Thread: Inverter stick welders - advice wanted

Originally Posted by crash

Any Gas MIG can run gasless - you just swap the polarity.

Not all mig welders have that option

Originally Posted by crash

Psimpson7 - I do not use my mig enough to justify the gas bottle.
Any Gas MIG can run gasless - you just swap the polarity.
I was paying around the same price as you for gas bottle, and it lasted for over 3 years. The BOC man figures that unless you are going through 3 tanks of gas a year- go gas less.

I've been tempted to go gas-less when I get the bottle rental invoice but have never tried it. I've seen some gas-less welds (admittedly by an amateur) and have been put off.
So for now, I stick with the bottle rental.

I also have a little BOC 130A stick inverter which cost about $330. I love it for the ease of use, the quality of the welds and the portability.

Inverter MIG welders are supposed to be the ducks nuts - am seriously thinking about one to replace my old mig which is starting to play up.

Ive got both inverter stick (CIG brand 170amp) and Inverter Mig (Kemppi miniarc Mig 180) and I wouldnt go back to a transformer welder for anything.

There is no comparison to how easy it is to get a perfect weld with an inverter to how difficult it is to learn to do it even with a high quality 3 phase or single phase transformer welder.

For the reliability argument, Ive gone through 3 transformer Migs in my time in the engineering field and all have been winding failures so how I see it, with a smaller transformer which runs cooler and solid state electronics which are sealed and dont need cooling I think I should be on a winner.

But only time will tell.

For light work the CIG 170 has a Tig kit which I have used a little and works well on anything down to about 1.5mm and I have run it up to welding 10mm plates to a backhoe arm with the stick and although I needed to do it in 3 filets it penetrated very well and has held fine for more than a year now so Im happy.

I try and steer clear of gasless wire as Ive had my BOC rep and other welders tell me that the resin fumes can cause cancer but I dont know for sure as Ive never actually looked it up myself and I use the Mig enough to warrent haveing a gas cylinder.

Most of the inverter sticks are very good and would do most of the jobs you would throw at them reasonably well but the only time you will really see any difference between the pricy ones and the cheapies is normally in the duty cycle (max amps for constant running with no drop off in performance (is my understanding)) and down low in the amp range using the Tig attachment due to better quality electronics give a cleaner wave form meaning a smoother weld.

If you want to be fairly movile and be able to use it off inverters or generators then I would suggest one with a 10amp supply but if it is going to be only workshop based then get a 15amp.

Im yet to see a 3 phase inverter but I havnt been looking so they may be out there I dont know.

Cheers happy welding

Summary attempt....

So it depends on price, really.

For $300-$400 one should be able to get a good inverter stick welder, good brand, reasonable quality.

For similar money and precious time one might find a second-hand gas mig which can be used gasless, which gives flexibility for the future.

For a lot more - $1000+ one can get a new gas mig which can be used gasless.

I think I'm still leaning towards an inverter stick machine, which seems to be a good compromise for home workshop use.

I brought my mig about 15 odd years ago, only a 180amp brumby cig.
It has been dragged around the country building cowsheds, built a heap of stuff at home, repaired lots of car panels/rust. Have used ali wire as well as stainless. Not the best on ali but have built 3 set of bowe rails for boats + other stuff. For the last few years I have run gasless wire (got sick of paying bottle rental). I have 2 stick welders that I use now only for running specialized rods like cast, 680 eutectic etc.
Go the 2nd hand 3 phase mig
cheers
blaze

The advantage of a DC TIG/pulse welder like the one in the Token tools link is that they are very compact and you can teke it in your vehicle. Also TIG allows you to wel stainless a and very thin metal.

Originally Posted by Chucaro

The advantage of a DC TIG/pulse welder like the one in the Token tools link is that they are very compact and you can teke it in your vehicle. Also TIG allows you to wel stainless a and very thin metal.

A good quality 3 phase mig would also allow those features as well as the ability to weld alliminium, you loose the portability though. Trouble with the portability thing is that every tom,dick and harry wants you to bring around the welder and weld this for me. Thats ok if its a commercial arrangement. Dont get me wrong I do a lot of freebies but they are done at my place under my terms.
cheers
blaze

I bought a Mi tech 3 in 1 welder over 2 years ago does the tig and stick plus plasma cutter have used the last two plenty of times no problems and when I was living south of Wollongong the supply voltage would drop down to 200 volt and less this would still keep welding no problems.