AC/DC stick or multiprocess

[calman93611]

Well I think the cow left the barn and I am now trying to close the barn doors. So this is what has happened. I recently sold my Miller synchrowave and now I am looking for a small ac/dc stick or multiprocess welder. I sold the miller because of the huge footprint. So the question is for all of you professionals: What ac/dc welder do you prefer and why? I mainly use stick for plate up to 3/4", but mainly stuff around 1/4-3/8. I need strength for fabricating parts for a mini excavator. The miller was nice because of ac/dc, reverse polarity, infinite amp selection. Majority of my welding is around 90-120 amps.

[Oscar]

how small is small?

[danielplace]

Great machines. Rugged and dependable. 100 amp of stick 100% duty cycle.

Guess 3/4 plate may be a stretch.

https://www.millerwelds.com/equipmen...-welder-m00361

[Louie1961]

If all you do is steel, the Multimatic 255 would suit your needs nicely. The only downside is no AC. But it will MIG/GMAW-P up to 1/2 inch in a single pass (350 amps max), run dual shield or metal core wires, DC stick up to 275 amps, and DC TIG with pulse up to 275 amps. It will do everything you mentioned. I sold my MM252 and my Syncrowave 250 to buy this unit.

[calman93611]

Perhaps I should have also said that I am more retired than working. I sold my synchrowave 180 because how bulky it is. My preferrable budget for a new/used welder is around $2,000. Remember I am not a welder but I use the welder to fabricate new stuff and repair equipment.

[danielplace]

https://usaweld.com/collections/htp-...merica_mts_210

[Louie1961]

If money is a concern I would give this a go for under a grand. https://primeweld.com/products/mts20...g-stick-welder

[Sberry]

Used DC buzzer or new DC inverter.

[calman93611]

Perhaps selling my Synchrowave was not such a good idea, oh well. So reading the input I was thinking about the Miller Multimatic 215. Any pros/cons about this welder?

[Dan]

The Multimatic 215 is a real good MIG welder with .030 wire and C25. If you're OK with lift arc, which I have no issue with, the Multimatic 215 is a nice DC TIG unit. I've never ran a stick rod on mine, so I have no idea on the stick performance.

[calman93611]

I mainly use .030 when using a mig. I do not TIG but use stick when I need good penetration on plate. I also have a spool gun that I can use on the Multimatic 215 if I ever have to work with aluminum. Miller has a sale on the 215 that ends on 9/30/22 so I have to decide quickly.

[user 9328330]

I think I deleted my signature line awhile back, so as background, I'm a structural / heavy equipment welder. That's where I'm coming from with the following comments.

First, I'm not sure if you really meant it when you asked for a recommendation on AC/DC machines in your first post, but if you do want an AC-capable machine.....the Multimatic 215 isn't; it's DC only.

The 215's description says it works on up to 3/8". I think a lot of people really exaggerate the thickness of materials they'll be welding, and something like this machine would be great for most hobbyists, even 'serious' ones. If you pull up the duty cycle chart, on 240V stick you're at 80% on 120A and 30% at 160A. Basically this means if you're truly welding 3/4" plate with any degree of regularity, the 215 isn't the machine for you as it won't handle 5/32" 7018 rods at anything approaching a normal welding pace. It will handle 1/8" 7018 acceptably, though. I would say Miller has it rated properly as a 3/8" thickness machine.

Since you do some light equipment work, I might be thinking 'cutting edges' when sizing my machine, and even setting those aside, I'd generally be looking for 1/2" material spec machines. I think you're in the unfortunate position of wanting a lightweight, high-output machine at a somewhat unrealistic price point if buying new and quality, which to me has always meant Lincoln or Miller, with modern ESAB machines as second-tier but still good, and most everything else doesn't qualify.

The used market does open up more options, and at your price point and if you don't need 110V capability, an XMT-304 with either a suitcase or standard feeder would make a setup that's several times more capable than your Syncrowave was (for your purposes) or the 215 would be, especially if you're not going to TIG anyway and if you actually don't need AC. The XMT weighs around 80 lbs and a suitcase feeder with a 12" full spool in it is close to that as well. So they're portable, but you aren't going to sling them up on the top shelf. Of course, a 215 with a full spool in it is closer to 50 lbs than 38 as well, and who knows if Miller includes the weight of any of the leads or the MIG gun in that claimed weight.

[BD1]

For stick, the Miller CST280 gets my vote. We have these at work and are awesome ! We do basically all pipe welding and these machines have been bulletproof. They are properly over 10 years old now and still going.

[Louie1961]

The Multimatic 215 is a fine machine but for almost 3 times the price of the equivalent Primeweld unit I linked to above. Primeweld gets such good reviews I would go for the cheaper Primeweld unit over the MM 215 I think.

[123weld]

an older lincoln/miller 250 - stick for ur excavator

[FlyFishn]

A few thoughts -

In regards to wanting an AC-capable machine - do you have a strong reason for wanting AC? I question it because in general - the only reason for AC stick welding would be arc blow from magnetized material. A common example of where you may find this is piers pounded in to the ground. The driving in to the ground can magnetize the piers. Using AC to weld on this type of material will not make the arc wander whereas DC will.

Magnetized material aside, for stick welding you will get better results running DC than AC - much less splatter.

All of that having been said -

The welder I keep in the truck is an Everlast PowerArc 210STL. It is a DC-only 200 amp machine. I have all the stuff to run TIG also, minus gas, but have only been using it as a stick machine. It runs pretty well for a cheap inverter (it isn't the cheapest out there, like Yeswelder). It is a budget machine but is a very capable machine. I am happy with mine and wouldn't mind having another as a back up. Another bonus for it, from the stand point of being a portable machine, is it runs on both 240v and 120v (limited to 120 amps, I think, on 120v - but that is enough to run 3/32" 7018 pretty hot).

At home I have a Lincoln Idealarc 250 AC/DC machine (round top, 1966 model year). It will run 100% duty cycle at any amperage I could possibly run - even 5/32" 7018 (machine will go to 300 amps but I'll never even get to 200 in practice).

If I had my choice of machines to run for a project - the old Idealarc, as old of machine as it is, still is a pleasure to run. You can't substitute the mass of the copper-wound transformer and reactor with a suitcase inverter. But the portability isn't there.

If you need AC then your choices are pretty limited - bigger and more expensive machines, generally speaking.

Another thought on the thickness you're looking for being up to 3/4" - you can layer several passes with a smaller machine/less amps to make up the thickness. You won't get the penetration that you would get with more amps, but that also gets to rod selection - you can run thinner rods at lower amps and still be "hot", compared to thicker rods of the same type. That may take you a while to make all the passes, but it still might get you by.

If you have the ability to run a machine at 240v you can do plenty of welding. If you have to run a generator out in the field to power your welder then make sure it is sized big enough. The power the welder draws on utility power may not be a good gauge for sizing a generator. You want the running wattage to handle the gen, with the starting wattage being higher (and also the wattage generators are most often advertised as being). That starting wattage should be looked at as "head room" above what you should be spec'ing.

Inverter generators have a harder time running welders than rotary generators. I have one that should be able to produce close to 50 amps at 120v (120v only, not a split phase 120/240v - not capable of 240v at all) but it won't run my 210STL past 100 amps. The inverter (generator side, not the welder) faults with much higher. It will run 3/32" 7018 fine, though at 100a and that was my goal. I don't need even that much for most portable welding. 95% of my welding is on 240v utility power anyway, and if I do need heavier welding out in the field and I prepare for it I can toss in the 15kw gen with the old Lincoln.

Options are a wonderful thing, but I understand the point about wanting a smaller foot print....

[Louie1961]

If I had my choice of machines to run for a project - the old Idealarc, as old of machine as it is, still is a pleasure to run. You can't substitute the mass of the copper-wound transformer and reactor with a suitcase inverter.

Actually I owned a 1969 model Idealarc round top (as well as a Hobart Stickmate, Lincoln AC 225, and a Syncrowave) and I would tell you I much prefer the arc quality of my Multimatic 255 over the old Lincoln, or any of the others. It has a very buttery smooth arc with the arc force turned down and I can almost use 6010/11 for cutting with the arc force turned up, it digs in so much. On top of the awesome arc quality I love the hot start and anti stick features. I would never go back. I get that you could argue the MM 255 is not a suitcase inverter, but its not that much larger. I bet some of the higher end suitcase units would do an equally nice job.

[calman93611]

Thanks to everyone that responded. A lot of info. So this is a learning experience(the info) for me. Considering everyone's input, I guess I do not need a/c. So a DC machine, stick and mig would be a plus. I already have a Lincoln 140 power mig for 120vac and also a Hobart Handler 210 that is dedicated 220vac. I use the Hobart 95% of the time. It's nice just being able to crank up the amps and not worry. I have only used the Lincoln 1 time out in the field using a generator. Otherwise it just sits in the garage as a backup welder. I always use the stick when welding anything that may cause injury if the weld fails. Like a trailer hitch. I made my own quick coupler for my mini ex using plasma cutter, lathe, milling machine, ironworker and mag drill. Yeah took me a while on/off 5 weeks but only cost me about $55 in materials. I used stick to weld everything together. I thought it would be too embarrassing if I used the mig and the bucket fell off. Could you just imagine, everyone watching the guy on a mini ex and the bucket fell off! So anyways I sold me synchrowave and now I need a good stick and/or whatever else welder. I probably will NOT be doing anything thick anymore. I am planning on selling my ironworker so maybe 1/2" max and most likely 1/4" and thinner. I would prefer Lincoln or Miller, mainly for parts and repair availability in my area.

[FlyFishn]

Any 200 amp range inverter stick machine will do what you want. Just watch the duty cycle. I think you'll find that you dont need the whole 200 amps if that is what the machine does.

There is a catch to inverter machines - a lot of them don't like 6010 rod. There are a lot of us that like running 6010 - it is a great rod for dirty metal, fas freezing, and gap filling. 6011 is a close 2nd, but still isnt what 6010 is. You have to watch the specs on inverter machines close. Some claim to be able to run 6010 but they are still hard to run. My everlast powerarc 210stl is that way - it is harder to run 6010, though spec'd to do so, than the old round top. It has a lot to do with the open circuit voltage of the machine - not the amps. The round top is around 75-80v and the 210stl I want to say is down around 40-50.

My primary rods are 6010, 6011, and 7018. I run some 7014 for non structural stuff like art/houshold stuff,, never structural. I have 6013 on hand if I do any sheet metal, but likewise would never use it for structural. I also have some Crown Alloys Royal 300 aluminum rods for the rare occasion I need to do aluminum.

Tacking I use 6011 mostly. If I can run 7018 striaght I will. Otherwise, if I have to do a root to fill a gap or lay clean metal its either 6010 or 6011. If I am on the 210stl its 6011 - even though it will "run" 6010 it is more of a challenge so I just go to 6011.

In your excavator parts - and anything else needing high strength for that matter - make sure you are getting full penetration of the material you're joining. If you can't see through the joint (little to no gap) and can't bevel it then use 6010 or 6011 to do your root - it will penetrate better. Otherwise just go straight to 7018. Watch your slag enclusion. A lot of guys will run 7018 straight over 6010/6011 without much wire wheeling, but be careful. With any trapped slag in the weld that weakens it quick - and where cracks will originate. Same goes for layering 7018 - if it is good rod and laid nice the slag should peel right off without much scraping/brushing, but not always.

We had an excavator with the wrong bucket set up with a grapel. The grapel claws would jam just perfect inside the bucket side walls at times - so hard we had to use a skid loader and chain to pull it back out. That force popped the side of the bucket open several times. The guys that would weld it would just lay 7018 on top across the joint in a wide weave pattern - 1/8" rod with about 3/4-1" of side to side weave. They didnt clean the crack or anything. That would bother me to no end but the good ol' boys would do it their way, rinse, and repeat. If I could have done it I would have burned 6011 in there first after opening the crack and cleaning it some. Then would have laid 7018 in with a narrow weave - concentrating the heat on either side of the crack. The 6011 is what would get to the bottom of the crack - the 7018 never would.

[Brand X]

I really like the way my late model 250 Idealarc stick welds.. Very fine machine in it's own right. There is a few mint ones in my area for $400.00 It will last about 3 life times, and just a nice addition to all the inverters I have.

[Dan]

I really like the way my late model 250 Idealarc stick welds.. Very fine machine in it's own right. There is a few mint ones in my area for $400.00 It will last about 3 life times, and just a nice addition to all the inverters I have.

On those old tomb stone Ideal Arc 250's 6010 runs very nice. Nice 7018 unit too.

[Brand X]

On those old tomb stone Ideal Arc 250's 6010 runs very nice. Nice 7018 unit too.

It seems to run every rod very well. I have been using my Transformer machine more than my inverters lately. (not counting the plasma stuff..) Dual-shield .045/CO2 and the 3 phase Esab CV-353 is my favorite machine with that wire..It's nice to jump back in time on units that have real industrial roots. The Esab is the very last model before all inverters.

I did adjust the amp scale on the Idealarc.. Just set it up with my good amp meter..Did nuts now.. Two rotations of the big black Knob, goes from 3/32 to 1/8 7018 settings.


In case you don't know what a late model Transformer from Lincoln cost now?

https://www.harrisweldingsupplies.co...564fdf9775376d

[StandarDyne]

In case you don't know what a late model Transformer from Lincoln cost now?

https://www.harrisweldingsupplies.co...564fdf9775376d

Almost as much as this week's iPhone!

[FlyFishn]

I really like the way my late model 250 Idealarc stick welds.. Very fine machine in it's own right. There is a few mint ones in my area for $400.00 It will last about 3 life times, and just a nice addition to all the inverters I have.

I'm a firm believer that a transformer-based stick machine is a necessary addition for what you state about the longevity. It will always be there to stick metal together with if you have other equipment that goes down.

However, they are bulky and heavy machines. In a tight shop they may not be an option. I can't say I have much space to work with, either, but I am sure glad to have the big old heavy tombstone. Just my 2 cents worth.

For what it is worth - on the tombstone subject - if you know what to look for you can spot some real diamonds in the ruff. Some people don't know what they have, sometimes you find machines that on the outside seem to have a lot of surface rust and dings, etc, etc. What it looks like on the outside doesn't describe what things are like on the inside. Again - they are generally robust machines (but do your research - old rectifiers and capacitors are areas that can be problematic with sourcing original parts, but there are modern substitutions you can use instead). I think I paid $150 for mine. Then I restored it. I took the metal down to bare metal and repainted it, cleaned the contacts, etc, etc.

There are some lesser priced inverter machines that aren't bad for hobby welding etc (less than heavy daily industrial use). Between a lower budget inverter and an old tombstone - the lower budget inverters are usually where people go. Though, I realize the OP wants to stay with name brand machines. In that case they will be fairly expensive, in comparison. For longevity, though - I still think its hard to beat a transformer machine. It just may not be an option, size and weight wise namely (power consumption is in there, also).

[Sberry]

There is nothing wrong with an old machine and certainly no one is getting screwed at 400$. Also a good machiune if a guy has one, good if he knows what he is doing. Not sure that is the direction I would head if I was starting out. Today,,, (and I do have heavy service) but I like it simple and plugs in to common 50A and if I didnt mind some lead my ideal small shop machine used is DC buzzer. Small, cord and plug ready, reliable. If I was buing new, for space, for use with cords would be that 180 yellow thing. 120V is huge.