Which Stick Welder Should I Get?

admin

I am a step above beginner as a welder and I need help on picking the best stick welder suited for me.   After reading several posts at this forum I worked up a wish list for the welder with these features:1. AC/DC2. Copper wound transformer3. High duty cycle4. Infinite amp control5. For occasional use.   I just retired and I always wanted to make & repair things in my work shop.6. To weld .25" steel plates with at least .125" electrodes7. Would like to spend $300 or lessAny suggestions on brand, year and model would be appreciated.
Reply:You might luck out and find a used Idealarc 250 or a Dialarc 250 for $300. or slightly less. Occasionally you'll find an old ac/dc Miller Thunderbolt for maybe $200.  However, those aren't high duty cycle. Did see a Miller 320 ABP the other day for $200.Post your location in your profile and maybe someone will spot something in your area. There's a Dialarc 250 for $325, up near Aberdeen, MD.Last edited by Oldendum; 06-23-2013 at 03:15 PM."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:I'm located in the southeast corner in the state of Washington.   Major cities in this area are Spoken, Seattle and Portland (Oregon).
Reply:http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/tls/3888640899.htmlhttp://portland.craigslist.org/clk/tls/3879946965.htmlhttp://portland.craigslist.org/clk/tls/3886656994.htmlSeveral others on Portland CL.http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/tls/3883745102.htmlhttp://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/tls/3844583880.htmletc."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Your asking in the wrong place. Go to Everlast or Longevity and ask there , everyone  will tell you they have the best welders that you can buy today.www.georgesplasmacuttershop.comPlasma Cutter and Welder Sales and Repairs--Ebay storeTec.Mo. Dealer Consumables for the PT and IPT torch's
Reply:Originally Posted by mechanic416Your asking in the wrong place. Go to Everlast or Longevity and ask there , everyone  will tell you they have the best welders that you can buy today.
Reply:I'm sure a Miller thunderbolt/Hobart stickmate will work well for you. Unless you are going to weld professionally I don't see any reason why you can't do just fine with a thunderbolt/ stickmate. If you use some common sense a 20 percent duty cycle will work fine for you.The thunderbolt/stickmate rate their welders at 20 percent at the highest setting. Unless you are welding 1 inch steel you will most likely not need to weld at the highest setting, your duty cycle will be a good bit higher than 20 percent.The Thunderbolt/Stickmate are great little welders for home workshops and they will run on a 50 amp circuit. If you get something more powerful you might have to put in a bigger circuit. Something to think about.
Reply:As Oldendum said, an Idealarc 250 or a Dialarc.  Bought my IA for $150.  Was too big a machine for me, but what an arc it had!TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Kellogg ,The areas north and south of you seem to have all kinds of nice welders at reasonable prices, if they aren't rust buckets.  Use Searchtempest to find stuff within driving distance."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Originally Posted by kctgbThe thunderbolt/stickmate rate their welders at 20 percent at the highest setting. Unless you are welding 1 inch steel you will most likely not need to weld at the highest setting, your duty cycle will be a good bit higher than 20 percent.
Reply:Originally Posted by kelloggI am a step above beginner as a welder and I need help on picking the best stick welder suited for me.   After reading several posts at this forum I worked up a wish list for the welder with these features:1. AC/DC2. Copper wound transformer3. High duty cycle4. Infinite amp control5. For occasional use.   I just retired and I always wanted to make & repair things in my work shop.6. To weld .25" steel plates with at least .125" electrodes7. Would like to spend $300 or lessAny suggestions on brand, year and model would be appreciated.
Reply:the lincoln ideal arc or that airco bumblebee are ten times the welder the stick mate is. both units listed on craigslist look to be in good shape. not much to go wrong with either of them no matter the age.
Reply:Everything is good EXCEPT  # 7 . Look for a used Miller AC/DC Thunderbolt What do you have for power ? Need 220 volt and 50 amp breaker.
Reply:You failed to mention what you have for power to run the welder.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:I appreciate the help I'm getting at this forum.   Your suggestions has given me a good idea on which welder I should be looking for.   Regarding the power for the welder I can bring in about 100 amp service to my work shop if I have to.
Reply:I'd go for the Idealarc or the AIRCO (which is a Dialarc 250).  Hopefully the latter has leads."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:the miller 200dx is a great stick welder. no power issues and you can tig alum.
Reply:Originally Posted by ed macthe miller 200dx is a great stick welder. no power issues and you can tig alum.
Reply:Me and J.W. are making money, deep in the heart of Kansas.  Actually, it is saving me money.  If I had any more floor space, something more expensive would end up there. Attached Images"USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Couple of you suggested I take a good look at the Lincoln Idealarc that's listed on Craigslist in Portland.   I contacted the seller and here's what I learned:1. The welder was built in 19612. It has AC/DC3. 50' of leads without cracks on the insulation4. Weighs about 350 Lbs.5. Current owner got the welder in a trade and he doesn't weld and he has no means to turn on the welder to see if it even works at all.6. Asking price $400Is this welder worth considering and what would be a fair price to offer?   If it needs repair, will it be fixable after all these years?
Reply:not a bad price, if you get it for 350 with leads excellent. no problem with parts. little to go wrong very basic, uncomplicated machine. good cleaning and lube and prob good for another 50 years. we will still be using stick then.
Reply:Originally Posted by dbl612not a bad price, if you get it for 350 with leads excellent. no problem with parts. little to go wrong very basic, uncomplicated machine. good cleaning and lube and prob good for another 50 years. we will still be using stick then.
Reply:If I were you I would like to run it for awhile on both AC and DC before I lay down $300 or $400 on a welder. I never buy any welder unless I can drive it first.Good luck !
Reply:Hey Kellog, I live over the river from that Idealarc.  If you're serious I'll check it out for you. I sold my Idealarc to a gentleman down in Arkansas.  Dambed dependable welder, great arc characteristics.  The only thing I've seen go wrong with them is the bushings in the output selector.  Easy fix with bushings available at Ace Hardware Ps. I sold mine for $350, and he paid $200 for shipping.  They're getting harder to find....dambed scrappers...Lincoln SA 200Esab Caddy 160Thermal Arc 201TSMiller Dialarc HFI don't like making plans for the day because then the word "premeditated" gets thrown around the courtroom....
Reply:Originally Posted by kelloggCouple of you suggested I take a good look at the Lincoln Idealarc that's listed on Craigslist in Portland.   I contacted the seller and here's what I learned:1. The welder was built in 19612. It has AC/DC3. 50' of leads without cracks on the insulation4. Weighs about 350 Lbs.5. Current owner got the welder in a trade and he doesn't weld and he has no means to turn on the welder to see if it even works at all.6. Asking price $400Is this welder worth considering and what would be a fair price to offer?   If it needs repair, will it be fixable after all these years?The Idealarc and dialarc machines are great welders but if you are limited on space( like in a home work shop ) they may not be the best welder. That's where the thunderbolt/stickmate  machines work out very well.I have an idealarc at my shop but at home I have a thunderbolt and it works out very well because I don't have much room in my home garage. To be honest, I probably can do 90 percent of my stick welding with a thunderbolt if I use a little common sense. Most of the time I am moving around, changing positions, or scraping the slag of the weld while the welder is cooling down.The Thunderbolt/stickmate work well for me and they are quite compact in size.