General tool discussion/questions thread
How poor of an idea would it be to buy a cheap stick welder for very light work such as touch ups and welding nuts on to stripped bolts? I know most people say cheap units are crap but others say they're fine for light work so long as the technique is sorted.
Stick welders are useless. Get a cheap mig or don't bother
By useless do you mean actually useless or that you are useless at using them?
Useless because they're inaccurate for OP's described work, have a very steep learning curve and for the price of one, you might as well spend a little more for a mig/tig from Kemppi. Tig is pretty good for stuff that doesn't need to be hugely strong, best for sheet metal and repairs in places where you can see the weld, but mig is an all-around capable welding method.
Source: degree in metalworks, machine fitter.
They're literally useless unless you need to weld something underwater or there's a tiny gap the mig handset won't fit into.
I can't imagine why anyone would want one for a car garage. A mig otoh is actually useful.
No he's a fucking retard, just ignore him. A mig is better for your application tho. Stick welders are more for industrial shit where you're working with a lot of dirty materials and outside where the wind would make a mig useless
>wind would make a mig useless
What is flux core?
Stick is good for fuck all. Not even the repair section at work which handles 90% dirty shit uses them.
Again you're a fucking moron. Flux core wire is pretty much garbage for making a weld that will actually hold.
OP here
The reason I was thinking about a cheap stick was because they're almost half the price of the cheapest MIG. I do intend on forking out for a good welder in the next year for real work but wanted something small and cheap in the meantime.
Is a stick completely impractical for the work I said or just awkward and unwieldy but workable?
Yeah that's why its used on certified safety railing. Go be an idiot somewhere else, the grownups are talking.
It's impractical for what you're wanting to use it for. It excels with plate metal more than tiny precise elements
Sticks are actually more expensive to use so there's that to consider. They are also harder to use so there's a bit of a learning curve. The biggest thing is working with thin materials can be a real bitch, really easy to just melt everything you're trying to weld
There you go saying more moronic bull shit.
Fair enough
I'm aware stick can be a bit hamfisted just wasn't sure to what extent. Spose I'll keep looking then
Cheers
I'd suggest checking Craigs list or some shit for a decent used one
Thoughts on pic related? Know it's going to be horrible but as again, just for light work.
Had a look on ebay and gumtree but there was only 30 year old sticks.
>Thoughts on pic related?
Do you actually have anything you want to weld before you buy the good welder in a years time or are you just drunk and impulse buying?
Both
Have had a few stripped bolts recently which would've been much easier to just weld a nut on instead of fucking around, also restoring a metal outdoor chair which I would've preferred to add a couple slats on but couldn't. Also just handy to have around.
For stripped bolts you're better off just using the sockets made for that. They are only like $20 for a set and work really well
Just save up $500 for a Hobart
Anybody that says stick is useless is a fucking idiot.
Stick is faster to use than MIG and has better penetration on thick steel.
It will also burn right trough sheet metal used on cars.
MIG is easier to learn though.
And yes you can weld a nut on a stripped bolt with a stick welder
>Had a look on ebay and gumtree but there was only 30 year old sticks.
So fucking what?
Nothing fucking changed in stick welders since the Dinosaurs invented the first one 4,000 years ago.
It will likely last more than a new welder anyway.
>Have had a few stripped bolts recently which would've been much easier to just weld a nut on
You can use a car battery or two and jumper cables for small shit like that.
If you're planning to get a "good" welder anyway just save up and get the good one.
Don't waste money on shit.
Also, stick welders aren't anything less than MIG. They're just different solutions. I have both.