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How to use a stick welder

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have unpacked an MMA inverter, stared at the flux-coated rods, and wondered why the first strike spat metal at your boots. This guide covers setup, striking, travel and slag removal for gasless stick at home. It does not choose a model. Compare machines on the [electrode welding machine comparison](/hub/soldering-and-welding/electrode-welding-machine). Supply limits sit on [stick welder on a 13 A plug](/hub/soldering-and-welding/electrode-welding-machine/sub/electrode-welding-machine-13-amp-plug), and kit choices in the [buying guide](/hub/soldering-and-welding/electrode-welding-machine/sub/electrode-welding-machine-buying-guide). We did not run a lab bead test. The same steps apply to any of the eight stick inverters in that table.

You have unpacked an MMA inverter, stared at the flux-coated rods, and wondered why the first strike spat metal at your boots. This guide covers setup, striking, travel and slag removal for gasless stick at home.

Our top picks

Bimson Power Bimson Power 120 A

Best overall

Bimson Power Bimson Power 120 A
9.4/10about £37.99
View offer
HITBOX HITBOX ARC200S

Rank 2

HITBOX HITBOX ARC200S
9.0/10about £47.49
View offer
SOARFLY SOARFLY 250 A

Alternative

SOARFLY SOARFLY 250 A
8.6/10about £69.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before you switch on
  2. 2.Connect earth and holder
  3. 3.Choose a rod and starting amps
  4. 4.Striking and running a bead
  5. 5.Slag, cooling and when to stop

Before you switch on

Clear paint tins, cardboard and dry vegetation. Stick slag is hot and sharp, and HSE treats welding fume as a lung hazard even for a short garage job. Without local exhaust, open doors and windows and use suitable RPE. FFP3 is a common short-job starting point, with powered RPE when exposure grows. Cotton overalls beat fleeces. Leather gloves and boots resist spatter. Chip slag with goggles. A filter should meet BS EN ISO 16321-2, or the older EN 175, EN 169 and EN 379 set. If a kit mask is flat glass or too small, replace it before you upgrade amps. Check the cable, holder and earth clamp for cracked insulation or a loose braid. Open the BS 1363 plug and confirm a genuine 13 A BS 1362 fuse, not a bridged link.

Connect earth and holder

Clamp the earth to clean bare metal as close to the joint as practical. Paint and rust block current. On a gate hinge, move the clamp along the frame until you hear a stable arc, rather than leaving it on the hinge pin alone. Rest the electrode holder on an insulated hook when you pause. The holder stays live in MMA. HSE mechanical-repair guidance stresses that habit. Keep leads off the floor where you might step on them or drive over them. Polarity on these inverters is fixed internally. Follow the manual diagram. If the manual is vague, start with the rod size the listing recommends, usually 2.5 mm E6013 for first practice.
Bimson Power Bimson Power 120 A

Testsieger

Bimson Power Bimson Power 120 A
9.4/10about £37.99
View offer

Choose a rod and starting amps

Begin with 2.5 mm E6013 on mild steel. Typical DC bands suggest roughly 50–90 A for that diameter. Use the lower third on thin box section and the middle on 3–4 mm plate. A 120 A class machine caps you earlier than a 250 A headline box, and your socket may cap you before either nameplate does. Set hot start or arc force if your machine has them. HITBOX and SOARFLY expose those controls. Bimson does not. Increase arc force slightly if the pool feels sluggish. Reduce it if the rod digs or undercuts. Do not weld through thick paint or galvanising unless you accept porosity and extra fume. Grind to bright metal at least along the joint line.

Striking and running a bead

Scratch-start like lighting a match, then shorten the arc once the pool forms. A long arc hisses and porosity follows. If the rod freezes, you are too cold or too far. Nudge the amps up or tighten the arc. Travel so the ripples stay even. On a fillet, pause on the toes rather than the centre. Weave only as wide as the joint needs. If you stick, scratch faster or raise hot start. Clear slag before the next pass. Ease arc force or slow down if you undercut. A steady crackle beats a rattle. If the fan roars or the thermal cut-out trips, stop. None of the eight machines prints a duty-cycle percentage. Rest when the machine tells you.

Slag, cooling and when to stop

When you finish a pass, let the weld cool enough to handle, then chip the slag with a hammer and a wire brush. Inspect for cracks or trapped slag before you lay another bead. Multi-pass work needs cleaning between passes. Slag left behind never becomes steel. When you finish for the day, switch off at the wall, uncoil hot leads safely, and store rods in a dry tub. Moist E6013 misbehaves even on a good inverter. Call a professional for a structural car chassis, a tow bar, pressure pipe or load-bearing fabrication. Stick at home suits brackets and gates until you can prove joint quality. If you are still unsure the process fits the job, see MMA or MIG.

Common questions

Where do I clamp the earth lead?
On clean bare metal on the same workpiece, close to the weld zone. Paint and rust block the current. Move the clamp if the arc wanders or the sound goes from a steady crackle to a rattle.
How do I strike an arc without sticking?
Use a quick scratch at a slight angle, then shorten the arc once the pool forms. Hot start helps if your machine has it. HITBOX and SOARFLY name it. Practise on scrap before you touch the job.
What polarity do these inverters use?
They are factory-wired DC for stick. Follow the manual. You do not swap polarity the way you might on some old transformer sets. If the diagram is vague, start with 2.5 mm E6013.
How do I know the current setting?
Use the dial or the display as a starting point, then adjust by ear and by the shape of the pool. Displays can wash out in bright light. HITBOX owners report that outdoors. A steady crackle is a better guide than a number you cannot read.
When do I chip slag?
After each pass has cooled, and before the next bead or any paint. Slag looks dull and grey. Weld metal is brighter once you have brushed it. Slag left in the joint stays as a fault, not as steel.

Related pages

Best electrode welding machines

Electrode welding machine

Stick welder on a UK 13 A plug: fuse and wall amps

Electrode welding machine buying guide for garages

MMA versus MIG welders for UK gates and car panels

Sources

Sources taken from the research digest. Listings were captured on 19 October 2026. This page did not run a lab test.

  1. HSE — Welding controls (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  2. HSE — WL3, LEV and RPE for MMA (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  3. HSE — Other welding risks (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  4. HSE — Welding in motor vehicle repair (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  5. HSE — Avoid or reduce welding fume (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  6. GOV.UK — Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  7. Jasic — MMA guide (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  8. Crosarc — Product catalogue (retrieved 20.10.2026)