Top 14 Best Stick Welder for Beginner 2022 – Under $200|$500|$1000

Stick welders are more popular in the industry due to its relatively low cost. Though you have to practice a little to learn stick welding well, it is not more complicated than TIG welding.

There are a lot of stick welders in the market. So if you are a beginner in the welding industry, then finding the best stick welder will be one of the most difficult tasks when you start your welding journey. Because selecting a technical machine that you are not so much familiar with, may be really frustrating as well as hard. So it will take much effort and time.Reading reviews online will help you to select the best stick welders for beginners according to your requirements.

Here, we are presenting top stick welders for beginners under different price ranges with their features, pros, and cons. Apart from that, there will be a buyer’s guide and FAQ section that will consist of important things to consider when buying a stick welder. This will save your money as well as time. Let’s get started.

The Best Stick Welders under $200 for beginners

Here, we are giving you the best 7 arc welders under $200 for beginners.

Forney Easy Weld 298 Arc Welder 100ST, 120-Volt, 90-Amp

Forney Easy Weld 298 Arc Welder 100ST will provide you hassle-free welding and top performance. The overall quality of this welder is good for its price. If you are looking for a welder for learning to weld or looking for a cheap welder or you have only small welding jobs to do, then this will be the best option for you.

Amico ARC-160D, 160 Amp Stick ARC IGBT Inverter DC Welder 115/230 Dual Voltage Welding Soldering

The Amico ARC-160D is one of the best budget-friendly welders for smaller projects. Its low price does not mean poor performance. It offers you versatile functions as well as the smooth and good performance at an affordable price.

ZENY Arc Welding Machine DC Inverter Dual Voltage 110/230V IGBT Welder 160 AMP Stick

If you are looking for a small and affordable stick welder, then Zeny Arc will be the best option for you. Though it is almost similar to the Amico ARC-160D, the Zeny Arc is cheaper than the Amico. You can start the welding by simply adding the electrodes. This is suitable for both personal use and professional use due to its wide range of features.

HITBOX ARC Welder 200A Stick DC 220V Inverter Welding Machine

The HITBOX ARC welder 200A is a small and portable welding machine with a very good warranty which is ideal for larger welding projects.

HITBOX ARC Lift Tig Welder 200A 220V Stick MMA IGBT Inverter Welding Machine

Though this little HITBOX welder is inexpensive, it does have every feature you could search for in an inverter welder. Moreover, this is an ideal solution for low budget buyers. 

SUNGOLDPOWER ARC MMA 200A Welder Dual 110V 220V IGBT Hot Start Welding Machine DC Inverter Welder 200 AMP LCD Anti-Stick

If you are looking for a full-bridge welder with high-quality components, then SUNGOLDPOWER ARC MMA 200A Welder will be the perfect option for you. Further, it is well suited for less experienced metalworkers because it is very easy to use.

HZXVOGEN 110/220V Welder Dual Volt Arc Stick Welding Machine

HZXVOGEN 110/220V welder is a high-quality welder with a reasonable and really good price.

The Best Stick Welders under $500 for beginners

 Here are the best 5 arc welders under $500 for beginners.

Hobart 500570 Stickmate 160i

The Hobart 500570 Stickmate is not too expensive as well as not too cheap. It offers you the best performance and high-end quality.

Forney 291 Easy Weld 180 ST 120V/230 V Welder

If you are looking for a powerful Stick as well as TIG capable welder, then Forney 291 Easy Weld 180 ST will be the ideal solution for you.

Forney Easy Weld 140 MP, Multi-Process Welder

This is a multi-process and single-phase inverter welding machine. That means you can switch between Stick, MIG, and DC TIG welding easily.

2021 EVERLAST PowerARC 160STH 160amp HF TIG Stick IGBT Welder 110/220 Dual Voltage

2019 EVERLAST PowerARC 160STH is an awesome, powerful, and smooth dual-process welding machine for fixing everything you want.

SUNGOLDPOWER 200Amp MIG MAG ARC MMA Stick DC Welder

SUNGOLDPOWER 200A is a DC IGBT Inverter as well as a multifunction welder

The Best Stick Welders under $1000 for beginners

 Here are the best 2 arc welders under $1000 for beginners.

LINCOLN ELECTRIC CO K1170 AC225, 60Hz Arc Welder

Due to its user-friendliness and versatility, Lincoln Electric CO K1170 is the best choice for most of the people.

PRIMEWELD TIG225X 225 Amp IGBT AC DC Tig/Stick Welder

Primeweld TIG225X 225A IGBT AC/DC TIG/Stick welder offers you versatile features that are well suited for professional welders as well as hobbyists.

Buying Guide

What is Arc Welding?

In simple words, Arc welding can be defined as joining and melting different kinds of metals using an electric arc.

There are different types of welding processes. Some of the most popular ones are

1. Stick
2. TIG
3. MIG

You can select a suitable welding process according to your job. Then you have to select the welder according to the selected wedding process.

In the past, welding machines were designed to do a single welding type. But now they are usually manufactured aiming to do multiple welding types. So now you can use a single machine to do different jobs.

What are the Types of Welding?

Knowing more about the above-mentioned welding types will help you to select the appropriate welding type for your job and then selecting the best welding machine for your job.

MIG Welding (GMAW)

MIG welding is also called GAS Metal Arc Welding (GMAW). When compared to other types, this is considered as the easiest and quickest type to learn. So this is most suitable for hobbyists, farmers, and artists.

A welding gun is used for the MIG welding process. Through this welding gun, a shielding gas is sent. The purpose of this shielding gas is to protect the weld pool from contamination. Due to this, this process got the name-Metal Inert Gas (MIG).

Maximum gauges and maximum material thickness that can be welded using this process are 26 and 1/ 2” respectively. So this can be used to weld thin as well as thick plate metals.

There is a huge similarity between Flux-cored Arc Welding (FCAW) and GMAW. But in FCAW, a shielding gas is not sent through the welding gun. Because flux-cored wire itself does the protection.

(Tungsten) TIG Welding

Non-consumable tungsten electrodes are used in this welding type. The current is transferred to the welder’s arc by the electrodes.

Inert gas like Argon is used for cooling the tungsten gas and the weld pool. The purpose of this cooling is to protect them from contamination. Sometimes, filler metals are added alongside the inert gas when the welding requires extra protection.

This welding type is most suitable for welding thin sections of metals or thinner metals.

The specialty of TIG welding is that you can have better control over the weld. The end result of this is the higher-quality welds. But this welding type is not easy to learn. It is more complex than other welding types. Moreover, the TIG welding process is very slow.

Stick Welding

Stick welding is also called Manual Metal Arc Welding (MMA / MMAW) and Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW).

In the Stick welding process, a welding power supply is used to get an electrical current. This current can be direct (DC) or alternating (AC). There is an empty space between the metal and the welding stick. The electrical current runs through this space. When it runs, it forms an electric arch because of the difference in potential.

Stick welding is not that much hard to learn. But it still needs a considerable amount of effort. The equipment that is used for SMAW is also rather simple.

This welding type is suitable for both indoors as well as outdoors such as home and farm maintenance and repairs. It is mostly used for welding alloys and joints. When compared with the other welding types, Stick welding is the most economical type.

Though the metal is rusty or dirty, stick welding can create an effective and secure bond on that.

However, stick welding does have some disadvantages.

1. It is unable to weld anything that its thickness is lesser than 18-gauge using the SMAW process.
2. It is required to change the rod frequently.
3. Creates spatter. So after the work is finished, you have to clean a lot.

How to Select the Best Welding Process for Your Job?

When selecting the ideal welding type for your requirements, you have to consider several factors.

1. Type of your welding project
2. Materials that you are going to use
3. The thickness of the metal
   This factor is very important. Because as mentioned earlier, each welding type has its own limits on metals and thickness that it can weld. Refer to the below table for more clarification.

Welding Project	Average Material Thickness (inches)
Farm / ranch / landscape	5 / 16 to 3 / 8
Trailer frames / fencing	1 / 4 to 5 / 16
Utility trailers / hunting stands	1 / 16 to 1 / 8
Auto body	3 / 16 or less
Bicycles / tube frames / lawnmowers	1 / 16
Boats / motorcycles / cars	1 / 16 to 1 / 8
Thick structural components	>3 / 8
Heavy repair	3 / 16 to 1 / 4

The below table shows you the metal types that each welding type supports.

Welding type	Metals
MIG	Plain steel / stainless steel / alloys / aluminum
TIG	Plain steel / stainless steel / alloys / aluminum / brass / cast iron / copper / exotic metals such as magnesium and titanium / chromoly
Stick	Plain steel / stainless steel / cast iron

Why Should You Select Stick Welding over Other Welding Types?

Output

The stick welding process generates the most durable as well as the most robust welds.

The thickness of the materials

Stick welding can be used to weld thicker materials such as cast iron.

Portability

To do stick welding, you should have a stick welding machine. Most of the stick welding machines are portable. This is important when you have to do welding jobs outside your home or even outside your hometown. Because the portability will help you to easily carry the machine wherever you want.

Cost

Normally, stick welding machines aren’t too expensive to purchase. Moreover, you do not have to purchase any extra equipment that could cost extra dollars.

Convenience

Stick welding does not depend on weather conditions. Whether it is a heavy rainy day or windy day, you can weld metals using the stick welding techniques without any interruption. You can even weld dirty and rusty metals.

Wide Range of Stick Welding Machines

You can find a wide range of stick welders under different price categories. So it is easy to find the perfect match for your requirements.

How to Select the Best Stick Welder?

The best welder varies according to your requirements and preferences. So before buying your new stick welding machine, consider the below factors carefully.

Current Mode: AC / DC

There are two current modes that a welder runs on. They are Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC). The direction of the electric current flow in AC is reversed at regular intervals. But in DC, it is always direct. DC welders are more popular in the industry due to the below facts.

• Capable of quick hot starts.
• Run smoother
• Generate less spatter

But AC welders are enough for welding projects around the home and for hobbyists. You can find welders that support both DC and AC. But they are somewhat expensive. Normally, DC welders are more expensive than AC welders. So if you are just a hobbyist, then a more affordable AC welder will well suit your needs. If you are a professional level welder, then the better option will be a DC welding machine.

But keep in mind, the current type that most homes use is AC. So if you are buying a welder for home use, then it is better to buy a welder compatible with your current type in the home. We recommend you to buy a welder that uses both types.

Utility

The amperage range differs from welder to welder. When the amperage value of the top limit gets higher, the thickness and the hardness of the metal that you can weld using that welder also gets higher. But, if you only have to do lighter projects, then buying a welder with the low amperage capacity will be enough for accomplishing your goal. 

Sometimes you have to weld various kinds of metal materials. The perfect amperage value differs from metal to metal. So your welder should have the ability to adjust different amperage values. Before buying the welder, check whether the selected welder does have that ability or not.

Moreover, when the amperage gets high, the time that takes to complete the welding project gets less. So if you are really concerned about the time, then it is better to buy a welder with high amperage value.

Input Voltage 

The input voltage of 115V is sufficient for small welding jobs. But for demanding projects, 115V is not sufficient and 230V is better for them. So The better option is buying a welder with the dual voltage feature. Such welders support both 115V as well as 230V input voltages and offer more flexibility and power.

Size

If you have to frequently carry your welder outside your working place and many other different locations, then it is better to buy a welder that is compact, lightweight, and portable. So you can easily carry and store it wherever you want.

You can find 2 types of stick welders. They are inverters and transformers. Inverters are lighter and more compact. But they are more expensive than transformers. Transformers are bulkier but more robust and occupy more space when storing. They are well suited for heavy-duty tasks. Further, the power consumption of transformers is higher than the inverters.

Quality

You can determine the quality of a welder by its price, features it offers, and its warranty. Moreover, you can read reviews online to check whether the company has actually offered the service that they have promised.

Further, check which materials are used to create the welder. Those materials should be decent quality ones. Because the durability of a welder directly depends on the quality of the construction materials. Your welder should last longer. Because you can not invest money in buying welders frequently.

Technology

Technology that is implemented in a welder determines the metal types that the welder can weld. So it is important to check whether the technology implemented in the welder that you are going to buy supports the metal types that you are going to weld. Some of the technologies most of the welders come implemented with are

1. Advanced IGBT Inverter Technology
2. Stick Welding
3. Easy Start Technology

Duty Cycle

In simple terms, the duty cycle is the number of minutes a welder can weld before it gets overheated and needs to cool down.

This percentage value is normally based on a 10 minutes session. Let’s assume the duty cycle and the power of your welder is 30% and 150A respectively. That means at the maximum output, you can use the machine only for 3 minutes. After that 3 minutes, it will get overheated and you can not continue the welding. Then you have to let the machine rest for 7 minutes. In that way, it completes a total of 10 minutes.

So the duty cycle directly affects the time that it takes to complete the project. If the duty cycle is low it takes more time to finish your project. Because you have to stop your work more frequently. So it is better to buy a welder with a good duty cycle if you are really concerned about the time.

Conclusion

We hope now you have better knowledge on buying your first stick welder as a newbie in the welding industry. If you have any problems related to this, feel free to mention them in the comment section below. We are always here to help you.

Recommended reading:

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