Stick Welder or Wire Feed ???

[wacm]

stick welding is not brain surgery. my bro bought a miller legend and i spent one day with him and he can weld anything around farm. dont be intimidated by a stick welder. its more versatile and you'll be glad you got it down the road, when that old wire gun is all boogered up. good luck.

[sqiggy]

Alot depends on where you will use it. The wire welder will most likely be stationary in your garage, shop, or barn. Same with the small stick welders that you plug in. But a small gas welder up to the Lincoln 200 will take you any where you want to go. Wire-pro's - Great for thin stuff. Con- Wouldn't depend on it for anything heavy duty, unless you know you have the right type for it. Rust. If the spool gets a little damp, it will rust. You will then have trouble with the wire feed as well as with the welding.
Stick- Pro's- As long you keep the rods out of the rain, you can still weld with them even if they are damp with moisture. Great for using on rusty, dirty, oily metals.
Con- Not good on thin stuff UNLESS you have a gas machine and can fine tune your heat low enough to make the weld. Those cracker boxes are the worst to try to stick weld with.

[skooter]

I've got a Lincoln 135 that I tinker around with. So far, everything has been fluxcore. I haven't graduated to the gas set-up yet, but I do have most of the hardware required. I started out with my dad's old "crackerbox" stick welder. It worked, but not nearly as easy/fun as the wire feed for making stands, welding barrels, and other light duty stuff. I don't do it enough to justify all the nice stuff, but I do like to play around.

mjb

[One_Shot]

When I learned in school we first used a stick welder then moved up to the mig welder. At first I would have said stick, but after welding with a mig I have to say Mig is the way to go. A mig with a gas set up is real easy and looks really good and is just as strong. Our school bought a TIG welder this year, but haven't got a chance to use it yet. Sounds really hard to.

[TimHicks]

If you do get a wire welder...make sure to get a bottle of gas and forget the fluxcore wire,,so much cleaner and so much stronger

[BrandonA]

I have a Lincoln Generator/Welder and a Hobart Handler 140. I like them both and use them both. I was always told to learn to weld with a stick. Its all about controlling the bead.

[Mike Murphey]

I use both and for light stuff like you're talking abut get a wire feed, if you are using it as a hobby and not your main job of employment go with flux core wire. Stick is hard for a novice to control the heat and bead. You can end up burning a hole in a drum or not making a good weld and having the weld break free and fall from a deer stand....Remember the guys/gals that make a living making hard core stuff make the right welds and there is more than a good looking weld to hold things together properly, (like you in a tree, or a leg to a feeder drum)....

[bowhuntertex]

I have both types of welders and for what you are doing I would go with a wire welder. Like Mike said above stick welders are harder to weld with

[glen]

What you need to get is a wire welder and a plazma cutter so I can come over and play with them.

[bowtechman]

i use a lincoln SP 135 with gas hook up for small applications like feeders, tree stands, etc for my students in my ag shop, that thing is really handy and does a heck of a job, knowing my students learn slow that is the way to go with some one who is relatively inexperienced.

[big_smith]

I have both a stick and a wire, but I learned on a stick in high school ag. I weld much better with a wire welder. I have a Hobart 180 and a Hobart 210 wire, as well as a Miller stick. My advice is buy the best you can afford. Miller, Hobart, Lincoln are all quality machines. Plus it is easier to buy the consumables for the name brand machines.

[hntndawg]

I have both and for what you talking about, wire would be fine. If I could only have ONE welder I would have a stick. Seems to be a better all around welder IMO.

[Huntindad]

Hmmm, looks like I might should go with the wire feed type.

You guys speak of 110 & 220. I'm guessing that the 220 ones will allow you to cook thicker metal?

[TimHicks]

Hmmm, looks like I might should go with the wire feed type.

You guys speak of 110 & 220. I'm guessing that the 220 ones will allow you to cook thicker metal?

it will do things,,save electricity and weld thicker metals