Many of us learned to weld using a bulky, tombstone-shaped arc welder that lived in a corner of the shop. They were called buzz boxes because every time a novice welder “stuck” the welding rod to what they were welding, the welder emitted an ominous, dreaded “buzzzzz.”
You can still buy modernized buzz box welders, such as a Lincoln Electric 225 stick welder that provides 225-amp max welding capacity, for $500. The welder requires a 220-volt electrical connection and offers new technology that reduces “sticking” when starting arcs, and helps maintain a steady arc while welding. It’s still shaped like a tombstone and weighs around 120 pounds, but is a workhorse unit for many farm shops.
But there’s a new breed of welder in town that costs less, weighs less, and has nearly the same capacity as those tombstone welders. Tombstone welders are heavy because they contain bulky, copper-wound electric transformers. Inverter welders, on the other hand, create their amperage by storing electricity in a series of capacitors, then use sophisticated software to modulate and deliver that electricity. Capacitors are much lighter than transformers. The result: welders that weigh as little as 15 pounds. For example:
Lincoln Electric’s Century Inverter Arc 120 has a 70-amp max welding capacity, weighs only 17 pounds and costs $320. Hobart’s Stickmate 160i Dual Voltage Inverter Welder operates on either 120- or 220-volt circuits, with a max output of 160 amps when connected to a 220-volt power supply. It weighs 15 pounds and retails for $500.
Harbor Freight’s “Titanium” Stick 225 inverter welder provides 70 amps of welding power on 120-volt power supplies, or 225 amps of welding power when connected to a 220-volt power supply. It retails for $319 and weighs 16.5 pounds.
Inverter welders are not for welding structural steel all day long. But for repairs around the farm, their economical cost, light weight and ability to use 120-volt or 220-volt power supplies make them practical.
