Quote:
Originally Posted by xposur
Is it a lot easier to weld with the wire feed as opposed to stick welding?
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You wouldn't believe how easy; point and shoot. Arc welding is an art on a couple of levels, because you not only scratch-start, but the rod is being consumed as you move, which moves your hand closer to the work as you travel (as you well know). Wire feed can be held at a constant distance from the work and it will easily weld out of position.
I recommend against flux core only. Get a true MIG that will accept shielding gas and then the choice is yours, in terms of using gas or flux core. I also recommend a welder with infinite voltage control, rather than four, five or six settings. My voltage control goes from 1-10, and I spend most of my time between either 2-3 or 3-4 on the dial. the finite control is very useful, whereas limited controls might either not give the penetration you need or might burn right through (which is quite frustrating).
I bought a Miller 175 about 10 years ago, but since then, Eastwood has come out with a decent MIG welder that has infinite voltage control for cheap. If you want a 120VAC machine, check out
http://www.eastwood.com/mig-welder-1...5a-output.html The price is certainly right. I have a friend with that welder, and I like it just fine for small jobs. It uses Tweco consumables, so parts are easy to find.