Comparison
MIG vs Stick: Which Should You Choose?
The short answer
MIG for speed and clean steel indoors; stick for wind, dirt, thick sections and site work. In Australia stick remains the outdoor standard — MIG the workshop one.
The verdict
MIG for speed and clean steel indoors; stick for wind, dirt, thick sections and site work. In Australia stick remains the outdoor standard — MIG the workshop one.
MIG — strengths and trade-offs
MIG welding (GMAW — Gas Metal Arc Welding): a continuously fed wire electrode melts into the weld pool under an argon-CO2 shield. Best for beginners, speed, sheet steel. Gas: an argon-CO2 mix (Argoshield-family) or 100% CO2. Difficulty: the easiest process to learn.
- Stick-out too long — keep 8–10 mm from nozzle to work for a stable arc
- Travel too slow on thin sheet, burning holes instead of building a bead
- Wrong wire size for the job — 0.9 mm covers most hobby work in Australia
Stick — strengths and trade-offs
Stick welding (MMAW/SMAW — Manual Metal Arc Welding): a flux-coated consumable electrode burns under its own shielding gas, with slag chipped off after. Best for outdoor and site work, thick steel, dirty or rusty metal. Gas: no shielding gas needed. Difficulty: moderate — harder to start than MIG, easier than TIG.
- Arc too long — stick wants a rod-width gap or less
- Dragging too fast, leaving thin, weak, undercut beads
- Not chipping and brushing slag between multi-passes — slag inclusions
Side by side
| MIG | Stick | |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | the easiest process to learn | moderate — harder to start than MIG, easier than TIG |
| Shielding | an argon-CO2 mix (Argoshield-family) or 100% CO2 | no shielding gas needed |
| Best for | beginners, speed | outdoor and site work, thick steel |
| Australian context | Most Australian hobby MIGs run from a standard 10A power point; 15A circuits unl… | The Australian site standard: 3.2 mm E4813/E4824-class rods at 100–140 A cover m… |
The honest answer
Most Australian workshops eventually run both — the decision is which to buy FIRST. Match it to where you weld (indoors/outdoors), what you weld (thin/thick, clean/dirty) and what you already have for power and gas. Our machine quiz settles it in six questions.
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