Choosing Welding Rod

admin

Maybe this seems like a silly dumb question (don't worry I have more), but I am setting up a mobile welding unit with the hopes of making some money. All the welding I have done is strictly for myself, so I have used what ever has been the handiest. Since I want to be as professional as I can, I feel I should stock plenty of rod accordingly. Plus I have used old rod for so long, I have no idea how a new rod will burn, so I figure I will need to practice with it. Also a good place to buy would also be appreciated.The local place mainly handles Hobart brand, and very little Lincoln which I have read burns the best, so I think I would prefer to just have Lincoln rod stocked up. I will be buying the 50 lb cans, and getting plenty of tubes to store it in to keep it safe. My machine is Trailblazer 250 G which is both A/C and D/C capabilities.Since I have both A/C and D/C I wonder if I should get Fleetweld 35 vs. Fleetweld 5P? What about Excalibur 7018-A1 MR? I had no idea there was so many 7018 rods. And if I have to do hard face, what is a good all around rod to stock? And what about rod sizes? I appreciate any help to what probably is basic question. Thanks.
Reply:I’m very happy with ESAB’s 10P-Plus 6010, and their Atom Arc, or Acclaim 7018. I would pick up an LN-25, so you can run self shielded wire too.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:With all due respect, a very basic question like this makes me wonder if you are really ready to be doing this professionally. Sounds like you have a lot more to learn before you get there.That aside, what some people swear by, others may swear at. In some ways you need to find a rod that you like to run. I've used a couple of different Lincoln 7018 rods that other guys love that I hate..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:CEP, thanks. I will keep them in mind. They might be available locally. Maybe try just a couple of pounds first of several different rods first to see how they act.DSW, in a sense you are right. Most of what I have welded for work, and others has been with the mig setup. I even have a nice new Miller 252 with dual tanks that welds like a dream, but Dad keeps hogging it to build his boat. Let's just say the shop is a little crowded in more ways then one right now, hence getting into portable welding. With my current work schedule, and trying to get everything setup just the way I want it might take me several months to get this thing really going, and by that time it will be into the winter, and probably not the best time to push hard.Maybe I'm the only one who thinks about buying in bulk. I have always done this and feel it is better then money in the bank, especially the way prices on stuff keeps rising.
Reply:I wouldn't be stocking more than 5lbs of each of whatever you decide to buy. It needs to be dry and not old and crumbly by the time you show up to do a job.
Reply:Here in the desert it doesn't seem to be a problem with storing rods. Dad has some that have been around for decades, but he has only had a A/C buzz box for stick, so the only rod he has ever really liked was 6011, and that is almost gone. He has some 6013, but didn't like, and left it out in the rain. I might try and get them wet and see how they do as a cutting rod.The rod storage tubes. How many pounds to they hold?Oh and I forgot to mention DEC, I have a Miller S-32P suitcase wire feeder that is suppose to work with my machine, but haven't had time to look at or confirm it. If it doesn't I will be definitely getting one that does. Any ideas on wire for it?
Reply:Buying in bulk is fine, as long as the stuff stays usable. 7018 can start to run funny if it starts to get old and has absorbed moisture. How long is it going to take to use up 50 lbs of rod? weeks or years? A rod oven solves this issue, but then you are paying electric nonstop.I've found for critical work, snow plow, heavy equipment etc, it simply pays to buy in smaller sealed containers and break one open for the job. Leftovers become " general purpose" rods for fixing mowers, making up small noncritical brackets like I have to do later today and so on. Pretty much the same stuff I keep 7014 around for. The cost savings is minimal compared to the ease and convenience of just opening say a 5 or 10 lb can as needed. The other thing to keep in mind if you aren't familiar with the rods is how they weld. I love Lincoln 7018 Excalibur, but the 7018 Jet rod is not one of my favorites. I'd be hard pressed to even open a free 50 can of Jet rod because I just don't like it. 7018 AC is even worse. I wouldn't really want to be stuck with 50 lbs of a rod I dislike. I'd buy small quantities or rod 1st to make sure you like them before jumping on a 50 lb can unless the price is stupid cheap. I've got several boxes 10 lb of 3/16" rods that I almost never need to use, but at something like $2 a box on clearance, it was worth the gamble.Specialty rods like, Stainless, high nickel, hard facing, 90+K rods and so on are just too expensive and have limited use for me to keep any on hand. If I need them, I buy them. Leftovers for a job are a different matter, but I seldom seem to have what I really need the next  time anyways. Chances are if I do need them I'd want fresh rods anyways to be safe..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by Baloo2327Any ideas on wire for it?
Reply:Thanks for the replies. I guess my idea of buying in bulk might not be as grande as I thought.Thanks CEP for the wire recommendations.
Reply:O.K. I feel like an idiot. I just check a couple of prices online, and found 5lbs of 6010 was cheaper per pound then it was in the 50 lbs container. I guess that kills my idea of buying bulk containers, and worrying about properly storing them. Now back to work.
Reply:There was a thread some time back about buying rod from Home Depot and using the ship to store feature. That might get you smaller quantities of various rods, different manufacturers etc., until you find one you like.
Reply:No disrespect intended, but...It doesn't seem as though you're anywhere near being ready to venture out on your own in the welding world. You have to "practice with new rod" because you've been running old rod for so long? If you need to be practicing anything, you have no business trying to market your skills as a professional.Why on Earth are you trying to decide what wire to purchase based on the wire feeder you have available? Don't you think it would make more sense to buy wire based on the job you're actually performing? Rod storage is not something to be taken lightly. 7018 needs to be kept at 250-350 degrees, and can only be exposed to the atmosphere for a number of hours before needing to be returned to the oven. On the other hand, 6010 needs to have some moisture in it to run properly, so leaving a can open in your shop in the desert for six months is going to make the rod run like ****. It sounds like you need to spend a couple years becoming a well rounded welder before you attempt to start a business welding.
Reply:Originally Posted by Hillbilly WelderNo disrespect intended, but...
Reply:I'm with the others in questioning your decisions here. If you don know how a new rod runs, I wouldn't spend my money hiring you to weld for me. I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but that's how a real world paying customer is going to think. Do you hold any welding certification/tickets? That is one thing that will show a potential customer that you at least have some skills in the trade. But, your questions that your asking tell me you are not very experienced and you need to learn more.I have a mobile welding set up myself. I'm also an all position certified structural welder with a red seal journeymen ticket. Your questions raise a red flag for me.Last edited by snoeproe; 04-23-2016 at 03:09 PM.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:I carry 6010 and 7018 in 3/32", 1/8", and 5/32". For wire, lately I've been using a lot of Lincoln 71A85."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:Thanks Stick-man.
Reply:Originally Posted by Baloo2327O.K. I feel like an idiot. I just check a couple of prices online, and found 5lbs of 6010 was cheaper per pound then it was in the 50 lbs container. I guess that kills my idea of buying bulk containers, and worrying about properly storing them. Now back to work.