Are arc welders any good

[19674x4]

since you are a newbie to welding, a MIG welder would be your best bet. you can cover sheetmetal, pipe, tubing, channel, and big stuff with that. Using a ARC on sheetmetal is pretty tricky. you would be best to go with a 110 mig welder for starters until you get used to it, and if you take a course or two at your community college, then you can eventually graduate to ARC and a bigger MIG.

[averagef250]

Start with a stick welder.

Stick welding takes more to grasp than point and shoot mig, but you will actually gain an understanding of how welding works and have a far, far more capable machine than any MIG welder.

You can weld sheetmetal just as easy as MIG with a stick welder. You just need the right rod and a machine that will adjust delicately at the lower end.

A 200+ amp AC stick welder can be had for under $100. Buy the oldest one you can find regardless of how ugly it is. Older welders weld better. Period. The 50's and older buzz boxes with various stinger plug ins for different coil taps are about the best you can get for arc quality on a single phase machine. They were built when things were built right and stick was king in industry.

If you'd like to take welding seriously buy an AC/DC stick welder. DC is critical for more advanced welding and arc gouging uses. If I could have one welder it would be an old 250 amp AC/DC buzz box. You can do anything with one.

With stick you can lay a perfect bead upside down reaching 6" through a 1/2" wide opening through 1/8" of paint, rust and oil. Try that with MIG.

[heep70]

I agree with Dustin. A stick is the way to learn how to weld. Everything after that is easy money.

[itsmy72f100]

Ok so I will look for a 200 to 250 amp stick welder. It can't be harder to learn then caulking a good line right . Ive got lots of thing to practice with and when I find one I'll post it here and get your opinions. Thank you

[iamthewreckingcrew]

I can weld tons better than I can run a straight caulk line.

I learned in HS with a stick welder and torch even. I suppose it helped me better understand the basics of welding. Now I have a 110V wire welder and it has been great for everything I've used it for.

[1971fordcustom]

I have both of them!! Mig and Arc. 240 Arc and my 120 Mig My best friend is a welder and he welds on the big off shore oilrigs. But when he is home he does all kinds of small jobs. He woud say get a Mig then a Arc. In his welding school thats what they did. He has a 1960 welder on his welding truck. Then my boss is also a welder and he flys over seas to weld and he woud say the same thing. Then my friend tom is a welder! Lots of welders in this town LOL. Mig or just do what I did get both of them Lmao

[tfnaaf]

I would start with a mig over an arc any day of the week. Mig will cost lots more for comparable amp machine but the mig is IDEAL for a beginner . specially if you don't have someone that can help instruct you first hand. I started on ARC, and it has its place. but for the average DIYer Mig is where its at IMO. 90% of the time i use my Mig, then 9.99999% i use my Tig, and .00001% i use my arc.

[RedneckTexan]

I agree with Dustin. A stick is the way to learn how to weld. Everything after that is easy money.

Same here

[67mann]

This is my ARC welder

Although I agree with Dustin(older bigger AC/DC)on stick over mig--they both have there place.Alot depends on what you want to accomplish and what your set up with,to use---110 or 220power feed. If your panning on magor fabrication--you definatly need bigger. My 70amp has welded every one of my rolling bases(check my project thread) and I just finished
fixing front cab mount with it---It was pretty thin


Ths is 2 passes around


My stick plugs into regular outlet(dedicated 20amp)and I picked it up for under a 100--new,but also have a 125amp mig---which I use for sheet metal

[fordman]

i learned how to stick weld i never have really learned much about mig welding.. but a mig welder will be what you need for body work. a stick welder just wont really do the job for body welding.

[19674x4]

i started with arc, and spent almost two years on that perfecting ever position and electrode, before i even went to MIG, but for someone who just wants to do small stuff, and doesnt really need to do any heavy stuff, a Mig is best.

[itsmy72f100]

I really want for starters is to do my cab mounts and floor pans. I was thinking of welding up some of my smaller rust holes in the 72. I know that I'll probably move on to some special fabrication to modify the bus I bought today . Then I am planing on welding two truck beds togather and making a 16 ft trailer. we will see how it goes.



From your suggestions I am gathering that I need a stick welder and a mig what range of power do you think would work for all the stuff I want to do.

[IDBob]

If your going to do any body work then the mig is far easier to use and is designed for thin sheetmetal work. I've used both over many years and a Miller 175 amp mig welder is what's in my shop now. The old Arc unit has been long gone.

For a biginner the MIG units are much simpler to use. I recommend one that uses gas instead of flux cored wire.

Nothing wrong with an ARC unit, but their much harder to use on thin metal, at least for me.

[fordman]

well i spent 3 hours tonight with a mig wleder and a new bump trailer. man do those welds look like garbage. i got a few good puddles and some good penatration. but soem of the welds are so overly built up because i couldnt see what i was welding. and that stupid wire kept getting jammed up in the machine. i should have drug out the arc welder and been done in a hour or so with it. plus i burnt a hole in my new shirt right in the pocket. now my lighter wont stay in the pocket anymore.

[19674x4]

for body work, a MIG is the way to go. trying to run a arc bead on sheetmetal is PIA