What welder brand(s) are you using?

[Kartorbust]

Bringing back from the dead a bit. Somethings to note: most of the issues you'll have with a welding machine happen within the first few uses, especially right away. Get a replacement soon as possible. I wouldn't shy away from Everlast welders. One I was recommended from good old Chucke2009 recently is the Everlast Power iMig 230, it's a stick and mig machine, starts at around $1039. Dual voltage machines are great because even if you lack 240v right away, you can still use it on 120v in the mean time.

 

[madprofessor]

I bought a 120vac inverter stick welder from Northern Tool with Tig function (if that kit were purchased separately, I did not). Name brand is Klutch, but they've now replaced it with their store brand name Ironton, identical unit of different name and color, currently $140. The 80 amp rating of it has been sufficient for everything I've tried to do with it from 11gauge square tube steel to sheetmetal.

 

[Kartorbust]

My current machine was what Northern Tool had before Klutch replaced it, Northern Industrial 140i. Though mine was their MIG version that can accept the spoolgun, however they discontinued it all together.

 

[Denny]

Hobart handler 140 mig, Snap Off 205 amp mig, and an old Lincoln tombstone.

 

[madprofessor]

an old Lincoln tombstone.

Basically taught myself how to stick weld on one of those 240vac tombstones, in the middle of the night. Saved NBC Sports from having lost half of their camera coverage of the TPC that year.

 

[Kartorbust]

Those old LE Tombstone and Buzz boxes I think account for the most of where people learned to stick weld. They work pretty well. Can't go wrong with any 240v machine.

 

[madprofessor]

Can't go wrong with any 240v machine.

That's a factual fact. Learned the more basic forms of stick welding from a Lincoln tow-behind machine with 300' of stinger lead, welding on bridging angle and wall angle hanging iron out of Miami Beach. Just 240vac, but with leads as big around as my thumb and the dial turned up to supernova there's no loss. Get rained on and touch it to your jeans you'll get an instant thunderclap, the sound of your backdoor slamming shut.

 

[Kartorbust]

Speaking of long welding leads, the new Fronius TransPocket 180 battery portable stick welder can use 100m (about 330ft) stinger leads. It was also designed to run 6010 reliably. Which not every stick welder can do. Majority of us will probably never need 6010s.

 

[TNThomas]

Titanium Flux 125 from Harbor Freight. Great little machine for what I am using it for. It has splatter, but Im not bothered too much by that. I don't think I would have started welding if I had to buy any more equipment. Its really nice just having the little unit, and no external tank.