I need a welder for the garage, and can stick and MIG weld. Problem is I've never used Flux Core welders. Seems like they have the control of a MIG, but what's the downside? Stick welders are cheap, but lack the control on small parts I've found. Any opinions on Flux Core? Either way I can't afford a decent MIG right now.....
Stick Vs. Flux Core
- Thread starter vozzy
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Kaptain Krunch
Pro Junk Collector
Flux core is better for smaller more accurate stuff. Stick is cheap and good for structural.
fowler
New member
what is flux core
brendonv
New member
Its wire you use for MIG welding when you have no gas. Instead of the gas acting as the flux it has flux in the wire.
KieranM
Doin It!!
i would go with stick, once you know how high or low to weld thin/thick steel thats half the battle, the rest is learning how to get a nice bead/pool. I always use stick, never used mig before.
Kenny_McCormic
Kartless....
Flux core is sort of in between mig and stick, with tig/oxyacetylene being the most precise process. If you can handle it a good sized oxyacetylene setup with a good assortment of torch tips will fulfill all of your welding needs, big, small, steel, aluminum, cast iron(braze it), it doesn't matter.
You don't know what you're missing
on large pannels and stuff oxyacetylene sucks cause it will warp it to hell... and i dont think oxyacetylene is any good for really thick stuff just cause how much heat you need...
Stick is probably MUCH easier to learn. You yourself control the feed rate... versus a noobie (me) on a flux core welder, took a while to learn. Definitely got the hang of it now... 
Anyone try a Harbor Freight MIG before? I've taken their flux core wire feed welders to hell and back (I never actually followed the duty cycle, I've welded until I tripped my breaker)
Anyone try a Harbor Freight MIG before? I've taken their flux core wire feed welders to hell and back (I never actually followed the duty cycle, I've welded until I tripped my breaker
)tylers right.. i can lay a killer bead with mig/ flux core that makes it look like a stack of dimes on end.. but stick it looks like a pig **** on the metal...
Kaptain Krunch
Pro Junk Collector
Maybe if your welding with 6013 lol, but other than that as long as the settings are right mig is stupid simple. Go try stick welding with some 6010 and tell me its easier than mig.
fowler
New member
mig is pretty much point and click
6010 suuucckkksss
Kaptain Krunch
Pro Junk Collector
yea...it does...
Kaptain Krunch
Pro Junk Collector
Yea its not extremely hard, but it does take getting used to when your used to welding with 7018.
Haha one kid in our class didnt like the 6010 welding project we had, so he used 6013 and told the teacher it was 6010...haha you can guess how that went.
Benjo
KRAZY KIWI
i don't really know anything about welding rods, just wondering whats so bad about 6013.
Kaptain Krunch
Pro Junk Collector
nothing wrong with 6013. probably one of the easiest rods to weld with. Just about impossible to mess up with, almost welds itself.
Benjo
KRAZY KIWI
lol, i use 6013. only reason i use them is because they were cheap, thought they might have been crap rods
KieranM
Doin It!!
a good rod is nothing without a good machine, one thats like is a cooker rater than a welder just annoys me.
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