His rods were sticking on the start because he wasn't using good technique for starting the arc. You don't need 100 amps to run a 3/32 7018 and you definitely don't need 100 amps for 3/32 6013! 7018 will also start better if you keep them in an oven, but if you're buying a $170 welder you're not going to have a rod oven.
It is actually the thickness of the material that is the problem . He wouldn't have had a problem with 1/8" to 3/16" material . But that was atleast 1 1/2" thick . If he would have pre-heated it a bit , it would have been less of an issue . Notice how he had less trouble towards the end of the video striking an arch ? The piece was heated up by then , having run 6 or so stringers ...LOL
You guys are the best learning tool we have, that's great advice, we will get into creating more or less power by looping your 100' lead over your shoulder and back again later.
(not a welder, just interested in purchasing this product) i really like the fact that most people in the welding field seem to have nothing but constructive criticism in the comments of videos like this and are willing to hand off knowledge so freely about a skill they are so passionate about. you dont see that with many other trades except maybe automotive mechanics.
Oh exactly. It's like a Harry Potter wand trick, flick and lift. Plus running that .125 7018, he should have been in the 110 to 125 range, depending on grade and thickness of steel
When you are starting the arc, try hitting/dragging the electrode on the object you are welding on 45 degrees, it wont stick but it will start the arc every time! Learned that when i was 7 lol
Giuseppe Maggio taping and hitting, the same thing, sliding is the most important. I dont do alot of stick welding, i have a 280A 380V Enihel MIG welder, Co2 and Argon gas so i can weld aluminium too with alu wire
Dvotaktni Krkan Dvotaktni Krkan Yes, i weld with stick for several years, we are saying the same thing. However "ratheBwelding" is welding in the worst mode possible.
Dvotaktni Krkan breaking the flux of the end of the rod like he did also makes it harder to start the burn. I can stick weld have been since 7 years old but prefer wire feed welding, 6011 rods is what we always used gives the hardest strongest weld 7018 used more for rough surfacing 6013 more for softer welds.
I have the 160d version of this welder and it works great. 110 volts and it welds with 25.2 volts at the stinger, 26.4 volts with 220 volt outlet. The extra voltage helps the starts. I'm sure by now you are a pro. Watching you twice open that box reminded me of myself 50 years ago. You will do well and don't listen the the fools putting you down. Go cart frames arn't hard to weld with a stick with a little practice and instruction. Mig is for the unskilled, no harder than a glue gun once the machine is set up. Learn that stick machine then try some Tig and you will be good to go.
Yeah I agree with Dvotaktni Krkan about starting the welding at an angle of 45 degrees or less & even dragging the stick as you begin then going back to the start to begin pushing the stick to create your puddle. If you weld with lower amps you need to go slower with the weld to preheat the steel more to get a good puddle & good penetration, I normally go about 10 amps over the recommended on the box so that you weld a little faster on hot days. Also to make the puddle look nicer you should move the stick side to side as you weld forward pushing into the weld with your stick not dragging.
I have the exact welder,works best with 7014 plug directly to 220v 50amp receptical.If you run it off 110v you will need to have it 30amp breaker,as it will trip a 20 amp quit often.Also best if ground placement is clean.Once I got use to mine,I love it.
This is so funny. I learned the basics of all types of welding in 1 year at my votech pipe welding class. It's a 2 year class but I took my certification test my first year and passed. But they do not call it stick welding because it sticks😂. Strike your rod like a match and it will not stick. And the numbers on a rod are there for a reason. The first two number are the tensile strength the thirds number is the position and the fourth number don't really matter (read up on those) and if U wrap the stinger cord around your arm a time or two it takes all the pulling away. And never free hand unless your truly gifted. It's way more comfortable if u put your stinger on your rod a couple inches down where it's supposed to, jut brake off the flux and bend the extra down
These small welders seem to only run a few types of rod well. I felt your pain in the beginning n almost got rid of welder. Then came along a discount Lincoln box of rods 6013 n it came alive. Very hard being consistent with 7018 etc. when it won’t arc. Great video wish I would watched it sooner
Good deal man. Starting those arcs on the cheaper stick welders can be a little tougher but it worked. I wish I could afford a better one too so been through those pains getting used to the dragging it to start and arc the better ones have a buzz startup so no dragging it a half inch to start it.
You got exactly what what I would have suggested. 6013 and 7018 are the ones I use the most. 6013 runs just so well, that you can run them nonstop around anything.
A-mi-co it's like a Miller in Japan when I was in Kawasaki and Tokyo I used a tig made by them really good running machine I'd buy one and put it next to my Miller sycrowave for a nice inexpensive portable welder the only thing cheap about it is the price you pay
160a would be great as i have 130a invertR arc welder and found that great. I love the constructive comments. Congrats man you make the best of content. Im gonna try a gasless mig later on and see is it any better than gas one.
What size electrodes are you using? I usually run 1/8" 7018 at 130a so I think your sticking problem is due to running it too cold. Any colder than 110 and it really doesn't run that well.
I thought I was the only one who struggled with arcing but now I don't feel so bad and I learned to go in with more of an angle than straight up and down
Funny, I was looking for a cheap stick welder to add to my MIG and I bought this same welder for around $140 and it's been great. I didn't have a lot of expectations for it at this price but it runs just about every rod (like all inverter welders it's not the best with 6010) really well. I bought a TIG kit for it on Amazon from WeldCity for about $50. It included everything I needed to TIG with the exception of the gas, tungsten, and flow meter (but was able to use the regulator from my MIG welder) and now I can scratch start TIG. This welder weighs about 10 lbs., is really portable, fun to use and works great.
Which would you recommend as only a stick welder for long use . MMA-200 , ARC-200, TIG220DC /Stick arc ? Can't find any video reviews on actual use on these models.
Son been a welder fabracator for 35 yrs try draging your rod to get your arch started im a subscriber to you and you are a very talented young just some words of wit from one of the old guys ,nice machine and best wishes.
I have a harbor freight welder 170 amp wire feed mig welder. It welds just fine. I’ve used the crap out of it. I’ve been welding for over 15 years I didn’t want to drop a thousand dollars on a nice Miller so I gave Harbor freight a shot and it has really surprised me I’ve had it for two two years now and it has payed for itself 10 times over
Nice job welding. One thing with these dual voltage welders is the amperage it is rated to output is less on 110 v power than 240v power even if the LCD screen says 90 amps. This is why its best to increase the amperage as much as you can and reduce till you get the right weld temparature
I bought one of these as well and then added a pedal, gas control valve and a tig torch. Probably should've just bought the tig model but it still works great.
On the company website they list theDC160-A (blue unit) for $149.00 free shipping? They also have a newer model ARC160-A (red unit) for same price with free shipping?
The sticking of the rod is why I don't like stick welding, and am only considering one of the new stick machine technologies that prevents that. Does this machine have "anti sticking"?
When I first started using this welder, it was it was nice and smooth, I was very happy, used it several times since and it slowly started getting worse and worse and now can't even weld with it. Even cranked to the max it just spits and sputters. I wish it was something I could figure out and fix. The plazma cutter works ok and 3/8" is the thckest it will cut but that's not bad. I have not tried the tig yet, no gas. But the stick has just went downhill and I haven't used it all that long.Maybe it's just a lemon from the factory.
I always practice welding with the first 1/4 of my stick then weld the job with lots of 3/4 sticks they stick and flop all over the place at full length, wastes sticks but I don't do it often enough to become properly skilled
715101 That's actually a really good tip for beginners. The full 14" rods are hard to get the hang of unless you do it all the time. That said, if you just steady the middle of the stick with a gloved finger from your off hand until you get going, it's much easier to control.
It’s all about the duty cycle. It’s usually ~20% in cheaper welders at max amperage. That’s 2 minutes out of 10. It’s not great for professional/industrial applications but it’ll work just fine for homeowner/hobbyist use. Some high end/price welders have 100% duty cycle at 200+ amps on 220/240 VAC. If you want a fairly good welder for hobby use, get one that’s double the typical amperage required. A 200 amp cheap stick welder should be around 60 or 50% duty cycle at 90 to 110 amps. You won’t be able to weld that fast to overheat it!
Do you have a long term review of this one? We just bought my dad a Amico MMA-220. Looks like it got good reviews too. It was like $210 price range, but I'm hoping it fits his neds.
@@pappaclutch3266 That's the vibe I'm getting, but most of the reviews I have found have been like an early impressions review by a hobbyist. So I'd like to see at least a first impressions review by an expert or a long term review by a hobbyist to know for sure I got dad a solid purchase. I think we did, but I'm not 100% convinced yet, more like 89% convinced.
@@Str8sixfan makes sense, good luck with your present! He will be happy no matter what you decide. I’ve had mine for a year and it’s been super great machine. I saw another comment on this video where someone said Amicos are basically Miller’s in Japan. That made me feel good about the one I have 🤞
@@pappaclutch3266 I personally have an Everlast machine, and I love it. Wanted to get him one similar to mine. But when the three of us brothers got to pricing it all out (and making sure he had gloves and a hood and chippin' hammer) it all added up quick. Looking at the stats on the MMA-200 it really compared well to the Everlast I was looking at, and saved us $138 between the machines and hence easier to buy all the peripherals for him. He was excited. I think it will probably play out well by the sounds of it.
I was thinking of getting a stick and rig rig but I don't think I'll do that as I don't have endless funds.this little stick welder for the price looks good.i have a Hobart 210 MVP but I think I need a stick welder
Jeeez man who taught you how to weld. I am not a professional and I learned in like 8th grade, but those starts were painful to watch. Strike it like a match and your life will be a lot happier.
Strike an arc don't poke it I know about all of the comments are saying the same thing and turn your rod holder or stinger over. Place the rod in the stinger not at the 90 degree angle but the notch pointing the rod slightly forward this allows the rod to be burnt down without readjusting in the middle of the weld. Not trying to be a know it all but a few tips that might make it a little easier. I just bought a Amico 205 and May do a review on it since I can't find any on RU-vid.
Your having the same problem I was having when I started using a stick welder instead of a mig wire welder, I learned the strike it like a match and just barely contact the metal to get the ark going. you'll get it with practice. And affordable stick welders send bad at all, I have a little forteny welder and I weld for hours until the overheat sensor kicks in and it works just fine. I've made so maby projects with it. So don't let your school teachers say affordable welders send a good investment because they do work quite well.
yeah... I'm talking back to my phone watching this saying voltage everytime he says amperage....Lol.... from all of my research and I've been doing a lot .. These seem to be the best inexpensive unit that really has good reviews ...people really seem to like these...
well i watched a review here on the tube and it was 114 dollars on amazon i wanted one but i waited too long they are out of those , it ran pretty good , i am a retired certified welder that sold all his stuff thinking i was not going to need welding anymore !BIG MISTAKE now i have a dune buggy and i need to do a couple of jobs , fast forward it looked to me to run ok ,aside you had problems starting but hey we all been there if your in school youll learn it better as you go , its all practice welding is, i was lucky my father was a boiler maker so he came to school with me , i learned at george t baker aviation schooll , in miami my dad was my teacher he got permission ,,,,anyhow i am thinking about this one ,,thanks for sharing .
Also, you really should store those 7018 and I think 7014 in a rod oven. Being low hydrogen electrodes, they can't be exposed to the air for very long, otherwise they will absorb the moisture and not work correctly.
Read the comments about striking an arc than try the suggestions and practice the one that works the best for you. We all had to burn a lot of rods to learn to weld.
