"Ignoramus32681" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 08 Nov 2005 11:57:25 -0800, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Maybe I am missing something, I am a welding newbie.

Well, MIG wire is the 'M' part, you are indeed missing the 'IG' part.
Welding
gas costs money too, a fair amount in fact. Also, MIG guns have
consumables like
tips and nozzles that have to be replaced, and the entire MIG guns don't
last
forever. Stick machines are real simple, and require few consumables. You
might
have to replace a ground clamp or maybe even an electrode holder, rarely.

Really, stick welding is cheaper. And this doesn't even count capital
equipment
costs, either.

MIG machines cost much more than stick machines. There is a clean Miller
DialArc
250 languishing in my area for $200. This is a 100% duty cycle heavy duty
industrial DC stick welder. Buying and equipping an "equivalent" MIG
welder
would cost you at *least* $1100.

Comparison:

Capital cost: MIG about 4X stick
Electricity cost: about par
Electrode cost: about par
Gas cost: MIG significant, stick zero
Consumables: MIG about 100X stick

That makes sense to me. Steel costs the same, but other expenses are
very different. With mig though, I would not need to chip off
slag. Thanks.

i

But if you get good with a stick the slag falls of by itself in allot of
cases.
Steve