Trouble maintaining arc

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So I bought an old sears/craftsman stick welder, and I'm having trouble maintaining an arc. I cut back the grounding lead to get a cleaner connection, but when I did so the copper had black crap all over it, I assume from the lead overheating. I cleaned off the exposed part and reconnected the  clamp and things improved some but not much. Do I need to replace it, or could it be another problem, like the fact that I am using cheap electrodes from Harbor Freight. I've already put more money into fixing this thing than I'd like, and I'm considering just buying a Harbor Freight wire feeder instead of spending more money on this.Any help would be very much appreciated, thank you.
Reply:go get some Non HF rods and try againwhat rod are you trying to run on i assume a ac only machine ?Miller Xmt 350Lincoln Ln-25Ahp 200xSmith Gas Mixer AR/HTig is my Kung FuThrowing down dimes and weaving aboutInstagram http://instagram.com/[email protected]
Reply:Most of those old 230v Craftsman stick machines are relatively bullet proof. If it welds at all, the mechanics are probably fine. I've seen them weld with the  ground clamp just about to fall off because the cables were shot.. The 110v units are a bit more problematical, but most issues are do not to an issue with the machine, but the fact that on 110v power, you simply don't have enough juice to run anything but the tinyist rods. You don't say what you have so we can only guess.My guess would go towards the chap HF rods. Go get yourself some 7014 or 6013 rods from Depot/Lowes. Size would depend on how many amps your machine can put out. For a 230v powered unit, either 3/32" or 1/8" rods are fine. The machine will have more than enough amps to run either. If you have a old 110v unit, you will be very limited in output and somewhat in rod selection. Go with either 6013 or 7014 in 1/16" or 6011 in 1/16" ( some people have more issues running 6011 rods, but they will run at lower amps than other rods the same size.)Also you might need to push up you output amperage. Many of these machines the scale on the machine is approximate. If you are trying to run near the bottom of the suggested amp range for a certain rod/size combo, you may have issues. Crank up the amps and see if that helps some..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:There is no lows or home depot within 4 hours of where I live, I'm gonna try some Forney rod from Ace, and get back to you. I'm currently running 7018s, it is a 230 volt machine, and I assume AC only though it doesn't say that anywhere on it, but that would account for why the arc is so rough and loud. Running AC should mean better penetration if I'm not mistaken, does any one know the other pros and cons of running AC?
Reply:Originally Posted by HammerTimeThere is no lows or home depot within 4 hours of where I live, I'm gonna try some Forney rod from Ace, and get back to you. I'm currently running 7018s, it is a 230 volt machine, and I assume AC only though it doesn't say that anywhere on it, but that would account for why the arc is so rough and loud. Running AC should mean better penetration if I'm not mistaken, does any one know the other pros and cons of running AC?
Reply:Not all 7018 is rated for AC use, so it might simply be the rod. With an AC machine you want to get 7018 AC, or and AC/DC rated rod like 6013, 7014, 6011 etc.It's sort of hard to believe there are places in the US that are almost 200 miles from a Depot or Lowes, especially in a state like Cali. Then again the store might be just down the road, but with heavy traffic  you are still 4 hrs away. .No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I just give away a small welder that was an AC rig. It was always hard to get it to weld cold. Once it got warmed up it welded easy. Turn it up some till it gets warmed up.
Reply:I think this is one of those Alternator welders isn't it.They had brought one of those onto a job site once my Boss said its an Alternator welder I thought he was just putting it down he does that a lot so anyway it wouldn't work so I pulled the cover on it to look for a problem and guess what it looked like a Chrysler Alternator sitting in the box.  Never did get it working so I cant comment on how was for welding.
Reply:Yes to getting some rod other than 7018.
Reply:it might just be the way the rod is being stored. 7018 is very finicky.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Thanks for your help everyone, I got some 6013s, let the bastard warm up first, and it works just fine now.  And I take it back, there is probably a home depot in Redding and maybe one in Ukiah, both of which are more like 2 1/2 hours away, which is still more than I want to drive. But I'll remind you that Cali is the Third largest state in the union and full of big *** mountains and ****.