Gasless only against gas-capable
Is a gasless-only machine ever the better buy when the dual machine costs €20 more?
These two sit next to each other in price and are not interchangeable. One cannot ever run gas; the other can do four processes. The question is whether you will weld outdoors.
| Compared on | FLUX 160 ST Digital | MIG/MAG 160 M |
|---|---|---|
| Gasless flux-cored | Yes — the only process | Yes, by reversing polarity |
| MIG under gas | No — no gas valve fitted | Yes |
| Stick (MMA) | Yes | Yes |
| Lift TIG | Yes | Yes |
| Current range published | 160 A maximum | 20–160 A |
| Weight | Not published | 6.8 kg (15 lb) |
| Bottle needed | Never | For clean MIG work |
| Price | ≈ €200 | ≈ €220 |
| Listed on amazon.com | No | Yes |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these machines answer different questions.
No amazon.com listing was found for this one. We hold references for other markets but none for the United States, so it may not be buyable here — which is the first thing to weigh against anything below.
Prefer the FLUX if your welding happens outdoors — gates, fences, trailers, machinery in a yard. No bottle to rent, store or carry, and no shield to be blown away.
Buy the 160 M for almost everyone else. Twenty dollars buys the option of clean, spatter-free welds indoors, and the published 20 A lower limit is what makes thin sheet possible.
No, and that is its defining limit. There is no gas solenoid and no connection to attach a regulator to, so the capability cannot be retrofitted at any price. A machine sold as MIG/MAG with a FLUX function does both; a FLUX machine does one.
Dirtier rather than weaker. Flux-cored wire carries its shielding in the core, and the flux becomes slag on top of the bead that must be chipped and brushed off. Spatter is heavier. A properly laid gasless weld is structurally sound — a great deal of site steelwork is welded this way.
160 A · gasless only · 3-in-1 · €200
A gasless-only machine, on purpose: no bottle, no regulator, no shielding to be blown away — for people who weld outdoors.
Best for: Gates, trailers, fence posts and anything welded where you cannot close a door
20–160 A · 4-in-1 · 6.8 kg (15 lb) · €220
Four processes in a 6.8 kg (15 lb) case, and the only machine here whose lower limit — 20 A — is published as well as its ceiling.
Best for: A small workshop that wants one box for occasional stick, TIG and MIG work
Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
