Working with a DC stick welder can be an electrifying experience! Welders, be sure these moments are made with the right equipment and choose the right tool for your trade.
A quality stick welder will give you high max amperage outputs, dual voltage capabilities, come equipped with IGBT inverter technology and last but not least offers you the possibility to utilise other welding methods so that no metal remains unwelded.
On the other hand, a poor-quality stick welder is a huge waste of time & money (not to mention extremely frustrating to use). Nobody wants to work with stick welders that will just slow your workflow down.
To help you separate the good from the bad – we’ve reviewed the Top 7 Stick Welders of 2024.
Buy with the confidence that you’re buying one of the best stick welders that the market has to offer. Let’s jump straight into the reviews.
Table of Contents
Top 7 Best Stick Welders
Preview | Product | Key Features | |
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Best Overall
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Hobart 500570 Stickmate 160i |
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Check Price |
Premium Choice
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Lotos LTPDC2000D Plasma Cutter Tig Stick Welder 3 in 1 Combo Welding Machine... | Check Price | |
Excellent Value
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Mig Welder MIG-205 MIG TIG ARC Welding Machine Gas Gasless Welder 110/220V Dual... |
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Check Price |
Stanley Power 170 Stick Welder - Portable 230-Volt, 140-Amp Professional Welding... |
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Check Price | |
Lotos TIG/Stick TIG200-DC Welder 200Amp with pedal inverter Power Welding for... |
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Check Price | |
Rossi WSM-200 200A Dual Function TIG MMA ARC Inverter Welder Welding Machine |
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Check Price | |
HITBOX ARC160 Stick MMA Welding Mahine 220V Inverter Portable Rod Stick Arc... |
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Check Price |
Hobart Stickmate 500570 Stick Welder – Best Overall
- Dependable, reliable and rugged
- Easy to carry & store. Weighs under 20 lbs; 10 ft. (3 m) electrode cable with heavy- duty holder; 10 ft. (3 m) work cable with clamp ; 6.5 ft. (2 m) power cord with MVP adapters for 120V and 240V .
- Easy, quick, reliable starts with hot start technology
Look no further for potentially the best stick welder the industry has to offer! The Hobart Stickmate simply burns the competition away by being an all-round powerful stick welder capable of outperforming welders that are double, even triple its own size! This brand delivers as expected a lightweight and portable machine with an easy, quick, and reliable arc start provided by their proprietary Hot Start™ technology.
The best stick welders out on the market usually have a few common that makes them stand out of the crowd. Imagine that this stick welding machine passes even these expectations by offering a dependable, reliable (and fun!) experience whilst only weighing 6.8 kilograms.
Ever imagined a portable stick welder machine that comes with a shoulder strap? The list of high quality features doesn’t even stop here! It is accompanied by a 3-meter electrode cable with a heavy duty holder, a 3-meter work cable with clamp and a 2-meter power cord. Metal arc welding can be done using various machines and techniques but we consider that stick welding machines are quite easy to use when compared to TIG welding. When it comes to stick welding, of course a DC welder will almost always be the superior choice. A DC stick means fewer arc outages, less spatter, less sticking and best arc control. For the stick welding process, DC is the preferred output.
Being one of the best fair-priced welders means it also comes with dual voltage capabilities by allowing you to connect to 120 or 240V receptacles without tools. Another key feature is that it offers infinite amperage control for excellent heat output, accurate amperage control, and output current adjusting by as little as one-amp increments.
The producers are so confident in their high quality arc welder that they are offering a generous three-year warranty on all of their products.
Other features that we haven’t discussed but felt that you should know about:
- 30% duty cycle (240 Volts)
- Can weld steel AND stainless steel up to 3/8 inches!
- Amperage range between 20-160 amps
Overall we highly recommend the Hobart Stickmate 500570 for being a high-end and well-priced. Our opinion is that this simply brilliant arc welder should not be missing from anyone’s best stick welder reviews article!
Check Price- 160 A at 30% duty cycle output
- Easy to use
- Dual voltage capabilities without tools
- 3-year warranty
- Ergonomic electrode holder
- A little more expensive than other stick arc welders
Lotos LTPDC2000D Plasma Cutter: Tig Stick Welder 3 in 1 -Premium Choice
Here comes our premium choice in our search for the best stick welders on the market. The Lotos LTPDC2000D is a jack of all trades, by having a plasma cutting function, but also 2 types of welding (DC, TIG)! It may not have a low price, but we do find it perfect for many DIY projects, up to small business and industrial needs.
Once again, we always appreciate stick welding machines that is relatively lightweight but also portable.
It also features an amperage range between 15 and 200, accompanied by the accustomed dual voltage system (220/110 V).
You will be amazed by how clean a half an inch cut can look with this machine, but also by how well it welds with its MMA and tig welder (Output Current: 10-200 A at 220 V and 10-150 A at 110 V)
The rest of its features can be found here:
- Included Components: Tig torch, Plasma cutting torch, MMA/DC clamp, ground clamp, power supply
- Stick holder cable length 80 inches, power source cable length 70 inches
- IGBT/MOSFET based high-frequency inverter stick technology
Rest assured that even though this machine has three distinct functionalities, it is quite easy to use and comes with a one year warranty.
A machine that has stick welding capabilities, but also other 2 useful functions will come with a higher price, but we assure you that it’s worth every penny!
Check Price- Works as a plasma cutter, TIG torch and stick DC welder
- Perfect for DIY or small businesses
- Easy to use
- Dual voltage capability
- Fast arc welder starting time
- Not compatible with all other Lotos consumable sets or other third party ones
YESWELDER MIG-205DS Stick Welder – Great Price
- Synergic Controlled, very easy and simple operation.
- Gasless and Gas MIG weld, very easy and convenient on without gas welding and heavy duty MIG weld with gas.
- 7018,6011 stick weld,smooth weld and burning fast.
Coming in at a low price and an excellent value is the YESWELDER MIG-205DS, another great machine that comes with 3 separate features: MIG, TIG and shielded metal arc welding.
It’s designed for decoration, hardware, car modification, factory and equipment maintenance.
Having an easy setup only makes this stick welding machine one of the best options if an accessible price is on the top of your wishlist!
Stick welders should take note that this machine produces extremely smooth welds, with fast burning speeds, but will only work with 7018 and 6011 welding sticks.
The best part of this welding machine must be its synergic controlled interface that eases any amateur or professional welders life, by facilitating the switch from one mode to another from the push of a single button. It allows the automatic change of the voltage & wire feeding speed by modifying the amperage or selecting different thicknesses. It will match the welding chart set in the data.
Here’s a list of our favourite features:
- 60% duty cycle at 200A and 100% duty cycle at 154A
- Input power : 30-160A (MIG) 20-146A (MMA)
- Safety features through automatic voltage protection, over-current, and Over-heating
- Stable performance assured by IGBT inverter technology
Although it lacks some features and the power of our other arc welders, given its price we consider the MIG-205DS welding machine the perfect choice for anyone looking to do welding projects on a budget.
Check Price- Welders can enjoy three different welding modes
- Smooth welding process assures
- Comes with a 10-inch electrode holder
- Affordable price
- Tig welding and an extra TIG torch needs to be purchased
- DC stick only works with 7018 and 6011 models
Stanley Power 170 Stick Welder
- POWERFUL PORTABLE WELDER - Compact Professional Stick Welder Delivers 5-140 Amp Output Range for a Variety of Home, Shop & Jobsite Applications
- VERSATILE PERFORMANCE - Shielded Metal Arc Welding Machine is Suitable for Rutile, Basic, Stainless Steel & Cast Iron Electrode Rods [1/16" to 5/32" Diameter]
- ALL ACCESSORIES INCLUDED - Complete Set Arrives w/ Welder, Pro Carrying Case, Cables, Clamp, Electrode Holder, Brush/Hammer & Protective Face Shield
The Power 170 welder can become one of your best friends if used correctly. It is a great mid-range machine that can take on various jobs and is ready to fuse the toughest steel, alloy materials and iron! Any professional will surely enjoy this lightweight and finely made product from Italy.
Portability is a key feature of the Power 170 arc welder. You will be pleasantly surprised that it comes with a carrying case that doubles as a tool kit, alongside a much wider array of accessories such as a protective face shield and a brush/Hammer.
You will be proud of how smooth your welding lines will look! Coming into your aid are the smart technologies that Stanley managed to incorporate into an almost 10-kilogram welding machine: Antistick, ArcForce, and HotStart.
This arc welder can be plugged into a standard 230V outlet and has a 5-140 Amp output range to meet all your welding needs!
Take a look at the following features as well:
- TIG compatible
- Suitable for rutile, stainless steel, cast iron and basic electrodes
- Integrated thermal protection
- 1-year limited warranty
We consider this stick welding machine well priced given its great line-up of features and lack of a few others present in our other reviewed products.
Overall if you need a basic, but good welder, you should keep an eye out for this one!
Check Price- Lightweight
- Comes with a carrying kit
- Can weld multiple metals
- No dual voltages
- Max amperage lower than Hobart's
- Not suitable for heavier jobs
Lotos TIG/Stick TIG200 Stick Welder
- Most Popular Brand In USA
Here comes another great entry from Lotos! It works like a charm by being able to weld stainless/carbon steel, copper and other colour metals! It is best suited for weekend enthusiasts or even professionals looking for an industrial quality weld packed in a compact machine.
One of the great things about this arc welding machine is that it is dual voltage so you can use it for aluminium as well as steel. Using it is intuitive and it has clear controls by placing all its switches on the front side, so you won’t be dancing around looking for the right button.
A key feature of this welder is that it comes with a foot pedal with which you free up your hands, but also makes managing the heat output much easier. Talking about output, this welding machine has the following output current: at 240 Volts for its TIG torch is 17.6V/(10-190 A), and for its MMA welder its 28.4V/(30~185 A). Combining all these specifications, we get a welding capacity of 3/8″ (9.5mm) for mild steel and stainless steel.
The following features are also present:
- Both AC/DC welding outputs
- Great reliability
- Many accesories included (mask, ground clamp, tungsten electrode, etc.)
- Total weight of 14.5 -kilogramms
- 9 feet long welding electrode holder
Regarding its price, welders might find that its a bit pricier than other models from the same range, but believe us that the imvestment will be worth it!
We really recommend this welding machine, although it might not be among the best stick welders out there, it will get the job done.
Check Price- Capable of stick and TIG welding
- Wide arrays of accesories
- Foot pedal included
- Automatic dual voltage
- A bit heavy
- It may be hard to get used to the foot pedal
- More on the pricier range
Rossi WSM-200 Stick Welder
- TIG/MMA Inverter Welder - Genuine Rossi Multifunction Power!
- 200A Tig - 160A ARC, 10 - 200 Amp Current Range
- Latest Super Stable iGBT DC Inverter Technology
The Rossi WSM-200 can weld metals like no other in welders’ qualified hands. Be sure that no piece of copper, mild steel, stainless steel, or iron will remain unwelded around this multifunctional welder!
Being multifunctional means that you can use it as a TIG welder or arc welder at an output of 200A for the first one and 160A for the latter. Although it doesn’t work at multiple voltages, its input power of 240V at 50Hz will surely satisfy most of your welding needs.
Being a popular choice for any tradesmen, handyman or contract welder, it comes with inverter technology that allows for continuous current rectification, but also with a wide array of extra accessories.
You will be most surely pleased by its low weight of 8.5 kilograms and Rossi’s promise of it being generator friendly.
Here’s the rest of this welder’s features:
- 60% duty cycle
- Efficiency 85%
- Standard Australian power plug
Regarding its price, it is one of the most affordable welding machines out on the market at the moment, but take notice that it does lack some key features present at our Great Price choice from this list.
Concluding, we recommend this welding machine, but only if you not looking for a premium product, and are on a budget.
Check Price- Long duty cycle
- Lightweight and compact
- TIG, DC stick compatible
- Single input power
- Not as good as YESWELDER's product
- Unsuitable for heavy-duty jobs
HITBOX ARC160 Stick Welder
- 190-250V 50/60Hz Input current at rated output 30 Amp
- Digital control : MMA Stick / VRD
- 160 Amp / 26.4V / 60% Duty Cycle for 3.2mm Rods
The HITBOX ARC160 is not one item to be missing from your inventory. This welding machine can fit almost perfectly on your needs, it will most definitely learn your welding style and do a great job.
This machine is versatile and powerful: it features a 60Hz input and boasts digital control via MMA tool and VRD. It has a duty cycle measured at 60%, and its output power is rated at 160 amps, which is more than enough for medium difficulty work.
You’ll get an electrode holder as well an earth clamp as extra features, but that’s not all, even though ARC160A appears as unwieldy, it’s actually pretty small and nearly weightless. Its actual weight is 3.94 kilograms, so be sure that you will be able to carry this arc welder pretty much everywhere!
Here are some other features that caught our attention:
- Voltage input: 190-250V
- Output range: 30-160A
- Great for structural fabrication
- Useful for fence, hardware, windows, metal sheet welding
You may think this welder doesn’t have too much to offer, but take into consideration its low price and check its characteristics and you’ll come to the realization that it can keep up with almost any welders’ needs.
Overall, the HITBOX ARC160 is a simple and versatile tool that can match your expectations when it comes to small tasks.
Check Price- Lightweight
- 60 percent duty cycle
- Digital control
- No face mask included
- You might need a heavy duty welder for bigger jobs
- No TIG torch support
Things to consider before buying
Know what you want
Stick welders are machines used to join metal to metal using electricity by creating sufficient heat to melt them and afterwards through the process of cooling off, managing to bind them together.
These tools come in various sizes and amperages. Always check out if its amperage range suits your needs and that the metals that you intend to weld are covered in your products manual. Arc welders can run on two types of current: AC/DC, but we consider that DC currently owns the market so that shouldn’t be such big of an issue.
Know what you need
Are you in a search for a dedicated stick welder or looking for a multi-purpose tool? Multi-purpose tools can usually do one or two more things besides a dedicated product: TIG and plasma welding.
So, if your workshop can accommodate these extra features or your product comes installed with these accessories, be sure to take advantage of them cause you never know what type of job might come through your door!