MIG vs. Stick

[alabamaboozer]

Recently i have been looking into getting a welder for the garage. I have never done any welding so my first idea was to get a small Mig welder. I looked around and from what i saw i liked the Hobart Handler 125. The only thing i didn t like was that it can only weld 3/16 steel in a single pass. So then i started to look at stick welders. And from what i saw i liked the old lincoln electric 225 "buzz box". So my question is if i am going to spend the time to learning to weld do you think i should just get the mig cause it will be easier or get a stick welder for the power? I know this seems like a simple question but i figured i would ask you guys with more experience. And thanks in advance

[doctor_cad]

What do you plan to weld?

If you're looking to do body work or other thin gauge material go with a mig. Get one set up for gas.

If you want to be able to weld heavier material and dont want to spend a bundle, get a buzz box.

[CanyonSamurai]

Get a 220v mig and you can do both small guage all the way up to 1/2 in a single pass. I have a lincoln 165amp and it welds great.

[TheRipper]

Get the cracker box first and learn how to weld correctly.Alot of people say they can weld with a mig but really can not.

[BUZZISCRAZY2]

No, this is a Buzz Box :D









Mig

[frankenfab]

No, this is a Buzz Box :D

:flipoff:

How about a 35% warning, and this shit doesn't belong in tech anyhow.


.

[Bondage]

Smarten up DAN! My kids were in the room. 15 yos!

[alabamaboozer]

Well as far as what i would be welding. Just regular junk shockmounts, brackets, bumpers, etc. but i had also planned on bobbin my 82. I figured it would be pretty difficult to stick weld sheet metal but i have seen people do it.

[Supergper]

deffinitely get a buzz box if that fits your budget...dont waste your money on a 110V mig unless you already have a larger mig (which you dont obviously)...also I always will say, you should learn to arc and oxy/acet weld before doing anything else...that way most the other stuff (mig, tig, etc) comes real easy...most the principles from arc and oxy/acet apply to most other forms of welding...

[Magoo]

No, this is a Buzz Box :D


Thanks DAN! My wife was getting dressed right behind me and gave me "The Glare!" My face turned red and it wasn't even my fault! :mad3:

DAN! DAN! DAN! 35% WARNING! :mad3:

[kyle_22r]

learn stick first, you'll thank yourself...as well as not being one of those talentless mig-only guys :flipoff2:

[alabamaboozer]

So so far most have said to get the stick welder?Thats the opposite of what i woulda thought yall woulda said. Huh. I guess yall ain t the talentless mig-only guys i thought you were. :flipoff2: Just kiddin thanks fir all the help so far

[CanyonSamurai]

I ll but my mig welds up against any of your stick weld in a practical application. Not talking out in the feild. But weling on cages, mounts, tabs that kind of things.

[kyle_22r]

never said mig didn't have a place in fabrication, but if there's anything i'm going to rely on to be stout, i'm going to stick weld it

[CanyonSamurai]

Ill but my life on the welds of my mig. You can only burns so far through metal. Everyone has there preferances. Just a matter of opinion.

[crawin willys]

I would go with a mig welder if you never have welded before. If you want to weld better look into going to your local community college and taking a class. For less than $100 you can learn mig, stick, gas. They offer alot of night classes too. It payed off for me. :D

[RocDoc]

A MIG with Stargon gas is pretty sweet. Having said that....

It also depends on how much welding you are going to do. If you will only occasionaly use it get a stick welder. They are cheap and will do most welding.
As others have said, a good education on how to weld will pay for itself. You DO NOT want crappy welds on some important part of your rig to fail out on the trail or worse highway. There are books you can pick up at welding supply places but a class, or someone who does it for a living is your best resource for steep curve learning.
A good option may be to purchace a mobile welder and put it in the rig. Now you've got a stick welder that travels. I think they are more $$ than a basic Buzz box but not nearly what I paid for my lincoln Mig welder.
Guys that weld alot or for a living are gonna pick the Mig, "weekend welders"
probably do ok with stick.
thats my 2 cents
RocDoc

[AthlonAJ]

If money is an issue, there's no comparison of the two. For what a AC225 will do for $230, you'd have to spend 3-4X that to get even close with a mig. Welding different materials, change the rods you are using and that's basically it (no aluminum of course). You can do sheetmetal, it's a little tricky but it will only help you become a better welder. Another advantage is if you get a bolt that won't come off you crank up the machine and blow the sucker off like a crude plasma-fun stuff. A lot of guys I know bag on the stick machines, only shows how little they know about welding in the real world. I learned on a stick and that's all I used for years, no problem making good solid welds that looked every bit as purty as the migs. When I switched to a mig, the learning curve was minimal and much easier.

But hey if money isn't a big issue, get a 175amp or greater mig and you'll be more than happy with it.

[alabamaboozer]

Yeah i aint to much dough to be blowin on a welder. And it seems as if nobody would recommend a 125 amp mig so i think i might go with the buzz box. Makes since, it is cheaper and more powerful.Thanks again everybody

[masonmachines]

It sounds like you have your mind made up and thats fine. I like my 200 amp Lincoln MIG a lot. I have never welded with anything else but for the tube steel work I do it does a great job.

[SR5Dave]

No, this is a Buzz Box :D


Hey ya fucking idiot, put a 35% warning on that, some of us are at work DIPSHIT!!
:mad3:

[alabamaboozer]

Well i think i got my mind made up but i'm not completely sure. I still think i might buy a mig later. Gettin the stick is more of a money issue than anything. If i a buzz box what type of rod would yall recommend I use? 7018,6011,or what?

[morpheus]

what do you plan on welding ?

[alabamaboozer]

Shock mounts, axle brackets, bumpers, sliders, etc.

[morpheus]

I have both a mig and stick welder but 98% of the time I use my mig ... if it were me I'd keep saving and buy a mig.

[Crawlin_TJ]

I had the same goal as you, Alabama, bumpers, axle welding etc... Mostly Jeep welding 101 type stuff.

My father in law convinced me to go with a stick welder, and I couldn't be happier.

It's not that hard to learn to make two peices of metal stick together... it's hard to make it look nice.

Just my .02

[jerseyzuks]

It's not that hard to learn to make two peices of metal stick together... it's hard to make it look nice.

I disagree. I have seen many "pretty" welds busted with a BFH. Anybody can make a nice looking weld with a MIG, but it takes practice to get good penetration for a strong weld.

[Crawlin_TJ]

I disagree. I have seen many "pretty" welds busted with a BFH. Anybody can make a nice looking weld with a MIG, but it takes practice to get good penetration for a strong weld.

Fair enough... I'll concede that point.

I'll rephrase: Good welds that look pretty and have proper penetration are difficult. :D

[BlackSkies7]

It will be the easy route for you to learn the basics with a 6013 rod. Then when you feel confident about your welds try out the 6011's. I just finished building a badass tow hitch for a touring bus, i did 6011 roots with a 7018 finishing pass. Youl find that the 70 series rods run differently then the 60's, best bet is to download some reputable information on rods vs. material and positions, techniques etc.. from a website or buy a book.

And i absolutely agree with the above, best bang for the buck is an ARC welder, that said I really would love to have a MIG beside it!

[alabamaboozer]

Thanks for all the help guys. I think i'm finally gonna have time to go run to the welding shop and buy a stick welder. Thanks again

[wheelred12]

7018s are probably the easiest and almost do the work for you. They protect the weld well but just make sure you are getting good penetration.

[shankles43]

anyone ever used a 6022 rod? I got some for next to nothing and they work awesome. easy to use and deep penetration. buzz box is your best bet for learning. then you know wtf your doing w/ 2 batteries & jumper cables on the trail, and mig is much easier too.

[cybergeek23851]

I prefer 7018 myself. Keep it dry and it will weld beautifully and will penetrate rather nicely as well, providing the user knows how to weld proficiently.