Cheap vs Expensive Welders: Don't they all do the same thing?

What about the duty cycle of the different models?

In my small experience. Generic Welders are functionals, but are fragile , they can be easily damaged with dust and heat. The internal frame get old fast and need maintenance. Some functions get inactive and the selectors get malfunction. If very cheap. They are very innacurate and very unstable in arc perfomance. Its better use or begin with medium level machines as JASIC or Esab for hobbyists. I used these welders and do good welds but need some skill and a open mind. I used Miller Dimension and its very predictable and precise. Idem for ESAB Tweco Fabricator, A versatile multiprocess but not very portable. (35 kg its too much for one user to carry) I Would Like to get a Miller Multimatic 200 but unfortunately get discontinued now. Maybe too expensive. But for ultra portable needs its great (I have a Handy Arc ESAB 160 amps 4kg and very tiny and has very good perfomance with 7018 but its too strong for 6011) Specially in light or residential projects. So. here in Peru if Miller cost X, Lincoln Cost 0.8 X Esab Cost 0.33 X , Jasic Cost 0.30 X, Generics Cost 0.25X or 0.20 X.. And if you want the tool for only one use , use generic welders, If you want hobby or prentice use , Get Jasic or Esab or a generic who you know to be reliable. And a Pro Use. From Jasic to Miller .

Great video

Just ordered the deko 250amp pro can't wait to try it

Beginner self teaching, and I’m still sticking after taking the tips from this video. What else can I try?

I just bought an Esab 180i. Waiting for it now, it’ll be my first welder. While in this review it as seen as the high end, when I compare it to the actual best in class, it’s the middle of the pack. It’s what I was comfortable paying and have seen great things about how smooth it is. Excited to learn, I’ll be buying your course soon

Just snagged a like new miller max star 161 stl for $1000. Tig rig, stinger, regulator, ground. Even the suitcase.

Excellent 🙏🏼

I think that one item that should have been addressed is the duty cycle of the welders at the settings that were used as well as the duty cycle at the maximum power output of each machine. I think that this is a good measure for comparing machines. For example, does one of the machines have a 20% duty cycle at max power output while another machine has a 40% duty cycle at the same power output? For some folks, a short duty cycle may not be a problem because of the type of welding that they are doing but for others that may be significant.

I think that you did a good job in showing the heads up difference on a wide range of welders.

i wish this guy would stop trying to push 7018 rods on guys like us who are obviously here learning the trade... because little do we know, you NEED to keep 7018 sticks in an oven as they go bad hours after opening the package ... something i didnt know before going out and buying some to "have around the shop"...

Great job of explaining the extremes but I'm still on the fence. Sounds like a 160A dual voltage in the $200 range would be a good place to start. I was leaning towards a 110v 75A stick but am concerned the lack of power could be too limiting.. or also add a cheap 80A flux welder to cover my bases. No idea if I could even master a stick, if not there's the wire flux unit.

You should have compared them to the ol' Lincoln AC-225 since it is so common that many people would have experience with it... I don't know how long these new style welders will last, but I know for a fact that I've seen AC-225 units over 50 years old and still going strong...

I am a hobbiest "welder". I have an industrial quality "Buzz Box" that does a great job with e7024, but its arc is too fierce for me (anyway) to succeed with e6011. Recently I purchased a DEKOPRO 110/220V MMA & LIFT TIG 2 in 1 Welder; it comes with a variety of settings, dig, rod choices, lift tig, it reduces output if a rod sticks, and has hot start built right in. What really amazed me is how easy it is for me to run e6011 rods, my Deko does a beautiful job. For me, at least, I made a good, affordable choice. Great video. Thanks for sharing.

Very informative. Thank you

Another cracking video. All the stick welding YT subscription a chap could possibly need. Thanks for sharing.

I've been watching a lot of reviews and the deko pro is the one I settled on. It seems to be a very capable machine that a lot of people have been happy with. It is however the bottom dollar that you can spend before you start rapidly sacrificing quality.

The HTP website says the Inverarc 160 Plus is not approved for use with a generator. Do you know why? I'm looking for a stick welder that can run from my Westinghouse Wgen7500 generator. What can you tell us about running these welders from generators?

Let me explain what i ant to see..... I ant to see you weld 10-15 electrodes 3,2 in a row. Thats how you see the quality

l used a Lincolin

Great info.. just started stick welding

Thanks Tim for all the great content. It would be awesome if you could do a similar comparison for MIG machines. Or at least share your opinion, is it worth to buy cheap MIG.

Try 6011

Out of these 4 welders I prefer the titanium and the esab

I never welded but I have a bunch of metal dusts like a pile and I want to weld itto art but I don't want the powder to blow away is there a weld machin and technique I can use ,like can I use sand and make a mold and weld it? Or do I have to use torch

What is the best mechine for beginners welder ??

Good video Tim

Just check the Dekopro doesn't have a piece of copper tube in the plug, instead of a fuse.

The cheap ones might not work at all. Recently I bought one for like 80 $. I had zero experience with welding but this machine (Kraft & Dele) is just pure evil. It can't strike an arc, doesn't hold it very well and shuts down after 3 minutes or so. Adding output coil really helped (40$) + better (copper, another 20$) cables (longer arc, easier striking it etc.) but still can't weld for long. Also the numbers on it lie completely, in reality it's like half the current. So mayve Deko is ok, but most of these cheap machines don't have output coil and have aluminum welding cables and lie with amperage. It's not just a case with my brand, but many others as well. Might put you off welding + money wasted. So I suggest to save up some money and go for 200$+ and you save yourself a lot of hassle and nerves.

I started with a cambel hausfield and almost gave up.
When nothing worked right my Wife bought me a Lincoln flux core which got me going again.
Last year I was looking at the Preme Weld 225ac/dc and I will be damned if she didn't buy that one for me for an anniversary present .
Damn I have a GREAT WIFE!!
PS I threw that Hausfield to the end of the driveway and left it there. Yes I actually threw it the length of the drive where it stayed till trash pick up

I'm 69 yrs old and taking up welding as a hobby. Your videos are very informative. Please keep up the good work.

Bought my titanium (HF) stick welder for $220 a couple years ago

Hi, do you have any experience with the Amico Arc-200 welder? I’d like to get your feedback on it. Thanks.

Hey I have a few welding videos myself @Thatdamfishingguy but also if you get a chance you should try a sanrex machine they are great they are priced pretty high and I am a contract piece rate tig welder from Tulsa ok and I have a sanrex sanarg 300 ap and I love great videos have a good one

jasic or riland with 20mosfet 16diode 4 feritte transformer , good welding machine cheap price . my bad english.

I have my share of both cheap and expensive tools. Many times the less expensive value-brand is adequate or all that is available on short notice. However, I buy tools for life and in the future I won't feel the savings but I will feel the quality (or lack ther of) each and every time I use it. I buy a lot of used quality name stuff. It's not about the warranty. I bought the Rogue ES180i last december and love it. I probably would have bought the HTP if it were also rated 180. I prefer to run my stuff in the middle of its capabilities, not maxed out all the time.

I have the kickinghorse A200 240v stick welder. $250 price

I'm about ready to purchase a quality European stick welder. I have been welding for over 20 years now and have owned around 5 Welder's.
I did dig in and bought a mid proffesional mig welder after welding stick for 20 years.
The starter stick welder I bought perhaps 10 years ago had low quality handle and earth connection.
My runs used to come out well and then started to stop halfway between welds. Buying a new earth may alleviate this a little although I switched to using the mig welder.
I then bought low hydration welding sticks which I prefer as it gives a lot stronger welds.

If you bought a cheap one, then a mid range one, then a good one, you spent at least twice what you would have if you had just bought the good one. I bought a Miller for 3-4x what I could have spent on the low end stuff, but as my welding has improved, I’m still happy with it. I do cheap out on some tools I know will be disposable but a welder? I say go big if you’re going to invest in the time it takes to get the skills.

But doesn't an old School Cracker Box built with a real Copper Transformer give the most reliability like a Miller or Lincoln ? Seems like a power surge can blow out the circuit board on these Hi-Tech models.

At the shipyard i work at we use the esab rogue stick box for tight spots that a flux whip can't get into and it runs great.

Who pays full price at Harbor Freight? Lol

Fyi. This was an amazing purchase. 3 in 1

With the Esab is that on 120v or 230v?

the only one of them machines i see still working after many years is the htp.
should of opened them up. probly a huge difference in construction and component qaulity

If you are a beginner, you will not notice the inconsistencies in the arc, but as you get better you will. That is when the more expensive machines shine. Which brings up the issue for beginners.... Is it you or the machine? Just saying....

Didn't know people still Stick welded.

Great video as always! QUESTION: Can you PLEASE explain arc force settings on some of the machines? I have been told that 7018 electrodes perform much better (and become easier to use) when the "arc force" is set to more or less amount. Is that true? What exactly is that fancy setting intended for, considering it doesn't appear change your amp setting? THANKS!

"The best" is always subjective. My daily is a Fronius Transpocket 1500. Is it the best - who knows? Is there anything better - no..!!!

I have the chicago electric 80amp stick machine from harbor freight and it runs 6010 but not 1/8” it can only run 3/16” for beads over 3” because it has a very low cycle