If you have been quoted for a gate repair, a set of railings or a structural fix and one welder mentions TIG while another mentions stick, it is fair to wonder which you should be paying for. The honest answer is that neither is better overall. Each suits different metals, locations and budgets, and this guide explains how to tell which is right for your job.
Stick welding, properly called MMA (manual metal arc), uses a consumable flux-coated rod. The flux burns off to shield the weld from the air, which means it works outdoors in wind and rain and copes well with older, slightly rusty or painted steel once it has been roughly cleaned back. It is the workhorse for gates, fences, trailers and farm repairs across Kent for good reason.
TIG welding uses a tungsten electrode, a separate filler rod and a shield of argon gas. It is slower and needs cleaner, better-prepared metal, but it gives the welder precise control over heat. That precision is what you are paying for on thin stainless steel, aluminium and anything where the weld itself will be on show.
For most domestic work in Gravesend and the surrounding area, stick welding is the sensible choice. A driveway gate hinge that has cracked, a railing post rusted through at the base, a broken trailer chassis: these are mild steel, usually outdoors, and often not perfectly clean. Stick handles all of that, and because it is quicker, the labour cost is lower.
TIG earns its keep on specific jobs. A stainless steel balustrade or handrail, a cracked aluminium gate or garden furniture, a thin-walled exhaust or a repair where the finished weld will be visible and needs to look neat. Aluminium in particular cannot be stick welded to any decent standard on domestic thicknesses, so if your item is aluminium, the TIG question answers itself.
Rates vary by job, access and how much preparation is needed, but as a rough guide a mobile stick welding repair in this part of Kent tends to start somewhere around 80 to 150 pounds for a small job such as a gate or hinge repair, including travel and materials. TIG work usually costs more per hour, often 20 to 40 percent above a stick rate, because it is slower, uses argon gas and demands more setup and cleaning time.
That does not mean TIG is being sold to you unnecessarily if it appears on a quote. On stainless or aluminium it is usually the only proper option. Where you should ask questions is if someone quotes TIG for a straightforward outdoor mild steel repair, since the gas shield blows away in even a light breeze and the extra cost buys you little on that kind of work.
Start with the metal. Mild steel gate, fence or frame outdoors: expect stick, and treat that as a good sign the welder knows their trade. Stainless steel or aluminium, or anything thin and cosmetic: expect TIG, and expect it to take longer and cost a little more.
A decent welder will tell you which process fits rather than pushing whichever kit they prefer. When you get a quote, ask what process they intend to use and why, whether the work can be done in place or needs to come back to the workshop, and how they will protect the weld from corrosion afterwards. Clear answers to those three questions tell you more than any comparison of the processes themselves.
Not inherently. Both produce full-strength welds on the right material when done properly. Strength comes from correct preparation, penetration and technique rather than the process itself.
Stick welding copes well with wind and light weather, which is why it is standard for on-site gate and railing repairs. TIG needs still air because wind disperses the shielding gas, so TIG jobs are usually done in a workshop or under shelter.
Realistically no. Aluminium at domestic thicknesses needs TIG (or sometimes MIG) to get a sound, tidy repair, so expect a workshop job rather than a quick fix at the kerb. It is still usually far cheaper than replacing the gate.
Tell Michael about your job. Drop a quick message with what needs welding, where it is and a photo if you have one. He will come back the same day.