Stainless Steel can be welded with a Tig Welder, Mig Welder, or Stick Welder so lets look at the pros & cons of each.

Tig Welding – This is the slowest process for welding Stainless steel, however, in the right hands, it will produce the nicest looking welds and because of its superior control, distortion can be better mitigated.  Stainless Steel is Tig Welded with a Direct Current (DC) output.

Pro = Control/Quality

Con = Slow

Mig Welding – This is the fastest and, arguably, the easiest process for welding Stainless Steel and is ideal for production environments.  Welds are unlikely to be works of art, but if that’s not important, Mig is a good option for most operators.

Pro = Fast and no harder than Mig Welding Mild Steel, no machine modification is needed, just a reel of Stainless Steel Wire and Argon/Co2 Gas.

Con = Not good for decorative welds.  Limited control of distortion.

Stick Welding – welding Stainless Steel with a stick welder is as straightforward as Mild Steel; if anything, slightly easier, as the rods tend to run with a nice soft, smooth arc.  Only thing to watch out for is the slag!  This tends to fly off on its own and has a nasty habit of getting in your eyes.  This is VERY painful (I speak from bitter experience ?? keep an auto helmet down, or wear safety glasses until ALL slag is removed.

Pro = No harder than stick welding Mild Steel

Con = Not as good as Tig for decorative welds and potentially dangerous slag removal.