The extremely popular AC-225 stick welder from Lincoln Electric is celebrating a half century in production. This familiar ‘tombstone’ shaped AC stick welder, affectionately known as a ‘buzzbox’ or ‘crackerbox’ throughout the welding industry and farm, small shop and DIY marketplace, was first produced on May 12, 1961, at Lincoln Electric’s factory in Cleveland, OH.
 
The compact rectifier-based welder produces an extremely smooth AC arc for welding on a variety of materials, including carbon, low alloy and stainless steels as well as cast iron. The 40-225 amp range allows the operator to handle up to 3/16 in. (4.8 mm) carbon steel electrodes and up to 5/32 in. (4.0 mm) electrode diameters for other materials.

At this point, records indicate that several million units have been sold through welding distributors and retail hardware stores over the past 50 years. Many welding students, DIY weekend project warriors and farm operators recall learning to weld on this machine, which holds a special place in the history of the welding industry.

The company welcomes any personal stories, comments or photos about customer experiences with the AC-225 welder on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lincolnelectric.

For more information on Lincoln Electric’s AC-225 stick welder, call (888) 355-3213 or visit www.lincolnelectric.com to obtain Bulletin E2.30.