Should I keep or convert my old AC stick welder?

[Will S]

Just home workshop, so I don't do all that much welding. I have a Miller 180 MIG welder, and a really old Craftsman AC stick welder that I bought new in 1980. I haven't used it much lately, although I did some welding with it a few months ago. Problem is, it is an AC only machine. For welding outside, it may be the better that the MIG, but a DC welder would be even better.

For the little I do, should I jusr roll it outside, and maybe find some rods that are more AC friendly, or should I CL it and buy a DC machine, or convert it to DC. I am an experience electrical and electronic tech, so the tech part is no problem, but finding cheaps high amperage diodes might be.

What do you say?

 

[Shield Arc]

You could always use gas less flux core wire in your Mig machine. For what little you weld why mess with converting your AC only machine? Maybe pickup some Hobart 335A 6011. I find it to be childs play to run. I'm fairly new to the welding game myself, but here is what I can do with Hobart's 6011.

 

[R W]

Leave it in the shed, you will use it now and again, remember there has been a lot of welding done with ac machines over the years.

 

[Will S]

OK. That makes sense. I'll keep the old box around, for backup. I had been using some old old "Craftsman" rods that I found in a bench drawer, stick welding some brackets for a blower pulley for my kubota. Got the job done, but I wasn't happy with how much effort it took to get a nice puddle going. Could have been the rods. Or me.

I'll get some 6011's, and try a few to just see how it goes. I do have a 10lb spool of .035 flux core for the MIG, so I guess I can always use that if it's too windy to use the shield gas.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I find Lincoln 7018AC a moderately easy rod to weld with. They are a bit sticky but if you weld with them regular and keep in a bit of practice they work quite well.

 

[lostcause]

getting dc stick would be fine, but i wouldn't get rid of the ac stick until you had its replacement in hand. if you need to weld up some old piece of nasty rusty farm equipment that old ac welder and some 6011 will be far easier than trying to use a wire feed with or without gas. besides, unless your area is really hungry for old welders, there's minimal value on those old craftsman welders. i have what is likely the same machine under the bench as a spare, and i there has been one floating around on craigslist here for $50. it's probably worth nearly that much in scrap and nobody is buying it.

 

[rankrank1]

Keep it and use it as is. You own it and it is paid for. Realistically it is not worth all that much anyway $150 max if you got real lucky, but $100 is more likely. Your Best bet is to simply use AC friendly rods. That machine will burn 6011, 6013, and 7014 will likely run like a dream as 7014 truly loves AC. 7018AC may or may not burn well.

DC is nice, but it is not the huge difference maker everybody makes it out to be (for backyard hacks anyway). In essence DC is about 15% to 17% more efficient than AC. I much prefer DC on less than 50 amps settings as it is more stable on really low settings, but on higher amp settings the difference is less noticeable. I can usually make AC do what I want just as well as DC. Sometimes even prefer AC if metal is magnetized like old farm machinery often is. Now I may have to set the amps 10 to 15 amps higher on AC as compared to DC to do the same work but big deal (85 amps DC will be similar to 100 amps AC).

You will likely use that wire feeder you already have instead of trying to use the sub 50 amp setting on the stick machine. You already have quite a few processes covered with the machines that you already have.

 

[Arc weld]

If you get the flux-core make sure to get the T-11 wire as it can be used for single or multi-pass welds. The T-GS wire is only for single pass. Also make sure to change to straight polarity.

 

[stuckmotor]

I much prefer DC on less than 50 amps settings as it is more stable on really low settings, but on higher amp settings the difference is less noticeable.

Rankrank1,
I interpret your lower than 50 amps statement above, to mean that you prefer to weld thinner material with DC.
I just watched this old GE presentation on AC welding, which makes AC sound like the best thing since sliced bread.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CW7I-ymfINU
The film goes into great detail about how AC counteracts the effects of arc blow. Isn't arc blow what causes me to burn through thin material? Would I be able to weld thinner material with a DC stick welder than my AC machine? I've had burn through problems with both a crank adjustment AC machine made by Miller and a dial set Lincoln tombstone.
Thanks,
Stuck

 

[Reverser]

Keep it and use it as is. You own it and it is paid for. Realistically it is not worth all that much anyway $150 max if you got real lucky, but $100 is more likely. Your Best bet is to simply use AC friendly rods. That machine will burn 6011, 6013, and 7014 will likely run like a dream as 7014 truly loves AC. 7018AC may or may not burn well.

DC is nice, but it is not the huge difference maker everybody makes it out to be (for backyard hacks anyway). In essence DC is about 15% to 17% more efficient than AC. I much prefer DC on less than 50 amps settings as it is more stable on really low settings, but on higher amp settings the difference is less noticeable. I can usually make AC do what I want just as well as DC. Sometimes even prefer AC if metal is magnetized like old farm machinery often is. Now I may have to set the amps 10 to 15 amps higher on AC as compared to DC to do the same work but big deal (85 amps DC will be similar to 100 amps AC).

You will likely use that wire feeder you already have instead of trying to use the sub 50 amp setting on the stick machine. You already have quite a few processes covered with the machines that you already have.

+1
My experience with AC/DC has been pretty much the same as yours.