Stick welding
What thickness can you weld with stick welding?
Quick answer
A 250 A stick inverter welds 10 mm+ plate with 4 mm rods and multi-pass; a 120 A entry unit tops out around 4–5 mm with 2.6 mm rods.
Numbers by machine/output class
| Thickness | Rod | Current |
|---|---|---|
| ~2 mm | 2.0 mm | 40–70 A |
| 3–4 mm | 2.6 mm | 70–110 A |
| 6 mm | 3.2 mm | 100–140 A |
| 10 mm+ | 4.0 mm | 140–190 A |
Beyond single-pass
Thickness limits assume full-penetation single-pass welds. Bevelling the joint, multi-pass stacking and preheat on thick sections extend any process dramatically — that's how structural welders join 50 mm plate with the same physics. Match the machine class to the thickness you actually weld 90% of the time.