Is stick welding a good choice for a beginner
Yes, I will say stick welding is a good choice for any beginner because the machine and consumables are cheaper at all levels. It is easy to set up and get high-quality weld with but can be a bit challenging to weld when starting out.
The best choice of welding for a beginner will be MIG welding because of how easy it is to learn and do. I did a full post on why MIG welding is the best for beginners and home use.
Stick welding is the second hardest type of welding there is, but don’t be frightened there are four main types of electric arc welding and two of them are basically the same(MIG and flux-core)
Is stick/MMA welding still relevant
Yes by far it is still relevant and will be for years and years to come. It has just been less common because of how more and more MIG welders have become smaller and easier to transport.
That being said theirs still a lot of benefits stick welders have over MIG and vice-versa. I did a full detailed post on stick welding vs MIG welding it is a great resource for knowing the difference between the two.
Top 5 MMA/Stick Welders
MMA or better known as stick welders are welding machines that use electrode rods(the stick) to weld. The electrode rod is consumed while you weld and has to be replaced often.
These types of welding machines tend to be the cheapest welding types and the most common in homes.
They are great to have in your home or for traveling due to their small size and cheap price, but are a lot harder to use than MIG welder.
Disclaimer: All MMA machines will be able to weld TIG, but I won’t include the function in my reviews unless the machine is designed with TIG in mind.
1. DEKOPRO 110/220V MMA Welder
For beginners, DIY, and at home
Amazon bestseller with 4.6/5 stars and over 4000 ratings
The dekopro welding machine is a neat small inverter that’s mainly used for MMA welding or better know as stick welding.
It has a quality look to it with a small LED screen to display your current settings on and a quality design.
The earth clamps and electrode holder you get with it seem a bit cheap, but you can always replace them later on.
Features | Features met |
| Multi-function | No |
| Welding types it can do | MMA/Stick |
| AC/DC | DC |
| 3 or single-phase | Single |
| Max wire spool weight | N/A |
| Amp range | 10-160 |
| Max thickness weldable | N/A |
| Dual voltage | 110/220V |
| Requires gas | No |
| Includes extras (torch, earth) | Yes |
| Beginner-friendly | Yes |
| Home use | Yes |
| Portability | 4.9/5 |
| Item weight | 12.1lb |
| Best used for | Repairs/Learning |
| Price | $ |
TOOLIOM 195A Stick Welder
Great for beginners
With 4.6/5 stars and over 500 ratings
The tooliom stick welder has multiple protection mechanisms to it, such as overcurrent protection and overload protection. Helping to prevent the electrode from sticking to the base metal.
They also claim to have overheating protection but this is a standard in all machines and should be expected to be in all of them.
The 195 amps this machine can output can come in handy especially if you want to weld material thicker than 5/32 inch.
The machine is mainly made from plastic but this contributes to its low price. Resulting in a good welding machine at a great price.
Great for beginners
Features | Features met |
| Multi-function | Yes |
| Welding types it can do | Stick, Lift TIG |
| AC/DC | DC |
| 3 or single-phase | Single |
| Max wire spool weight | N/A |
| Amp | 195A |
| Max thickness weldable | 5/32inch(4mm) |
| Dual voltage | 110/220V |
| Requires gas | No |
| Includes extras (torch, earth) | Yes |
| Beginner-friendly | Yes |
| Home use | Yes |
| Portability | 4.6/5 |
| Item weight | 17.5lb |
| Best used for | Field repairs/backup Learning |
| Price | $ |
YESWELDER Stick Welder 165Amp
For student welders and beginners
With 4.6/5 stars and almost 500 ratings
This Yeswelder stick welder is the best value for money stick welder you can get on amazon. Making it the best choice for beginner welders.
It might not be that appealing visually, but it makes up for that in how simple it is to use and understand the setting and controls on it.
This machine also has the same protection features as the above-mentioned stick welder.
Features | Features met |
| Multi-function | Yes |
| Welding types it can do | Stick, Lift TIG |
| AC/DC | DC |
| 3 or single-phase | Single |
| Max wire spool weight | N/A |
| Amp | 165A |
| Max thickness weldable | N/A |
| Dual voltage | 110/220V |
| Requires gas | No |
| Includes extras (torch, earth) | Yes |
| Beginner-friendly | Yes |
| Home use | Yes |
| Portability | 4.8/5 |
| Item weight | 11lb |
| Best used for | Field repairs/backup/ Learning |
| Price | $ |
Forney 291 Easy Weld
Great for professionals and semi-pro
With 4.6/5 stars and almost 200 ratings
The Forney is the most expensive stick welder on the list but is the best quality machine all around. This machine will be a better choice if you are looking to weld a lot.
This is a great choice for professionals that are looking for a stick welder. If you are a beginner you still won’t go wrong getting this machine. It will most likely last you a very long time if you take good care of it.
The lack of a screen and simplistic knobs might seem like it is outdated. This is actually better because these LED screens tend to get burnt with the sparks if you aren’t careful and making them hard to read after a while. They can also just break for some reason.
The simple knobs just give it that level of security. You will always be able to see where your amps are or if you are on TIG or stick.
Features | Features met |
| Multi-function | Yes |
| Welding types it can do | Stick, Lift TIG |
| AC/DC | DC |
| 3 or single-phase | Single |
| Max wire spool weight | N/A |
| Amp range | 10-180A |
| Max thickness weldable | 1/2 inch |
| Dual voltage | 120/230V |
| Requires gas | No |
| Includes extras (torch, earth) | Yes |
| Beginner-friendly | Yes |
| Home use | Yes |
| Portability | Very |
| Item weight | 14lb |
| Best used for | Heavy-duty work/ Fieldwork/ Workshop |
| Price | $$ |
ESAB MINIARC Rogue ES
Ultimate professional and tradesman stick welder
With 4.7/5 stars
This ESAB Miniarc Rogue ES invertor is extremely expensive. That being said ESAB is one of the best welding machine brands you can get.
If you are looking for the best of the best ESAB is one of the ways to go. Everything you get from the machine to extras is of high quality.
You will feel the quality while you are welding with smooth and stable welds that’s on a single-phase power supply or a generator.
All this great power in a tiny machine. I also don’t believe there’s something of this caliber from the other top welding brands out there.
The best choice for professionals out there that you will get and it’s available on amazon. The toughness of this machine and that it’s waterproof makes it great for out on job sites, workshops, and outside use. It’s also a very reliable machine for repairs or fabrication.
Features | Features met |
| Multi-function | Yes |
| Welding types it can do | Stick, Lift TIG |
| AC/DC | DC |
| 3 or single-phase | Single |
| Max wire spool weight | N/A |
| Amp | 180A |
| Max thickness weldable | N/A |
| Dual voltage | 120/230V |
| Requires gas | No |
| Includes extras (torch, earth) | Yes |
| Beginner-friendly | Yes |
| Home use | Yes |
| Portability | Very |
| Item weight | 18.2lb |
| Best used for | Heavy-duty work/ Fieldwork/ Professional work |
| Price | $$$$ |
Conclusion
In conclusion, my personal choice for a stick welder is the Forney Easy Weld. This is due to its rugged and simplistic design of it and that it isn’t too expensive.
There are a ton of different welders available on amazon so I do recommend you go and check them out if you don’t find what you are looking for here.
Also, remember to wear your PPE for welding when you plan to do any sort of welding.
