Welding wire quality?

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I was looking on Ebay last night for a 10# roll of .035 flux core, just checking prices to see what it is going for. My only local places to get wire is Tractor Supply or Rural King, anything else is over an hour drive away. I noticed one seller said his wire was made in China. Is there a difference in quality between wire made in China or another overseas country vs. the good ol US?If there is another good place to look online, I would appreciate any suggestions.
Reply:Originally Posted by galaxie428I was looking on Ebay last night for a 10# roll of .035 flux core, just checking prices to see what it is going for. My only local places to get wire is Tractor Supply or Rural King, anything else is over an hour drive away. I noticed one seller said his wire was made in China. Is there a difference in quality between wire made in China or another overseas country vs. the good ol US?If there is another good place to look online, I would appreciate any suggestions.
Reply:Why would you entertain such a question with all the crap that comes out of china? Read the pet food problem, how about the baby food with road pant or lead paint in toys?
Reply:Yes there is a difference in wire quality. A shop I worked at would send samples of each batch of wire they bought out for independant testing to make sure it met their requirements. Different rod manufacturers have different criteria for testing the properties of their wire. The name brands have more stringent guidlines for whats acceptable. Some of the cheap stuff probably only requires that it's metal of some kind, who cares about the chemical makeup of it.I've run bad wire once. Yes it was a name brand, but I know it was a fluke. But it helped understand how big of a role good wire can play in your welds. Skimping on paying for good wire will cost you big time in rework.
Reply:Originally Posted by galaxie428I was looking on Ebay last night for a 10# roll of .035 flux core, just checking prices to see what it is going for. My only local places to get wire is Tractor Supply or Rural King, anything else is over an hour drive away. I noticed one seller said his wire was made in China. Is there a difference in quality between wire made in China or another overseas country vs. the good ol US?If there is another good place to look online, I would appreciate any suggestions.
Reply:There's a difference in all wires, regardless of where it comes from.  Lincoln, ESAB, Washington Alloys, Hobart, Metrode, HQA, Euroweld... all have varying degrees of quality, arc characteristics, and one of the most important aspects - packaging!
Reply:I have used the Hobart wire from Tractor supply and like it alot. The one thing regarding Tractor supply near me is the 10lbs roll of .30 flux core was more expensive than buying 5 -2 lbs rolls of the same wire. The 2 lbs rolls are around $10 and a 10lbs roll was $69. Go figure?Regards,Mundy
Reply:Any AWS Class or Name (AWS Class E71T-11 / E71T-GS)?My rod is hot, and it penetrates deep.
Reply:Originally Posted by MundyI have used the Hobart wire from Tractor supply and like it alot. The one thing regarding Tractor supply near me is the 10lbs roll of .30 flux core was more expensive than buying 5 -2 lbs rolls of the same wire. The 2 lbs rolls are around $10 and a 10lbs roll was $69. Go figure?
Reply:even some of the name brand wire is manufactured in china.  A lot of variance in the brands themselves depending on where the wire is made from.I've had some good wire from china for really cheap and simple stuff. if it's rare or pricey I stick with a trusted brand.  also buying small spools and small wire sizes is more expensive.
Reply:My ESAB aristorod wire is made in China and it welds better than some of the name brand other wires.Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT