Why do people ever use stick?

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When you can mig or Tig? I don't get it. When is it a superior choice? Enlighten me...Motorboating...in the Cleavage of the Tetons
Reply:Its better when its windy because it doesn't require shielding gas. Its fast and easy to set up and cheap to buy.Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power) Hobart MIG
Reply:If you in the middle of a field welding a gate, with a 30 mph crosswind, mig and tig wont work.
Reply:Originally Posted by rideitWhen you can mig or Tig? Enlighten me...
Reply:Haha...yeah, I guess I am a bench princess. Hadn't thought of that.Motorboating...in the Cleavage of the Tetons
Reply:Simple....Portability, simplicity and cost.Stick is still the king of the industrial and construction world and always will be.You can weld anywhere with stick in any conditions. That's just not the case with the other processes. Tig is slow and expensive. Mig has a slightly higher rate of metal deposition than stick but your limited to how long your mig gun is and unless your using flux core wire, you need shielding gas which adds to the cost of the job . There are no wire feed mechanisms to worry about with stick.No shielding gas required for stick. Your not limited to how long your mig gun is. Try welding outside on hanging pipe thats up 6 flights of scaffolding with any process other than stick.The cost to weld with stick is cheap, for the most part.Last edited by snoeproe; 04-06-2013 at 11:02 AM.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:Much more reliable than any other process, much harder to get a cold weld like mig. Harder to get porosity than mig or tig. Lighter, when you need to climb up 30' to do a couple of welds. Cheaper to buy the equipment, can weld steel,ss,Aluminum, can be used for cutting/gouging.
Reply:Originally Posted by rideitWhen you can mig or Tig? I don't get it. When is it a superior choice? Enlighten me...
Reply:I have used stick in some tight spots that you can't get into with mig.Doing the best I can with what I got
Reply:When you have ever had to do field work that requires you to move around from one spot to another either to drag a stinger then a whole machine. Any one who has ever had to work in snowy, wet  or muddy conditions.Vantage 300 kubota ,miller 304 xmt ,lincoln ln 25 pro , ranger 305 G, plenty of other tools of the trade to make the sparks fly.
Reply:Try to repair rusty steel on farm equipment in position. Sometimes you got trouble sticking a rod in there not to mention a mig gun or tig torch.
Reply:I always grab my stick welder when I need to weld thick steel.   My welding teacher tells a story of a lifting lug on a piece of heavy equipment which was MIG welded, but broke off when loaded.  He said that no way would this have happened with 7018 stick welding.   Another limitation, as I understand it, is power.   200 amps in MIG is just not adequate to weld thick steel.   But 200 amps in Stick can weld as thick as you want, just multiple passes.So my answer is for thick steel, which for me, usually starts around 1/4 inch thick.RichardSculptures in copper and other metalshttp://www.fergusonsculpture.comSyncrowave 200 Millermatic 211Readywelder spoolgunHypertherm 600 plasma cutterThermal Arc GMS300 Victor OA torchHomemade Blacksmith propane forge
Reply:Good answers.Motorboating...in the Cleavage of the Tetons
Reply:All the above, plus:With a stick welder, you don't have to worry about your wire getting all rusty in an unheated shop due to condensation.Plus:Stick is more fun because it requires more skill than pumping a caulk gun!(Just kidding guys, calm down, I know it takes skill to weld with a wire feeder.)Last edited by Kelvin; 04-06-2013 at 12:37 PM.
Reply:I weld structural all the time and the only time I use stick is tacking. Any other time its .072 inner shield or .045 212 wire.Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
Reply:Originally Posted by KelvinAll the above, plus:With a stick welder, you don't have to worry about your wire getting all rusty in an unheated shop due to condensation.Plus:Stick is more fun because it requires more skill than pumping a caulk gun!(Just kidding guys, calm down, I know it takes skill to weld with a wire feeder.)
Reply:stick is quick .   not everything has to look nice as tig .  a 3/16" electrode  @275A will penetrate and deposit fast and deep . try that with .035 wire in 1/2" plate outside . i grab the stinger when i want quick and dirty . i don't have to turn on the argon or purge my lines ,or worry about the condition of my tungsten or change a 30# wire spool + 4 drive rollers .by turning a knob and switch i can use 1/16" rod and larger , or electrode negative when i want to.if it weren't for the slag and spatter , i'd use stick almost exclusively .Miller S60 feederCobramatic push/pull feederMiller CP-252tsLincoln Tig250/Tig250Lincoln weldpak 100 -italianC-H 90A- italianHarris & Victor O\Afull manual & CNC machine shop
Reply:Hi,   Mig is fast an easy for production work using new materials  But for farm repair & maintenance with rust,  grease & paint Everything from 1/8 to 1'' thick  a mig would be hopeless  Also except for Wire Feeders Migs are too delicate & fragile to be used for too much  outdoor portable work & here in Canada Gas is very expensive,  I have a small 180 mig I think of it as more complex  More wearing parts to give trouble,  Josey,
Reply:I'll just cut to the chase. Because only the mega bad a$$ welders use stick, going all the back to the what? late 30's? Cool guys=StickExhaust shop monkeys=migshop queens with 600 dollar hoods made of unobtainium= Gtaw. only joking guys...well...mostly joking....well...
Reply:Originally Posted by snoeproeSimple....Portability, simplicity and cost.Stick is still the king of the industrial and construction world and always will be.You can weld anywhere with stick in any conditions. That's just not the case with the other processes. Tig is slow and expensive. Mig has a slightly higher rate of metal deposition than stick but your limited to how long your mig gun is and unless your using flux core wire, you need shielding gas which adds to the cost of the job . There are no wire feed mechanisms to worry about with stick.No shielding gas required for stick. Your not limited to how long your mig gun is. Try welding outside on hanging pipe thats up 6 flights of scaffolding with any process other than stick.The cost to weld with stick is cheap, for the most part.
Reply:Originally Posted by roadkillbobbId like to see you tig or mig underwater..LOL
Reply:One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the fact you can simply buy limited quantities of rod for specialized jobs. Most guys don't need a 33 lb spool of hardfacing wire to do just one bucket. Or maybe you get a special job that requires a high strength alloy, say 110K, but you only need to do 36" of weld to complete the job. For shops that do a lot of misc work, the ability to just buy small quantities of filler for that particular job might make stick the better choice, even if you do loose time doing the actual weld..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:Stick is like a good man because you get deeper penetration!
Reply:Stick beats TIG because you can weld with one hand and drink a beer with the other.  While the same is true with MIG, there's less danger of poking your eye out with stick. Them little wires are sharp."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:Saw the light today on the benefit of Stick while jam'n with Brian (Appalachian Iron Works LLC,Marshall, NC) and my son today @ IWDC.  Simplicity in principle, Art in execution. An energy source, two leads with stinger, and any rod that you desire.  No gas, no moving parts.  Robust process and weather independent.  Only a wand that delivers AwesomeNess fusion when wielded in the hands of an experienced operator (e.g. Brian).  Have ripped a bit of U/W welding in MK21, but executing SMAW terrestrially today was dakine!After today, will make it a priority to practice multi-positional stick welding in concert with TIG.  Believe all welders need stick as a fundamental backbone for the Art of Metal Fusion.Last edited by ManoKai; 04-06-2013 at 06:39 PM."Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-GyorgyiI welded some square tubing today with stick because it was hot dip galvanized and even if I grinded away what I could the tubing was still galvanized on the inside.I have an inverter mig that I just got and an inverter stick and the stick machine is a lot more portable as it's smaller and lighter. And that is without considering the gas bottle.On a single phase machine you can also weld a lot thicker material with stick compared to mig (at the same amperage).
Reply:We use stick because it works.  Stick process is easy to learn, the equipment is less expensive to buy.If you still think MIG & TIG are the best way to go, just hook up several car batteries and weld away the next time you are broke down in the woods.I offer three choices: Good, Fast, & Cheap. You may pick two.Hobart AC/DC StikMate LXHarbor Freight AD HoodHarbor Freight Industrial Chop SawDeVilbis 20 Gallon, 5 HP Compressor
Reply:Stick welding should be outlawed! Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Why stick?  Because me and J.W. Jarboe gonna make some money off it. 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:I'm a 34 yr old diehard I guess. Anymore, I consider stick welding a dying art that takes a lot more skill than just pulling the mig gun trigger and going with it. SMAW is my go to process. Just my .02
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749LMAO!"We gonna weld up up some tanks of anhydrous ammonia and make us some crystal meth......"That's how we gonna make us some money.
Reply:Originally Posted by nadogailWe use stick because it works.  Stick process is easy to learn, the equipment is less expensive to buy.If you still think MIG & TIG are the best way to go, just hook up several car batteries and weld away the next time you are broke down in the woods.
Reply:I think my sister can mig
Reply:we used 1/4 inch 7018 at 340 amps in the field for api 650 tank fabrication . deposition rates are comparable to 71 m lincoln dual shield without the hassel of draging a suitcase around . smaw will always be used in heavy construction in some form . used to burn 100 lbs of 1/4 inch 7018  in 10hour shift doing buildup work on rock crushers .
Reply:j.w. was a family man:J.W. Jarboe, 20, Iuka to Maude Miller, 20, Conway Springs, father of groom consenting, on Aug. 21,1912, by Lee T. Fischer, Probate Judge.Miller S60 feederCobramatic push/pull feederMiller CP-252tsLincoln Tig250/Tig250Lincoln weldpak 100 -italianC-H 90A- italianHarris & Victor O\Afull manual & CNC machine shop
Reply:You can't put a boiler maker bend in a Tig torch or a MIG torch.Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:Because Mig isn't hot enough, too bulky and cumbersome with its equipment.  Tig is too damn slow.  Both are too finicky and require gas and near windless environments.  Stick is simple, wind doesn't effect it, and will weld thru the thickest crude out there. Stick just plain works.  Stick is the "4X4" of the three welding processes.
Reply:If  all I cared about was producing finished product, I would MIG weld. But I want to learn to weld. I realize that MIG is its own skill set, and there are very skilled MIG weldors out there, but compared to TIG or stick, MIG is more like just pushing a button. At the end of a job, with MIG, I would have all these nice looking welds, but I wouldn't really feel like I did anything.Here's an analogy: you go start a fire with a DuraFlame log and a Zippo and I'm going to start the fire with one match, the Boy Scout way. At the end, which of us is going to know more about building a fire? That's why MIG is the least favorite of the welding processes for me. MIG has less to teach me about welding, per inch of bead.Stick welding is like building a log cabin using nothing but a scribe and a chainsaw. Simple, effective, robust, versatile tool, in the hands of a skilled operator, produces amazing results. TIG welding is like solving a Rubik's Cube while riding a unicycle on a tight-rope blindfolded. Say no more.
Reply:I only Tig.Poorly.Motorboating...in the Cleavage of the Tetons
Reply:They all have their place.  Love them all.  But stick is just simply wonderful.  Try it (not in your basement)  and you'll find out.  In the field it's simply unbeatable.  Just my 2 cents.
Reply:I am psyched to try out every mode with my TA 181, but currently all I am welding is 1-5mm stainless. I guess I do 'need'  a 2" receiver hitch widget of some kind...Motorboating...in the Cleavage of the Tetons
Reply:With a bit of experience, it makes the strongest weld.  Many pros here can make just as strong a weld with mig or tig, but I can't.  It's the only process I'd trust on something structural with thick steel, at least if I were welding it.I have all three types of welders, but I'll grab my little stick machine  90% of the times for repairs.And it's the most fun.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749"We gonna weld up up some tanks of anhydrous ammonia and make us some crystal meth......"
Reply:why stick weld? consider this welding 24'' high energy pipe with a 6'' thick wall by hand with tig, or short circuit mig. pulse mig ? good luck finding qualified operators that can pass the test, let alone mock ups. stick welding, most economical, user friendly, way of welding pipe in all environments there is,mig welding pipe? shop environment only and only with use of positioners or power rolls. tig welding pipe? once again shop environment, small bore weldouts, or cs roots and alloy weldouts  supiror quality finding dependable skill set's not always easy!
Reply:I have two machines, all in I have spent 475 plus 100 for a helmet.  I have been watching craigslist because I know my tool box still needs an AC capable tig machine to be complete. I have yet to see a used, beat to crap machine that is remotely close to what I paid for all my stuff put together.  So i can't afford  to learn to tig. Which is good cuz i haven't even learned to mig yet.  With my 4 amp settings machine I'm at a slight disadvantage I feel. My stick practice does feel more fun and rewarding than mig so far though.My given welding web rank "Solderer" Couldn't be more trueClarke Hotshot-Spoolgun flux/mig 135SG1986 Miller Dialarc 250 AC/DC
Reply:everybody pretty much hit the nail on the head...i enjoy stick welding.. once you really learn it (im not perfect by any means) its fun. at home, i generally mig stuff, because its small, or tig it (mostly only tig aluminum). but anything heavier i stick it.Miller ab/p 330Hobart champ 16Miller 140Lincoln Power Mig 255Lincoln SA-250
Reply:Originally Posted by yankeewelderwe used 1/4 inch 7018 at 340 amps in the field for api 650 tank fabrication . deposition rates are comparable to 71 m lincoln dual shield without the hassel of draging a suitcase around . smaw will always be used in heavy construction in some form . used to burn 100 lbs of 1/4 inch 7018  in 10hour shift doing buildup work on rock crushers .
Reply:+1 for the answer of "because it is fun". I am only a hobby weldor, and I have never TIG'ed. But I do own a MIG and I much prefer to work with the stick for many reasons, not the least of which it is easier for me to see what I am doing with the stick.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:In regards to stick welding: what are these rods for and why do they cost $700 for a 10lb box?http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/Arc-Welding-Rod-24D943
Reply:Because most things at Grainger are almost always list price and they are nickel.  You also must have an account with them to purchase.  You could probably find the same rod on the internet for less.  It's the convenience that Grainger provides and fast service.  If you purchase often you get a bigger discount.   Just my thoughts.  Best  Bob