mig/stick welders

[dmay]

I see some mig welders (like the Everlast Power I-MIG 200/205 or the Northern Industrial MIG/Stick 200 Welder) are also stick welders. If the mig can do wire feed flux-core arc welding, where/why would you prefer to use stick?

 

[Brad_Blazer]

1) It's cheaper and easier to switch among a variety of filler materials.

2) There's just something about stick welding. It puts hair on your chest.

 

[Shield Arc]

There's just something about stick welding. It puts hair on your chest.

Is that how it happened?:confused2:

My wife says when she met me I didn't have any hair on my chest, now I have gray hair on my chest.:laughing:

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Ever get a windy day? Or run out of shielding gas on the weekend? Stick is a valid process and handy in a pinch, and excellent work can be done with it. When crossing over to flux core, it just isn't as smooth, and well it takes a lot of wire to do what one stick welding rod will do. Flux core transfer efficiency is not the greatest as well. Price is another reason. Flux core isn't cheap. Welding rods are affordable, and can be bought in many sizes, and are kept easily for the most part. MIG will take care of most duties, but there are times when nothing but stick will work.

 

[Perplexed]

What, then, is the advantage of flux core welding?

 

[JimRB]

Less skill to squeeze a trigger versus starting an arc with a stick. Just a guess as I can squeeze a trigger easier than I could start a stick. But with the proper stick it is not that hard.

 

[yomax4]

Small Diam. Flux Core has no place in my oppinion. I would choose Stick every time over .030 or .035 flux core. ( My Oppinion ) But when you get into 5/64 and 3/32 Flux Core you have a different animal. In a few hours you can put down a lot more weld than you could all day with stick. But..With the Evoulution of Welding starting to happen right now, The Pulse and Twin Pulse processes are quickly starting to erode the use of Cored Wire of any type. Recent grads from Ohio and Ferris State are optomistic that hard wire will reign supreme once again and there is less and less being taught on it. This is of course regarding indoor or factory type welding not lawn mower repair.

 

[rjmack]

What, then, is the advantage of flux core welding?

production.

 

[rankrank1]

I see some mig welders (like the Everlast Power I-MIG 200/205 or the Northern Industrial MIG/Stick 200 Welder) are also stick welders. If the mig can do wire feed flux-core arc welding, where/why would you prefer to use stick?

Stick: Works much better on rusty dirty metal that can not be cleaned. Also, a low cost stick welder will weld much thicker metal than a low cost mig welder can. Also cheap and easy to change filler metals with stick and stick works well outside.

Mig with gas is really only suitable for indoor welding since shielding gas gets blown away outdoors. Mig with gas (or tig) is the ultimate for thinner metals though and preferred for autobodywork

Flux core wire feed works okay outside and can have slightly more penetration as compared to Mig with gas. More penetration can be an advantage on thicker metals as well as a disadvantage on thinner metals. Flux core not recommended for auto/body repairs as flux will make many paint finishes bubble even with meticuluous cleaning. Flux core is good for production work.

Every process has a place, just depends what you factors that you consider important.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

I think Yomax hit it on the head. Small diameter wire is of limited value. The following posts about production dove tail nicely with that comment. To get the best value out of flux core, then you will need to go large. Size of the wire does matter.