A Lincoln AC-225 stick welder.
HD has it for $289.
I'm not a welder. I've played around just little bit with a light duty 110v wire welder.
I'm looking to try a stick for the versatility and the extra capacity in steel thickness for a cheaper price than a comparable mig.
How long does it take to learn to put down a decent weld? I say 'decent', which to me means structurally sound, but not visually perfect.
I have read the recommendations for getting an AC/DC unit, but I'm not willing to lay out the cash... the same unit in AC/DC is $546.
thanks,
Ian
The Lincoln AC225 welder is good backyard shop type of welder. That said, I would not buy a brand new one. You can shop Craigslist and pick one up in good shape for $75-$150 or so. The AC225 is a tank and darn near indestructable so if it works when you buy it your grandkids will likely still be using the same welder.
If you are the type that simply has to have brand new then look at the Hobart Stickmate AC/DC which is about $100 bucks cheaper than the AC/DC Lincoln and actually has some good features of its own. DC is nice (so I hear - I have an old AC225 myself) but is not mandatory for a backyard shop. AC works just fine and there is less to go wrong with an AC unit - 6011, 6013, 7014 rods all work well (7018AC rods work too, but I do not use due to the rod storage issues that 7018 requires).
FWIW: I think any backyard primitive farmshop should have an AC225 (or Hobart equivalent) type welder as it can serve as more than a welder alone. Add twin carbon arc torch to the welder and you have a nearly free source of intense heat that can be used to heat metal for bending, brazing, silver soldering, flame fill welding, and it can even be used flameless style to heat frozen nuts which is great for sensitive areas where a flame could damage paint. The Twin carbon arc torch can be made for almost free or you can buy a used factory one for cheap and the carbon rods are cheap and last a long time. You will be hard pressed to find a cheaper source of heat that can burn up to 1000 degrees hotter than oxy/acet can - no expensive tanks or gas to buy - all you need is the AC welder. AC power actually works best for Twin Carbon arc as the two rods consume evenly. Twin Carbon arc will NOTcut metal but your welder still can be used to cut metal or to pierce holes by simply inserting 6011 into the stinger and cranking up the amps. Granted the cuts will not be plasma quaility, but can be cleaned up easily enough. You will be hard pressed to find a cheaper method of cutting metal and remeber we are talking backyard shop here.
If you pick up a used AC welder for say $100, you will never lose any money on it as it has depreciated as low as it ever going to. If you decide later that you do want DC capability to your arsenal then you can always pick up one of the Everlast Inverters like Mark mentioned. AT 200 amps output it will have much more capability than the Lincoln or Hobart will on DC power. (A used Lincoln AC 225 and a brand new Everlast Inverter would still cost less than purchasing a brand new Lincoln,Hobart, or Miller AC/DC unit - and you would have more DC amps available with the Everlast). I like the small size and lightweight capability that the Everlast inverter technology provides, but will the more senstive computer chips and circuit boards still be working 40 years from now like the Lincoln transformer unit will be - especially if your storage shop is an old damp barn with dirt floor like mine which is less than ideal for sensitive electronics, but does not hurt the old transformer one bit.
In short, You can do a lot with a $75 to $150 used Lincoln AC225 as a starter unit - You can weld with it, heat metal with it, and even cut metal with it so it is very versatile. Personally, I have a Lincoln AC225 and a seperate Lincoln SP-135 mig that I use on thin metal. If I ever decide that I need DC capability then I will pick up something like the Everlast. Regardless, If I could have only one welder it would be the AC225 as I can do more with it and do it cheaper too. Really it is worth the $60 that I paid for it used even if I only use it for the Twin Carbon arc torch power unit.
