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MMA or MIG welder?

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are fixing a gate one weekend and wondering whether the next purchase should be a stick inverter or a wire-feed MIG. Both appear in trade guides and forum threads, but the trade-offs for a UK garage differ from an industrial brochure. This page compares manual metal arc (stick) with metal inert gas (MIG) and flux-cored wire. It does not list MIG models. Stick rows live on our [electrode welding machine comparison](/hub/soldering-and-welding/electrode-welding-machine). Kit detail is in the [buying guide](/hub/soldering-and-welding/electrode-welding-machine/sub/electrode-welding-machine-buying-guide). First beads are on [how to use a stick welder](/hub/soldering-and-welding/electrode-welding-machine/sub/electrode-welding-machine-how-to-use).

You are fixing a gate one weekend and wondering whether the next purchase should be a stick inverter or a wire-feed MIG.

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.What stick (MMA) is good at
  2. 2.What MIG is good at
  3. 3.Overlap and confusion
  4. 4.Choose stick if, or choose MIG if
  5. 5.What this comparison covers

What stick (MMA) is good at

Stick welds through rust and wind better than bare MIG gas, which makes it the default picture for farm gates, fence posts and outdoor bracket repairs, provided you control fume. You carry rods, not a gas bottle, so the setup fits a shed corner. The inverters in the stick table are compact. SOARFLY’s bullets even use farm and stair-rail language. Penetration on thicker mild steel is stick’s strength relative to thin-sheet MIG, though you still need sensible amps and a clean joint for anything you trust. Lift TIG on HITBOX or SOARFLY blurs the line, and the torch is extra. TIG is its own learning curve. The downsides are slag, spatter and slower cleanup. Stick fume remains hazardous under HSE rules. Sporadic work still needs ventilation or RPE. Beginners find striking harder than pulling a MIG trigger, yet stick teaches you to read the pool.

What MIG is good at

MIG, especially solid wire with shielding gas, excels on clean thin sheet, car panels and long straight seams indoors. Deposition rate beats stick when conditions are stable. The bead is cleaner, with less chipping afterwards. Gasless flux-cored MIG exists on amazon.co.uk, and some boxes mention an MMA mode. If the product is primarily a wire feeder with gasless flux, compare it on the MIG/MAG welding machine comparison, not in this stick table. Process fit matters more than a shared carton photo. MIG gas hates draughts. Outdoor gate work in a breeze pushes you back toward stick, or toward a well-shielded flux process. Bottles add rental or refill logistics unless you run a small disposable cylinder for tiny jobs.
Bimson Power Bimson Power 120 A

Testsieger

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

Overlap and confusion

Flux-cored MIG without gas is not stick, though both use flux. Wire feed feels different, and a cheap liner can bird-nest. Stick uses a fixed rod and your hand. It is simpler mechanically, and harder in the first hour. Lift TIG on HITBOX or SOARFLY is a later upgrade. The torch is not in the box. A 13 A plug still limits how long either process can run hot. Do not assume a wire feeder solves the supply.

Choose stick if, or choose MIG if

Choose stick if you repair rusty outdoor steel, want no gas bottle, and the jobs are gates, hinges, trailers and farm kit. Start with 2.5 mm E6013. HITBOX is the top pick in this set. Bimson is the best value when you want a mask in the box. Choose MIG if you weld clean thin sheet indoors, want less slag, and can manage gas or a decent flux-cored wire. Stick can burn through 1 mm car skin before you notice. Choose neither yet if you only solder electronics.

What this comparison covers

This table lists eight gasless MMA stick inverters on amazon.co.uk. MIG models are not rows here. When you pick wire, use the MIG/MAG comparison in this hub. Stick remains a sound garage entry if you respect fume, the fuse and rod size. MIG remains the refinement for thin, clean, indoor metal. A gasless MIG that merely lists MMA in the manual still belongs with the wire-feed machines until you buy a dedicated stick inverter.

Common questions

Is stick easier than MIG for a complete beginner?
A MIG trigger feels easier at first. Stick teaches the strike and the pool in one step. Many beginners succeed with either if they practise on scrap. Stick has fewer consumables to tune at the start. MIG has less slag to chip once the gas and the wire are set.
Can I weld car panels with stick?
It is possible, and it is risky on thin autobody steel. Burn-through arrives quickly. MIG or TIG suits panels. Stick suits brackets and thicker mounts. Do not buy a stick inverter in this table as a car-skin tool.
Do I need gas for MIG?
Solid wire needs shielding gas indoors. Flux-cored gasless MIG avoids the bottle, and it is not the same process as a stick rod. Gas MIG also struggles in a draught, which is why outdoor gates usually stay with stick.
Which works outside on a farm?
Stick, with RPE and a fire watch. Gas MIG blows away in wind unless you switch to a well-shielded flux wire and accept the cleanup. You carry rods rather than a cylinder, which is why the stick rows suit a shed and a field gate.
Is flux-cored MIG the same as stick?
Both use flux. Delivery and the machine differ. Wire feed can bird-nest if the liner is poor. Stick is a coated rod you feed by hand. Compare flux-cored wire machines in the MIG category. Compare stick on this electrode welding machine table.

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

How to use a stick welder: strike, travel and slag

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)