!
So everlasts stand alone welders from a weld performance perspective are good. They don’t lie about their specs so if they say it will do something, they will do it. Thats one of the biggest downsides to Amazon, many companies flat out lie about what a welder will do. Everything from actual welding output, rods they will run, power efficiency, etc. luckily everlast doesn’t lie about specs. When it comes to performance they tend to be (generally speaking) better than harbor freight across the board. The fit and finish of their machines tend to be at the harbor freight level. I caught a lot of heat for saying that but I have played with enough of them and owned a few that I can make a pretty solid opinion. When you look at the quality of everything from drive rollers, mig guns, cables, and the way they are constructed, they are nowhere near fronius, esab, miller, or higher end Lincoln’s. However those things don’t really affect how well they weld. If I was on a tighter budget I would definitely look at a everlast machine for sure, far before the Amazon specials, yes welder, etc.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg thank you, Greg!
Are the number 10 welders worth buying? Even if it’s to learn, do some bigger jobs than my mig can handle. Use it maybe 10-20 times per year. If I’m any good, buy a better one. Thanks for the videos
There is what I would say is a acceptable minimum price to pay for a welder. When it comes to stick welders I truly believe the harbor freight titanium 225 is the best starting stick welder a person can buy for 350$ and under. It welds with all rods, is portable, it’s setpoints are accurate, and it has no issue making excellent welds. It’s so uncommon to find a stick welder for less than 275$ (with coupon) that is capable of running 6011 properly (let alone 6010) that has accurate set points. There are a ton of welders in the 100-200$ range that barely run 6013 and 7018. They will “get the job done” but that’s about it. I have played around with a lot of Amazon specials and cheaper machines, the limitations you hit at the sub 300$ mark come in fast. Even many 4-500$ stick welders perform poorly with a lot of rods.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg thanks for the reply. I’m having a difficult time finding the Titanium in Canada. It looks like my best bet though. Proven, and a good price. I’ll keep lookn’
Esab 180i? (Yes, expensive. I need all the help I can get.)
How about Hobart 160i
So the 160i is a good welder in the sense it’s made from quality parts and will likely last a long time. The issue I have with it is it won’t run 6010 rods, 6011 isn’t the best, and the price is pretty high for what you get. The fit/finish/build quality of the Hobart 160 is better than the harbor freight titanium 225, however the titanium 225 will run 6010/6011 rods far better and it is under half the price. Another option would be the everlast 161sth, I believe it is better than the Hobart 160, and it costs less. One other option is the 130amp version of the esab rogue for around 560$. It will run rods better than the Hobart, has some adjustable settings (hot start and arc force) and will weld far better than most of the small welders on 120v. The main downside is it only outputs 130a but depending on what your welding that would be enough to handle it.
to run a 6010 good what OCV should I be looking for?
So the OCV isn’t the issue, many stick welders produce 60-80v OCV but can’t run 6010. I put a link to a video explaining this that I made, it’s at the bottom of this comment. What you need to have is a welder that can produce 30-34 volts while welding. This is very difficult to do with a cheap welder because it requires more components and engineering. Most welding takes place between 15v (tig) 21v (mig) and 25v (all rods besides 6010). Welders design their power supply around this fact therefore they typically can’t produce 30+ volts while welding. This is the same reason why most home mig machines can’t spray arc weld (24+ volts). The only way to know for sure if a welder will run 6010 is to test it or have someone verify it. Lincoln/miller/esab will tell you if it will run it. 99% of the cheap Amazon welders will say they will but they lie. The cheapest welder I know of that will run it is the harbor freight titanium 225. It runs it really well. Beyond that the next option is atleast 2x the price new.
ua-cam.com/video/qVr15sXRolo/v-deo.htmlsi=VK4pHv_2mOlhqrp-
@@makingmistakeswithgreg ESAB MINIARC 180 good to go for 6010 and tig?
@@Jacoby4465 so I owned the rogue 180 (I believe they now call the mini arc). It’s a great stick machine and will run 6010. Tig wise it does lift arc well and can tig just fine. Keep in mind it doesn’t have a gas valve in the machine so you need to buy a gas valve tig torch. If you want really good Tig performance the rogue 200 (sells for 200$ more than the 180) comes with high frequency start, internal gas valve, a really good Tig torch with controls, and a bit more amperage.
When it comes to 6010 performance most small Tig machines won’t run 6010. I actually just bought the harbor freight pro Tig 165 and it likely won’t run 6010.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg what breaker size should I get for this welder? I cant find any documents for the input.
He said solid doody cycle
Man don't talk about the Arc captain that gives hot start anti stick all the good stuff while the titanium 225 don't come with any of it
The titanium 225 has built in hot start, and rods are real hard to stick because it’s arc force is pretty high 😀. Never ran the arc captain before, will it run 6010?
Ok greg...I subscribed because I believed you. But you showed a thumbnail of a firepower rig..but you didn't talk about it. I have one and wanted to know what you thought about it.
Disappointed...
The firepower welder is basically a esab 210 em-emp before esab branded it as their own and stopped making firepower welders. The machines weld very good, and have the features you would like to have on a good 200amp wire welder. The welder I have is MIG only, so it doesn’t do stick/tig.
The only real draw backs of the machine is the lack of power factor correction really makes it hard to weld on a generator (and makes it easy to trip breakers on 120v) and certain consumable parts are harder to get.
Just don't buy a 110 volt stick or wire welder. Super glue will work better than that junk.