Amico Stick Welder Review

In this article we will be doing a review on the Amico Power Stick Arc Welder. It is best suited for light to medium work and this is where its real value is.

This welding machine is used by a wide range of welders. However, before purchasing it there a few things that you need to know about its features including the inverter stick, its welding power, its inverter dc, and a few other things that we think are important.

Just out of interest, the word “Amico” means “friend” in Italian. They are considered a leader in the industrial market, and in this article, we will be talking about this machine since which some people consider to be one of the premier arc welder models available.

The Amico Brand produces machines which perform TIG, MIG, STICK as well as voltage protection. We believe that their TIG and MIG machines offer great quality and value.

On our homepage we review a wide range of plasma cutters and welders.

What is Stick Welding?

Stick welding sometimes can be referred to as “Shielded Metal Arc Welding” (or SMAW for short), this is the use of an electrode and an electric current by a welder to join two or more metal pieces together. The Amico Power 160 Amp DC Stick Arc dc welder is ideal for this type of stick welding process.

The electrode’s core is made up of a metal rod that is surrounded by a metal compound-based covering, various metals powders, and a special binding agent that helps adhere them to the electrode’s surface.

Stick welding is considered to be very versatile. The equipment is portable and generally relatively inexpensive. I can be used in a wide range of work environments and is suitable for use on a range of the most common alloys and metals.  

Amico 160amp Stick Welder Review & Specifications

Inverter Design

The inverter design means that this unit is a lot smaller than a regular arc welder. The design has a range of benefits which includes the use of fewer consumables, stability, efficiency and as we mentioned before the practical lightweight size on the machine. This will quickly make up for the fact that the cost is initially a little higher.

Duty Cycle Review

The Amico stick welder is exceptional when it comes to its Duty Cycle. It is estimated to be at 60% when you are using the full 160 amps.

Understanding duty cycle – A duty cycle is an arc welder’s cooldown period that is measured in percentage. For example, a welding machine that has a duty cycle of 40% would need to cool off for 6 minutes after 4 minutes of continuous at full amps. The cooldown period will be shorter if you do not use the whole 160 amps. The duty cycle will incrementally rise as you reduce the amperage.

Weight Overview

Lightweight stick welders are not too easy to come by. This machine weighs just 18 pounds, this makes it one of the lightest inverter welders available on the market. With such a lightweight design it makes this machine ideal for small spaces or areas where access may be limited.

If what you are looking for is a portable welder, then this is definitely a great option. The Amico 160-amp Dc stick welder can be transported from one place to place with ease.

LED Display

The Amico’s 160 amp stick welder also comes with an easy to read LED display. This really brings the useability up to the modern era of welding machines. It is very clear and easy to read. It also has features such as flashing lights that which its “fault” section that highlight when there has been a problem.

Included Accessories

Now, Amico’s 160 welder comes with an electrode holder that is equipped with a 10-foot cable, a work clamp that is equipped with a 10-foot cable, an inverter welder, stick welders, an inverter dc, a power adapter cable and a plug for the adapter.

Value for Money

We consider this machine to be excellent value for money! Although some people may consider the price point to be in the medium bracket, it is important to look at the quality, accessories and versatility. That is why we consider this machine to be excellent value for what you get and is considered to be one of the finest machines in its price range.

Pros

This machine has a long list of pros that make it an excellent option.

• ETL-listed and is backed by a 1-year seller’s warranty
• Out of the box ready with exceptional accessories
• Dual voltage machine of 115V/230V
• Advanced inverter design
• Light weight and easy to transport
• Good penetration levels
• Easy to use LED display

Cons

The main con that some people consider with this machine is that it is DC compatible only. We personally don not feel that this is a big draw back as there are only a small number of people that rely on AC when it comes to welding. There are also cheaper stick welders on the market but again we believe that this machine is extremely good value for money.

Specifications of The Amico 160 Amp DC Stick Welder

• Rated Input Power: 2.3KVA & 6.9KVA Max
• Rated Input Current: 20A at 115V & 30A at 230V
• Rated Output: 25.2V at 115V & 26.4V at 230V
• Output Current: 20-160A Max
• Rated Duty Cycle: 60% at 115V/130A & 60% at 230V/160A
• 500A Work Clamp
• 10 ft. Power cable

Conclusion

Many welders would recommend the Amico 160 stick welder because it is considered to be an excellent machine, when you combine this with the long list of pros as stated above its easy to see why we recommend this product as one of the best value welders that you will find. There is not another model in its price range that even gets close, let alone matches its performance and value. Regardless of what your proficiency is as a welder, choosing the Amico 160 is a very good choice. It is not only a good fit for the new comer but is also and excellent and reliable backup for a professional.