110v Stick Inverters

[KKempen]

I'm new to welding, and recently purchased a Forney AT-100, which has good reviews from most users.

Please excuse my ignorance, but I'm new to all this stuff.

I started practicing using 3/23" E6013, which works fairly well considering my limited skills. Fairly easy to strike an arc, and the Forney has plenty of power to melt it. (worked well from 60 amps though 100)

Next I moved to some 1/8" E6011, which was MUCH harder to strike an arc with, but burned Ok once it was lit. (welder set at 100A)

Next I tried some 3/32 E7018. (welder set at 100A) This rod was constantly sticking; very hard to start the arc. Once it started, though it was a better looking bead than the other 2 rods.

I know that striking an arc is something that takes lots of practice, but my question is this: Are 110v inverter welders like the Forney AT-100 always tough to get the arc started? Would a 220v inverter generally be easier to strike an arc with, without sticking the rod?

I like the flexibility of the 110v machine, but don't like fighting this hard to strike an arc, and am thinking maybe I should go with a 220v inverter instead.

Comments?

 

[Shield Arc]

What little experience I have with inverter welders, (never used a 120-volt stick welder) is they can be persnickety with the brand of welding rod being used. My Miller Dynasty loves ESAB's Atom Arc 7018, and ESAB's Sureweld 10P-Plus 6010, but my Everlast PowerArc 200 loves Lincoln's Excalibur 7018, and Hobart's 335A 6011, and ESAB's 10P 6010.

You may have to experiment with what brands / type of rod works best with your machine.

 

[Chilly807]

Try a small box of 7014 3/32 and see if you like them. 7018 is a good rod but a pr*** to re-light.

Sean

 

[k0ua]

Try a small box of 7014 3/32 and see if you like them. 7018 is a good rod but a pr*** to re-light.

Sean

Here is a trick to relight your 7018, Either drag the end across a rough file a couple of times, or with you glove on pinch the end of the rod pretty hard and break off the little "corn" that forms on the end. It will greatly ease the ability to restrike 7018 rods. As the guy says "stop pecking like a chicken"

James K0UA

 

[yomax4]

Not all 110v stick / tig inverters are the same. Each and every brand has a very different arc start. Never ran a Forney but the Millers and the Thermal Arcs have good arc starts. After that it would be your choice of rods. As stated above, They too can all run different. Try 7024 and 6013. Once you get the hang of it you will be able to run the others too.

 

[westbrooklawn]

I have a Miller Maxstar 150... it will run on both 110v and 220v. The 110v is handy for portability and being able to use it where 220v isn't available, but with my limited skill level I find it is easier to use on 220v, and it seems to weld better, even at lower amperage settings. That may be just me, or just my machine... don't know.

 

[rankrank1]

First, I am definitely not an expert welder (actually a Hack of a welder - LOL) so take this for what it is worth:

Your machine is only rated to run 1/16 to 3/32 rods from the manufacturer. Here is a Youtube Manufacturer video link even clearly stating this.

YouTube - Welding tips: Forney AT 100 Inverter

While you might be able to run some 1/8" diameter rods, I would guess that you would be somewhat limited to rod types that typically require less amps than other comparitive diameter rods (e.g. 1/8" 6013 usually takes less amps than 1/8" diameter 7014 or 7018 so you might be able to run 1/8" 6013 in a pinch pretty decently. Conversely, It is not uncommon for even 3/32" 7014 or 7018 rod to want more than the 100 amps that your welder can supply so there may be times that even 3/32" 7014 or 7018 does not work as well as you would like.

Lastly, Please keep updating this thread with your welders performance as you gain experience with it. I have been very intriqued with this inexpensive welder's performance (reason I found the youtube link). To me, It seems that the extra 20 amps that this cheap/lightweight/110 volt portable welder supplies would be very beneficial as compared to the Harbor Freight Inverter welder that is only 80 amps and actually a little more expensive too.

 

[k0ua]

First, I am definitely not an expert welder (actually a Hack of a welder - LOL) so take this for what it is worth:

Your machine is only rated to run 1/16 to 3/32 rods from the manufacturer. Here is a Youtube Manufacturer video link even clearly stating this.

YouTube - Welding tips: Forney AT 100 Inverter

While you might be able to run some 1/8" diameter rods, I would guess that you would be somewhat limited to rod types that typically require less amps than other comparitive diameter rods (e.g. 1/8" 6013 usually takes less amps than 1/8" diameter 7014 or 7018 so you might be able to run 1/8" 6013 in a pinch pretty decently. Conversely, It is not uncommon for even 3/32" 7014 or 7018 rod to want more than the 100 amps that your welder can supply so there may be times that even 3/32" 7014 or 7018 does not work as well as you would like.

Um.. 3/32 7018 should be in the 65 to 100 range.
I have had pretty fair luck with 7018 at 65 amps on 1/8 inch mild steel

1/8 6013 will run 80 to 130

These figures are from the miller welding calculator, but my experience with the 7018 at 65 amps is real world at least with my welder.. of course the amp settings in welders varies quite a bit I suppose.

James K0UA

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Rank,
If your welder requires 100 amps to run 3/32 7018, something is wrong.

 

[moeh1]

I have the little forney, my experience is that yes it is a little sticky to start, you'll have to work on strike vs drag technique a bit, it welds nice once you get an arc established. I only used one brand of new 3/32 rod to check it out. I didn't actually play with it much, bought it to play with tig, which I'm setting up for.

 

[rankrank1]

Rank,
If your welder requires 100 amps to run 3/32 7018, something is wrong.

Actually, I have never used 7018 as I do not have a rod oven and do not want to fight the rod storage issues for my very infrequent need to SMAW weld thicker metals. What little I had read about 7018 seemed to indicate that 7018 preferred the upper portions of the manufacturer amp recommendations similar to how 7014 does. Lincoln lists the amp range for 7018 3/32 as 70-120.

FWIW: I can do 95% of my limited welding needs with my little Lincoln SP-135 120 volt MIG. That said, I would like to try some 7018AC rods sometime just for kicks with my vintage Lincoln AC-225 buzzbox. Unfortunately, my buzzbox is AC only so I would need the 7018AC version, but 6011, 6013, or 7014 all work okay for my limited SMAW needs so have not done it yet.
Really, I have only been interested in the little Forney AT-100 as it can be purchased so cheaply and I hear DC is much better to weld with than AC so thought it might be fun to play with; being light and portable sounded appealing, and some scratch start TIG might be fun too.

 

[tommu56]

I have a Miller Maxstar 150... it will run on both 110v and 220v. The 110v is handy for portability and being able to use it where 220v isn't available, but with my limited skill level I find it is easier to use on 220v, and it seems to weld better, even at lower amperage settings. That may be just me, or just my machine... don't know.

I have the same one and thought it was me that it started easier on 220!

tom

 

[KKempen]

This is a follow-up to my original post about the 110v Forney welder. I ended up talking to Forney about my concerns with the AT-100. After hearing my description of the problems, they suspected that the unit was defective. As it turns out, they're dropping this model from their line-up. They wouldn't come out and say anything specifically, but I get the impression they've had issues with the AT-100.

I ended up ordering a no-name 110/220v 200A inverter from a Chinese company, and received it today. I haven't tried it yet on 220v, but on 110v, it welds beautifully! Much much better than the Forney ever did. It's very easy to strike an arc using the same 7018 rods that I had so much trouble with before. I haven't put an amprobe on the power line yet, but it seems to be drawing fewer amps from the 110v line as well (never tripped a breaker once). The other thing that impresses me is that even when I drop the current down to 50 amps and lower, the arc remains very easy to strike.

Tomorrow, I'll pick up a 220v plug so that I can try it on the higher voltage, but it works amazingly well on 110. I'm really glad I decided to try a different inverter. Night and day difference!

 

[rankrank1]

Can you tell us a little more about your new Welder. If it is a no name, then Where is it sold? and Cost?

Also specs would be great too (e.g. Max amps and duty cycle on 110 Volts and max amps and duty cycle on 220 volts).

thanks

 

[KKempen]

The Chinese welder that I bought can be seen here:

Wholesale IGBT Inverter DC MMA welding machine 2011 new products

The unit I received was not exactly as shown in the picture, but has the same specs. It's a bit risky buying this kind of thing direct from China, so I won't suggest that anyone else do it. It welds great, but who knows how it will last.

This is a hobby for me; not a business; so if this thing dies unexpectedly, it's only an inconvenience. All I know for sure is, it certainly welds a lot better than the Forney did!

 

[robphillips00]

One of my Ag Mechanics students just won a thermal arc inverter at a contest. Arc strike is a little different but it welds real well for what it is.
Just a little practice and you'll be fine.

 

[rankrank1]

The Chinese welder that I bought can be seen here:

Wholesale IGBT Inverter DC MMA welding machine 2011 new products

The unit I received was not exactly as shown in the picture, but has the same specs. It's a bit risky buying this kind of thing direct from China, so I won't suggest that anyone else do it. It welds great, but who knows how it will last.

This is a hobby for me; not a business; so if this thing dies unexpectedly, it's only an inconvenience. All I know for sure is, it certainly welds a lot better than the Forney did!

Unless I mis-read the specs, it appears your new welder is a 220 volt only machine which I would expect to weld better than the 110 volt Forney that you had. Will it work on 110 volt too at reduced capacity of course?

Personally, I would love to find an affordable dual voltage inverter that would do 120 or more amps on 110 volts and around 180 amps or more on 220 in arc welding mode. Even if the duty cycle is a little light it would still work okay for me as I mostly do repairs as compared to building vast things from scratch. The Thermal Arc 161 is somewhat appealing.

 

[yomax4]

The Thermal Arc 161 has Power Factor and a host of other cool features. You get a true 100 amps out of a 115v outlet. 230 is sweet as well and the lift start on tig is as good as it gets.

 

[MillWeld]

KKempen, my experience with starting the arcs on the 3 electrodes you mentioned is about the same as yours with my AC welder. If you ever stop the arc on a 7018 it is very difficult to restart. I would say you have to use the tip as a hammer to chip off the "corn". I reserve 7018s for welds where I can use up the entire electrode in one pass.

 

[yomax4]

If you buy a small inverter Tig / Stick unit from wherever, Look for a Hot Start option like you will find on a Thermal Arc 161 STL. You can restart 7018 with no problem at all. Hot Start is great on all rods, It's almost like you just get the rod close to the work and it starts.