New to welding

[4570Man]

My only encounter with an ac welder was terrible. DC is much better IMO.

 

[Big Barn]

My only encounter with an ac welder was terrible. DC is much better IMO.

We only had an AC welder on the farm and that's all I ever used for 45 years. You're right. DC is much nicer for SMAW.

Terry

 

[Shield Arc]

My only encounter with an ac welder was terrible. DC is much better IMO.

What are you talking about? AC works great for Tig welding aluminum!

 

[4570Man]

What are you talking about? AC works great for Tig welding aluminum!

I thought the discussion here was stick welding, and that's what I was referring to.

 

[Shield Arc]

I thought the discussion here was stick welding, and that's what I was referring to.

I know, I was just picking on you.

 

[Gordon Gould]

My only encounter with an ac welder was terrible. DC is much better IMO.

I am not trying to be wise or the like but if you only tried it once what would you expect. It has been proven over the ages that you can weld just fine with AC. To me it seems worth knowing how if you need to weld with higher currant because most affordable (which means something different to each of us) DC machines I have seen have limited currant capability or restrictive duty cycles.

gg

 

[Shield Arc]

SMAW with AC really helps if fighting arc blow. When we drove H-beams in the ground, arc blow was always a problem when welding another H-beam to it. All of our welders were engine drives, so we didn't have AC. If changing direction didn't help. We would heat the weld zone, and let it cool before welding. H-beams can have arc blow without being hit with a hammer 100 to 150 blow per foot.

 

[BMan2005]

Alright so after some recommendations from y'all I have done some more research & talked with Mark at Everlast a bit and decided to order the Everlast PA 200ST. I like the idea of being able to throw it & my inverter generator in the Polaris to be mobile for small repairs running 110v.

 

[Shield Arc]

BMan2005 my PowerArc 200ST runs about 15 to 20-AMPS hotter than any of my other welders. So don't put a lot of stock in charts you will see on the internet.
I suggest you get a note book, and write down the settings for different size, and types of rod, and in what position you run them.

 

[BMan2005]

BMan2005 my PowerArc 200ST runs about 15 to 20-AMPS hotter than any of my other welders. So don't put a lot of stock in charts you will see on the internet.
I suggest you get a note book, and write down the settings for different size, and types of rod, and in what position you run them.

As in you have to run it hotter or you run it less than suggested? Good idea on the notebook!