Is there a difference in quality of Rods?

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I want to buy some electrode rods and was curious if Harbor Freight or Northern Tool's rods are just as good as buying them from a local welding supply company or if the quality is different?  I'm planning on welding Stainless Steel and Mild Steel.Thanks
Reply:That is a tough one to respond to the way you phrased it.  One really should compare brand vs brand not vendor vs vendor.  Some local welding shops might carry a house brand in plain sight and it takes a bit more work to find a name brand.  Just lately I brought a 10 pound can of lincoln 6010 up to the counter the kind with the + on it and with three guys there they had to get on their cell phones to conform whether it was red or grey inside.  I tried some formey 7018 once and the flux crept around the arc way more then the stuff I just had used  up.
Reply:you might as well walk ina bar and ask if chevy is better than ford....
Reply:I'll rephrase the question.  Is there a big difference between brands?  I don't care if it is Chevy, Ford or Dodge as long as it gets me to where I am going without breaking down.
Reply:I don't know what sort of rods they have at Harbor Fright, but you can get Lincoln rods at any Home Despot.JohnA few weldersA lot of hammersA whole lot of C-clamps
Reply:What machine do you have, AC , DC ???   A lot is personal choice.   6010 is 6010 , 7018 is 7018, however each manufactures will burn a little different, smoke more or less, and could even smell different. We had some ESAB rod that smelled so bad we had to switch to another brand.   With 6010 the lincoln 5p + seems to have less splatter and flows nicely. Each welder will say something different . Each machine will weld different. Sometimes if you get it for free thats the best rod ever!
Reply:If you take identical grade rods from different manufacturers,and compare them side by side,it is usually easy to tell a difference.When you buy house name you will sometimes get a  name brand that has been relabeled,and sometimes you will get a strange rod made in a village in India.Sometimes a house brand will change suppliers according to who has the best bid.The main thing you get from the name brands is consistency.
Reply:thanks Bluewelders, I'll buy a name brand like Lincoln and that way I won't have to worry about quality and consistency.
Reply:If you are asking about SMAW, I would not purchase electrodes from HF. Your best bet would be a LWS, farm store, or a home box store with a name brand, like Hobart or Lincoln.Or are you are refering to GTAW filler metal rods?"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:oops!"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:My experience with the Hobart rods is not good(7018)! The flux tends to break off easy & the arc is all over the place. I prefer Bluesheild-more expensive but will always perform what you need it to do.
Reply:Yes.. In my experience, buy some cheap off brand 7018, then buy some Excalibur 7018 and you tell me which one run's really smooth in any position...Lincoln pro mig 180Lincoln Square Wave Tig 300/wp 20/home built water cooler Victor, Purox, Harris, O/A welding/cutting setupsVintage Craftsman drill pressVintage Craftsman/Atlas 12"x 36'' lathe7''x 12'' w/c band saw Everlast 140 st
Reply:Yes, there is a big difference in rods. The definition of big depends on how skilled you are.
Reply:I  prefer the Excalibur for 7018...Miller Performance AD Helmet - Camo Edition Soon to have: Jackson HSL 100 - Forest Digi CamoMiller Thunderbolt AC/DC((Currently at welding school))
Reply:in every way, different brands of sneakers, cars, etc.welding machines too.really need to experience them to see if their good, maybe their poorly made, inaccurate mixtures of flix/metal/etc, never know.. just have to experience them basically, find a brand and stick with it like anything else.
Reply:Originally Posted by Stick-manIf you are asking about SMAW, I would not purchase electrodes from HF. Your best bet would be a LWS, farm store, or a home box store with a name brand, like Hobart or Lincoln.
Reply:I run lincoln 6010 5p+Air Liquid or ESAB 7018. (prefer ESAB)ESAB stainless rod.I wont waste my $$ on anything else.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:I have run several different brands, but always seem to come back to Hobart.  I really like their 7018.Lincoln Powermig 255Hypertherm Powermax 45Thermal Arc 161SOxweld 24R OA TorchStill Looking for an Old Round Top Idealarc 250
Reply:plus one for excalibur 7018 great all around. good chip-ability, good strong flux.
Reply:We have been using Lincoln only since they started  welding and we have been in fabricating over 110 years
Reply:Originally Posted by PavinsteelmanWe have been using Lincoln only since they started  welding and we have been in fabricating over 110 years
Reply:Originally Posted by daddyYou should try Hobart 418, or Esab atom arc, and get back to us on the 7018. I'd be curious to see what ya think.
Reply:I tried some Forney 7014's  (1/8") the other day. I was looking for either Hobart or Lincoln and they didn't have any.  To my surprise, the Forneys run like I'm spreading silk frosting on a cup cake!!!!!Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:DCM & MRP use that Hobart & ESAB stuff because it is cheap especially Corshield 8 , the Local 40 ironworkers hate it . ESAB also had QC issues on the 8   ???    Every pound of weld we place is LA-75, LA-85 , Ultracore 1/16 and Excalber 8018 C-3 . Tons per month !!!Last edited by Pavinsteelman; 03-17-2012 at 01:32 PM.
Reply:Yes, next question.