Is this a good Stick Welder?

[MinnesotaDave]

If you ever get this crap Attachment 1709512 you'll than your lucky stars that you have a welder capable of running AC. Sometimes, and I don't care what the experts say...……..AC is the only way to eliminate bad arc blow.

You can wrap leads, move work clamps, and stand on yer head, till the cows come home. Sometimes you absolutely need AC.

Completely agree.
I welded some pipes that were magnetized enough to hold up a hammer.
On DC the arc went sideways and danced.
On AC it welded up like nothing was wrong.

The guy told me no one could weld it, including his pro welder friend with his "big diesel welder and no setting worked."
I asked what machine it was, when he told me I explained that's a DC only machine.

[xmmancharl]

have had several tombstones..work okay but heavy to move...sold them

this everlast powerarc 200sti, easy to move

used it for 2 years now

hot start...art force

separate dinse port for 6010

most of the time, use 6013 1/8 rods










Charl

[455dan]

https://www.harborfreight.com/stick-...der-64978.html

90 day return policy.

120v/240v

worth a try - should know in a few days if it would work for you.

90 day warranty...

i would spend $199 on the Primeweld 160 ST to get the 3 year with free shipping both ways if there is a problem. HF may be brick and mortar but they screwed the pooch with that 90 day only warranty,
imo that is a throw away after 90 days if a problem develops

if the OP can find a good deal on an idealarc that is AC/DC it is hard to beat.

also agree AC is indispensable when dealing with old magnetized steel. Had some that was virtually un weldable using DC

[Sparkie1957]

[QUOTE=BD1;8738043]

In my opinion this is as good a stick welder that was ever made. Lots of good ones made but these are my favorites. They are very well built and anything short of a direct lighting strike the keep on working. I willing to change my mind if anybody want to try


When all our current machines were all on jobs, we had to bring one like that out of retirement. Only issue was, once heat was set, we had to tap in a wood wedge between face plate and adjusting wheel. If you didn't machine would vibrate and heat setting would change.


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Just to be clear about the tension adjustment on the amperage adjustment mechanism on a Idealarc250 welder. I took some pics of the gear and rotor assembly from a machine that a customer had wired to create a dead short internally and burned it up. Notice the front and back of the rotor have the tension nuts



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[Sparkie1957]

And another



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