Hobart Stickmate LX235 welder

canoetrpr · May 29, 2008

Who would have thunk it but this city boy is now thinking about picking up a welder!

I finally spent a few hours working on my driveway project today. After I put the tractor away I noticed that the assembly that hooks on the guage wheels to my landscape rake has a weld that is coming apart. Looking at it, it looks like a weak setup so it was bound to happen.

I've been contracting out the odd small welding project I have to a local guy but I'd really like the ability to make at least small repairs myself - like this one. Primarily so that I am not dependant on someone else.

Many of you have shared your thoughts regarding welders previously. Based on that information I figured I'd keep an eye out for either a stick welder with AC/DC or a Mig - both 230 volt cause it didn't seem like anything that ran on 110 volt would cut it for the odd piece of 1/4" steel or more that would need to be welded.

Prices up here in Canada are still high. A new Lincoln AC/DC stick goes for $550 + tax (13%). On sale if I am lucky I can find one for $500. A new Hobart Stickmate LX235 AC/DC can be had via Nothern Tools for $420 +$138 shipping + $50 UPS fees + taxes = ~$600 + taxes.

I found a classified ad for a 2 year old Hobart Stickmate LX235 AC/DC. It's about 3 hrs away from me but I can have a friend pick it up or meet the seller half way. The seller is including a helmet, 10lbs or rods and rod storage holder, a pair of gloves and a welding jacket. He claims it has hardly been used - 5 hrs at most. Total he is looking for is $400.

I'm thinking this is a great deal and I should spring for it. Many have told me that Mig is easier for a newbie but about the most I could possibly afford ($600 or so on sale) is a Lincoln 180 which will probably be more than adequate for what I need but might not be able to tackle what the stick welder can and will be a heck of a lot more expensive and I won't be able to justify it until a while down the road.

What do you guys think? Should I spring for this stick welder? What kind of questions should I be asking? Anything that I need to ensure is included that would have come in the original box?

MrJimi · May 29, 2008

I would prefer a mig but you can look at
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for lots of good info
check the voltage and phase of electricity

automech · May 29, 2008

Not a terrible price if the gear is decent that comes with the welder. Around here, you can get a really cheap helmet, gloves and jacket for 50 to75 bucks easy. But cheap stuff is just that. Pro grade stuff costs more and is more desireable used. The stickmate is a nice enough unit though. I see tombstones around my area going for 100 bucks. I don't know how remote you are, but 3 hours seems like a haul to me.

Wombat125 · May 29, 2008

I would be inclined to hold out for a smaller 220v MIG. I have a Lincoln and it even makes my welds look good.

Also, if you're just starting, check the community colleges around your area. A few years back I took a couple not-for-degree welding classes that I think were about $170 for 60 contact hours and all materials included. Plus, as a NFD student, the instructors let me buid/play with whatever I wanted.

canoetrpr · May 29, 2008

Well I bit the bullet and have told the guy that I'm going to buy his stick machine. I'm making a trip towards him this weekend and he is going to meet mey about half way in exchange for some $ for gas.

How I wish we had the same size of market you folks have in the USA

Even the used AC only buzz boxes I see here are advertised for around $200-250.

I've never seen a AC/DC buzz box on a classified here. I can buy new at the TSC here for $620 after tax. A Stickmate is $700.

Figure I'm getting a decent deal at ~$400 with some basic stuff that might help me get started.

Found out that the guy selling picked his up in Texas so he's getting a pretty good deal on it for a few hours use

RobJ · May 30, 2008

You can get the AC buzzbox for a lot cheaper. Works just fine for most stuff and since this your first welder you'd never know the difference.

Bill_C · May 30, 2008

Equipment prices seem to be a good bit higher in Canada, so I'd say that's a decent price.

I use DC exclusively on the rods I run--6011 and 6013. With DC, these are easy to start and run--though I'm not an expert by any means. When I bought my Lincoln, I figured it this way: sure, an AC-only box is a hundred or maybe even $150 cheaper, but I figured a tiny bit more initial investment would serve me for the rest of my life. Believe me, I've been stuck several times saying "gosh, I wish I had spent the extra little money up front to get that other feature". Since there are some rods that are indeed DC only, I figure I'm set now, and so I should never need to buy another stick welder as long as I live. (Well, never say never)

johnk · May 30, 2008

Bill_C said:
Equipment prices seem to be a good bit higher in Canada, so I'd say that's a decent price.

I use DC exclusively on the rods I run--6011 and 6013. With DC, these are easy to start and run--though I'm not an expert by any means. When I bought my Lincoln, I figured it this way: sure, an AC-only box is a hundred or maybe even $150 cheaper, but I figured a tiny bit more initial investment would serve me for the rest of my life. Believe me, I've been stuck several times saying "gosh, I wish I had spent the extra little money up front to get that other feature". Since there are some rods that are indeed DC only, I figure I'm set now, and so I should never need to buy another stick welder as long as I live. (Well, never say never)

I felt the same way as you. I picked up the ac/dc hobart on closeout at TSC. Price was right and it is a great welder. Now all I have to do is practice some more. What a difference from my Lincoln 110V fluxcore mig. No comparison to the welds you can lay down w/ the 220 stick VS the 110V mig. Never used a 220 mig but I think the penetration might be more with a stick. Correct me if I'm wrong...I'm talking MAX settings on both.....

Bill_C · May 30, 2008

I've also got a Lincoln 110V wirefeed, I run flux-core instead of MIG.

No doubt that the big stick welder has FAR more penetration than the little wire-feed. So much so that I keep going back to the wire-feed for anything under 3/16 thick metal. With the big welder, I wind up going too slow or getting the arc gap too big sometimes and burning through pipe or square tubing. Heck, even the wire-feed can burn through 1/8 wall tubing easily.

Still, though, it's nice having BOTH welders. For portability and thinner stuff, the wire-feed is great, its so convenient. For thick stuff, the stick gives me as much power as I ever should need at home.

canoetrpr · May 31, 2008

I've gone back and forth a few times wondering if I should be getting a mig instead. Figured I could sell this stick up here for not much less or equal to what I paid for it if I really got into welding, or supplement it with a smaller 110 volt Mig perhaps some day.

The price is right for up here in Canada so I'm looking forward to getting it tomorrow!