Which Welding Rods?

[Maine Coon]

Which welding rods do you guys use? I like Lincoln 7018 however they are quite expensive.

 

[Bobcat753]

I like Hobart 7018. It's what I learned on and have liked it since. I've used lincoln but don't care for it.

 

[BD1]

It kind of depends on what you are welding and if you are using AC or DC welding machine. 6010 DC and 6011 AC are good for all position welding and works great for rusty or dirty metal. 7018 is available in AC or DC, it runs best when matches the polarity. 6013 and 7014 are good AC rods too.

 

[tractordude]

I like 7018 also, but 7018 is a "dry" rod. 7018 work best right out of the oven.

6011 & 6013 are good all purpose rods, that burn fine anytime.

 

[Rogue1987]

Excalibur 7018's for general day to day welding. Bust open a new can if it's something important. Sometimes 6011, 6013, 7014 and 7024, depending on application.

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[rockinacummins]

Lincoln 6010 5P+ for most jobs.
Lincoln shield arc 7018 for clean, pretty, high tensil welds.

 

[2mJps]

I do alot of stick welding i just got some 6011 last week i dont think there is alot of diffrents in price. There is alot of diffrents in brands and how they weld. I dont think rods are made the same as years ago. There was a brand of 6011s that made a weld that was very clean and smooth about like a 7018.

 

[jmckenzie9713]

I like Lincoln Excalibur 7018MR H4R, or the Hobart equivalent Hobart XLM 7018 H4R. We use it at work for elevator rail brackets, never see's a rod oven and lays down nice. It's 35-40 for a 10lb can and worth every penny

 

[MagKarl]

1/8" 6011 and 7018AC for me, depending on the material condition and what it's for. Usually get the 5lb Lincoln boxes from HD for ~$15, it's more convenient location and hours compared to the welding supply shop.

 

[brownbagg]

i used the 7018 because when they get wet people throw them away, so i pick them up free off jobsites, but them in the oven and they ok for what i do.

 

[Maine Coon]

i used the 7018 because when they get wet people throw them away, so i pick them up free off jobsites, but them in the oven and they ok for what i do.

Do you put them in kitchen oven or do you have some kind of dedicated oven?

 

[Maine Coon]

I like Hobart 7018. It's what I learned on and have liked it since. I've used lincoln but don't care for it.

I agree, Hobart 7018 is also a great rod.

 

[G-ManBart]

Do you put them in kitchen oven or do you have some kind of dedicated oven?

I'm not a trained/certified welder, but I've been teaching myself gas torch then stick welding for a while now and read up on a lot of topics like this.

From the people that know code, they'll tell you that to really get 7018 dry enough, it takes an oven that goes to 7-800*F and normally they're limited to doing that only a couple of times (varies). Rod storage ovens keep them around 250-300*F.

For non-code work it seems there's a lot of debate on what does and doesn't work. I've seen a thread where a guy soaked 7018 in water for a set period of time, wiped the rod dry, intentionally stuck it to the work piece, waited until the water cooked off as steam, then ran beads with them. He followed up with bend testing coupons and they held just fine.


Here's the thread over on TBN:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/welding/270296-wet-7018-a.html?highlight=

 

[G-ManBart]

I'm still a novice, but it seems that some machines work better with certain rods. I've used several different kinds of 7018, but just got a 50lb can of 1/8" ESAB Atom Arc 7018 and I really like it a lot. I found it on Ebay for $75 with free shipping...pretty good price.

 

[FigureItOut]

We ran 7014 in class last week and I really liked it. I think it'll be my go to for general use. Looks good and penetrates better evidently than 7018.
Last night I ran some crazy expensive rod for cast iron trying to repair a garden bench. Burns like a dream, unfortunately my repair didn't work out.

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[trackwelder]

We ran 7014 in class last week and I really liked it. I think it'll be my go to for general use. Looks good and penetrates better evidently than 7018.
Last night I ran some crazy expensive rod for cast iron trying to repair a garden bench. Burns like a dream, unfortunately my repair didn't work out.

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Did you mean 7014 having a higher deposit rate than 7018? I would disagree with it having better penetration than 7018.

 

[FigureItOut]

Did you mean 7014 having a higher deposit rate than 7018? I would disagree with it having better penetration than 7018.

Hey I'm a total beginner, I'm going by what the Miller chart and my instructor told me. 7018 was listed as low penetration, 7014 as medium, and 6011/6010 as deep penetration.

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