Inverter based stick welders????

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Anyone have any experience with inverter based stick welders?? I was curious if anyone had any comments about dig (inductance) adjustments??   The reason for the question, I started my first side job using my 'new' welder today (xmt 304) & I was really impressed with the difference that little dig knob made!!! On horizontal & overhead stuff, it really made a difference on how quick the puddle froze, & made my beads look better than usual. Even made me feel kinda bad, like it was the welder, & not me!!!   Now, ive always believed that a good bead was made by a "weldor" not a "welder",but this little box put out the best welds ive ever made with a 6010 rod.  So, is this a pretty much common opinion on these things (inverter boxes),or did I receive a 'supernatural boost' to my skills from the welding gods last night??(id like to believe the latter.... )Shane
Reply:Haven't tried one yet, but I hear the inverter units are great, especially for overhead.BTW, just got the latest HTP catalog and noted that they now have a light to light-medium duty 220V inverter model (MTS 160)  on sale for $1200.  It does Mig, Tig and Stick!   Peak outputs at 40% duty cycle are Mig: 150 amps, Tig: 160 amps, Stick: 135 amps. @ 60%.   Dual fan cooled. Lacking a big transformer, it only weighs 39 lbs!Looks like it could be just the ticket for a portable unit, except for the lack of AC hi-freq for aluminum on the TIG side, if the reliability is good.  Circuit longevity could be a concern.   HTP has been around nearly 25 years.  Anybody out there got any experience with this one or their other machines?  Or reliability of inverter units in general?
Reply:[QUOTE]Originally posted by OlPilot [B]Haven't tried one yet, but I hear the inverter units are great, especially for overhead.Something else i noticed while i was welding...I don't remember getting a single rod stuck.  For 6010 that's pretty good for me!hey OP, off topic a little, are they still makin homemade wine down your way?? My "favorite uncle" broke me in on a jar of Germantown wine back when I was 16. I never looked at macaroni & cheese the same way again........... Shane
Reply:Surf, I've got a 200dx and I've tried it maybe 3 times stick welding. I've also got an Idlearc 250 that I'm more use to, so I generaly use that . I did play with the dig function a little, but I was just trying it out. Seemed to work great on some 1/8" angle. DavidDavid
Reply:Shane, that winery was Cordova Cellars, not exactly in G'town, but close.  It's still going strong.
Reply:Shane,I have been using a XMT304 in a GMAW class.  I set it up last week to do some stick welding and was amazed at the difference between it and my bobcat.  My beads with a 6010 looked almost as good as a 7018.  I used some 1/8 6013 also and at 95 amps I could make the flux curl.I'm waiting for Miller to come out with an all-in-one synergic machine in an inverter (similar to the red PM300 which is chopper).  Rumor has it that its on the way, with features similar to the Axcess.
Reply:[QUOTE]Originally posted by JMB [B]Shane,I have been using a XMT304 in a GMAW class.  I set it up last week to do some stick welding and was amazed at the difference between it and my bobcat.  My beads with a 6010 looked almost as good as a 7018.  I used some 1/8 6013 also and at 95 amps I could make the flux curl.The funny thing is that I bought this XMT and a feeder at the same time  to use as a MIG setup only. Never occurred to me the stick arc would be that much better. Hell, this thing might just make me into a genuine 'Pipe Fighter'.........Naaaaaaaa Shane