Stick Welding Tips Part 2

Those that are committed to learning how to stick weld, and that want to get started quickly will likely look in the local newspaper or even online for a good used stick welder. This is not a bad idea, but for some, the improper selection of a welder will be what kills their long term love affair of welding. Most will likely find a nearly new AC “buzz” box stick welder. These are great little welding machines, but probably not the best to learn welding. They are noisy, cumbersome and the AC arc is harsh as it comes. Anyone interested in learning to weld should seek out a friend or relative with a good DC welder first and beg for an opportunity to try one out. Even though an AC buzz box may be the only thing that can fit in the budget, getting the feel of a DC arc will encourage sticking to it. Between the AC arc quality and the DC arc quality, there is little comparison, in appearance or feel. Knowing what a “good” arc feels like will keep people interested even if they have to buy an entry level welder to get started. Companies like Everlast, offer price competitve DC alternatives to AC buzz boxes, with their more sophisticated inverter welders that produce a stable DC arc with arc adjustment features such as hot start and arc force control. Mainline welding companies offer them too, but usually the price is out of range in comparison to the transformer type welders. Everlast has priced their inverter DC welders in line with the price of most transformer based AC only stick welders.