Stick Welding Tips Part 4

If you have purchased a transformer based welder, you had few options to choose from. You bought it, and used it, and that’s pretty much it. But with a welding inverter, they can be loaded with features, that require some knowledge to improve weldability. An inverter can turn out a good weld, exceeding that of a transformer if all the features are employed correctly. One of the common features that welding inverters employ is the use of arc force control. Simply described, when the arc length is shortened the voltage drops and the arc tends to go out. Due to the design of stick welders, this is normal, and largely unavoidable. The arc force senses the voltage drop and compensates by increasing amps. This prevents sticking and arc die out during the weld. Another feature that actually may involve two or three controls is Hot Start. Hot start improves the starting efficiency. Stick welding arc starts are seldom 100% first try starts, especially for beginners running a transformer welder. But with an inverter the starting amps can be temporarily be increased to establish the arc. Many welding inverters such as the Everlast PowerArc 300 feature hot start intensity and time controls, which manages the actual amps of the start, and the duration of the “hot” start. Other inverters such as the PowerArc 200 offer automatic management of these functions and use algorithms that predetermine the Hot Start based off of actual amp settings. Whether it’s manual control or automatic control, these are invaluable, and improve the arc welding experience tremendously.