211 and/or a Thunderbolt 225

[weldbay]

When you run into some really dirty plate you will be glad you kept the stick welder.

[Frank R]

Well, I found a Montgomery Ward 230/140 AC/DC welder last week and picked it up. Nice clean welder with little use for its age.

Now to sell the AC only Thunderbolt.

[Broccoli1]

Well, I found a Montgomery Ward 230/140 AC/DC welder last week and picked it up. Nice clean welder with little use for its age.

Now to sell the AC only Thunderbolt.

i like how this thread started out with you wanting to get rid of some equipment and now you have actually added more

[Frank R]

i like how this thread started out with you wanting to get rid of some equipment and now you have actually added more

I can stop anytime. I have the willpower. No, really, I do...

[wb4rt]

Now you can get that scratch start TIG rig you know you want. It will run on that AC/DC and give you a lot more things to learn and practice. It really is fun and useful.

[cope]

Thanks for the replies.

This one is AC only. It is an older, horizontal unit. Not like the ones shown in the owner's manuals here.

I was thinking the same thing Kevin. Is there anything a stick can do that a mig cannot? Like welding cast iron or some other specialty metals? I would hate to get rid of it only to find I could use it later with just some new rods.

The olde horizontal Thunderbolt has copper windings. I started out with an Airco (made by Miller) in 1970. I did a lot of welding with that machine before I sold it and bought a used Model 88.

[Frank R]

Now you can get that scratch start TIG rig you know you want. It will run on that AC/DC and give you a lot more things to learn and practice. It really is fun and useful.

You people are all enablers!!!!

I just learned about scratch-start TIG. It is pretty cool.

[harcosparky]

I bought the Hobart Stickmate AC/DC welder for my son to practice on for school and me to take over when he is done.

It is the Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC machine but without the overpriced blue paint.

That blue paint adds about $100 to the price.

Plan on adding a MM211 to the mix once I am done some research on them.

If you have to do any welding outside in the driveway, you'll learn fast why a stick welder is a good thing to have!

I tried living with a MIG welder only, but kept running to my neighbors to borrow his stick welder.

I had a huge MIG welder that was overkill so I sold that and got enough money to replace it with the Hobart Stickmate and the Millermatic 211.

[Drf255]

Just a hobby guy here, but unless the job I'm doing is a really big one, I pull out the stick welder 99% of the time.

More fun, easiers to maneuver and set up. With 25' cables, I can weld anywhere in my driveway without having to roll the machine with me, check gas flow, make a wind break, adjust wre tension....