On Wed, 09 Nov 2005 01:30:05 GMT, "R. Zimmerman"
wrote:

Wire feed processes have left stick welding ( SMAW ) in the dust. Hard
wire MIG is considered 98 percent consumable. Some only claim 95. SMAW is
fortunate to get 65 percent consumable. This means you buy 100 pounds of
rod and only get 65 pounds of metal on the weldment.
All wire feed processes are faster than stick. In the long run in
commercial operations it would be financial suicide to be using SMAW. The
exception might be for small maintenance jobs.
You get cleaner and more consistent weld beads with less stops and
starts. Today I had to run a 3/8th fillet 57 inches long then do the same
thing again. That would have been a long smoky experience with stick. With
metal core wire which is what we use at work I could run a couple of feet of
weld before changing position. Some guys in the shop can run six feet of
weld without stopping but I am not up to it.
Stick welding will always be around just as there still is the odd
person Oxy-acetylene welding.
The only machines in our shop that is exclusively constant current is an
old 600 amp Lincoln that we use for Submerged arc welding and a 400 amp
gasoline portable. I believe we have 14 power sources. It's 12 against 2.
To be really up to date one needs inverters with pulse control and metal
cored wires.
Randy

High steel construction still uses stick and will for some time.
Mnpls Oxy sells hundreds of pounds of stick a day for that.
A spool gun pulling 1/8" wire 200 feet would be heavy as hell.