Is stick welding harder than MIG?
Yes, it is usually more difficult and time consuming to train a person to welding competence using the SMAW process (aka "stick") as compared to GMAW or FCAW (MIG or incorrectly called Gasless MIG) processes.
The latter processes are wire feed electrode and filler metal processes. One the machine is properly set up the welder has only to pull the trigger on the welding gun and keep the arc near the leading edge of the molten weld puddle to make acceptable welds.
For some essentially flat position production welding jobs, an operator with good hand and eye coordination can be making acceptable quality welds with no previous experience and having less than 5 minutes of closely supervised practice time when using the GMAW or FCAW processes.
