It is free. But other than that, why would I want one? I have an ancient wire feed welder for the sheet metal stuff that I need to use more than I do.
And I see that Lincoln still sells these, so it may not be as old as I think. It looks like this, but dirty.
Because they just work.
ShawnG said:Because they just work.
And work, and work...
as I recall the older ones had copper windings and then they changed to aluminum windings
it probably does not matter if you are using it yourself and not for production work.
Because for that price it'll come in handy if you never use it.
I've had this Miller for (yikes) 40 years and it's never not done what it's supposed to do and is my go to when I absolutely need a strong weld. That Lincoln will be no different
I learned to stick weld with that model of Miller.
I owned a Lincoln tombstone like that for a very long time. I sold it when I moved because I thought my Lincoln 225 Mig could handle everything.
After much frustration having to make multiple passes on some trailer repairs, I bought an ancient Comet stick welder to handle the ugly farmer jobs.
7014 rod, turn up the heat and push it in. Works every time.
In reply to ShawnG :
Welding is welding, one is not typically better than the other except for specific applications, but there are a few reasons that stick is still required for structural work.
Where I worked we had a few hundred 450A mig machines but for everything critical we used the big old stick machines.
I think everybody should learn to arc weld first
In reply to Peabody :
I didn't say one was better than the other.
In reply to ShawnG :
No, I know, that was more for the benefit people who generally think that tig and mig are better, which they are not.
I applaud your use of 7014. In every shop I've ever worked, 7018 was the predominant or only rod they had and nobody could ever tell me why. 7014 is usually a better choice.
I welded a lot of roll cages with that Miller and a box of 6013
It's heavy and limited in capacity, but it should work. Newer stick welders are much, much, MUCH lighter and more portable but I worry about their fragility sometimes, particularly as we chuck them in the van/truck for job sites.
In reply to Peabody :
I was struggling a bit with 6013 and my industrial supply guy gave me a bundle of 7014 to try. Made a huge difference in the ease of "stick things together" for general fabrication.
I think 6013 does freeze a bit faster if you're working vertical or overhead.
Now I use it for almost everything.
Stupid question ,
Can my Auto darkening MIG welding helmet work OK with a stick Arc welder ?
Thanks for the info .
In reply to ShawnG :
They call it farmer rod for a reason!
I only used 6013 because it's a low penetration rod, better for working on .093" tubing with sometimes less than ideal fit up, and plenty strong.
In reply to californiamilleghia :
Yes
Yes you want it, some day you will have to weld some rusty hulk. Hit it will some 6011, to burn through everything and cover it with 6013 for looks. Or just hook it up to stuff to make it glow.
I had a copper wound one for 30 years, sold it to some kid for $150, he wanted to build a trailer.
I have a 1973 Craftsman 220v copper one in the shop. Can't part with it because of its history of builds. But, I mostly use the MIG. Maybe, because later in life i can afford new metal. 
Most shops in Florida also had a shop refrigerator to keep the rods dry and rust free.
Occasionally i still try to "strike" the MIG to start a weld. 
Wait, you build roll cages with stick welders? I'm intrigued. Is that still your preferred method?
And... I guess I'm on my way to YouTube.
confuZion3 said:Wait, you build roll cages with stick welders? I'm intrigued. Is that still your preferred method?
Why couldn't you? Welding is welding, one is not typically better than the other except for specific applications. One of those applications would be moly tubing, but you shouldn't be building a cage with that anyway.
For mild steel cages, I would probably use a mig welder because it's fast, it's easy, and I'm an experienced welder and fabricator. For less experienced welders, or beginners, I will always recommend a stick machine for safety.
It's really easy to lay down a good looking mig weld that has no, or almost no structural value. It's damn near impossible to do that with an arc machine.
I'd snag it.
I use my stick machine about 50% of the time if it's a quick repair to a trailer or something. The leads are 30' instead of 8'. No gas to deal with, no rolling the machine out to get it close to the work. I can drag the leads out and be done with the job before I can get the MIG and the 50-amp extension cord out of the shop.
I just picked up this little guy to haul to the track. It weighs about 5 pounds and does a surprisingly good job. We ended up using it to weld the radiator support back together after a driver rear-ended another car.
Those old Lincolns weigh a ton because they've got a E36 M3-ton of copper in them. They will glue anything metal together quite permanently, and they'll do it with a panache that cannot be matched by a newer welder. Bonus- buy a hose adapter, a regulator, a TIG torch, reverse the polarity, and you've got a monster TIG that will weld structural stainless.
ShawnG said:In reply to Peabody :
I was struggling a bit with 6013 and my industrial supply guy gave me a bundle of 7014 to try. Made a huge difference in the ease of "stick things together" for general fabrication.
I think 6013 does freeze a bit faster if you're working vertical or overhead.
Now I use it for almost everything.
I have heard 7014 locally referred to as "farmers garbage rod."
Stick welders are still the go to if you weld out of doors or in crummy weather or you do not have the time, ability or interest in cleaning and prepping the welding surfaces. Also not affected by wind. Having said that, I finally dumped mine because I do not do any of those things any more and it takes up valuable shop space.
bearmtnmartin (Forum Supporter) said:ShawnG said:In reply to Peabody :
I was struggling a bit with 6013 and my industrial supply guy gave me a bundle of 7014 to try. Made a huge difference in the ease of "stick things together" for general fabrication.
I think 6013 does freeze a bit faster if you're working vertical or overhead.
Now I use it for almost everything.
I have heard 7014 locally referred to as "farmers garbage rod."
Probably by guys who watched Mikey on Orange County Choppers stick things together with his hot metal glue gun.
bearmtnmartin (Forum Supporter) said:Stick welders are still the go to if you weld out of doors or in crummy weather or you do not have the time, ability or interest in cleaning and prepping the welding surfaces.
Or anything structural that needs to be certified.
I'm pretty sure 7014's been called Farmer rod since I started welding about 50 years ago. But if you want a real farmer rod, try out a 7024. You can strike an arc, set it down and walk away. The rod will lay down a bead like a pro. I've also used rods from a number of specialty manufacturers that are particularly welcoming to new welders. Lawson Products make some that are beautiful to weld with, but not cheap.
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