7018 Question

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Been a while since doing any stick, mostly tig.  Need to weld two pieces of 1/2" together so I figured it was a better job for stick -vs- the small mig I have.  I bought a box of 7018 rods at the local HD, but after I got home I noticed it said "7018 AC" on the rod box.  I have a Dynasty 200DX which I believe will do stick DC as well as AC (never used it for stick).  Can I use these rods on DC or is there a separate rod for 7018 DC?
Reply:There is indeed a separate rod for DC . Check out the Lincoln catalogue for more details .
Reply:Any AC rod will run on DC but not vice-versa. In fact they run smoother than on AC.
Reply:The 7018AC rods were designed to run on the lower end AC welders like the Lincoln 225AC or the Hobart 205 that the regular 7018's don't run well on. I would try the 7018AC's out on some scrap metal, I imagine they should work ok, but I can't say for sure.Ed
Reply:Originally Posted by OldtimerAny AC rod will run on DC but not vice-versa. In fact they run smoother than on AC.
Reply:X3 here too.
Reply:My experience is 7018ac doesn't run well on anything ac or dc. Makes Atom Arc look good. If it is breezy make sure you weld into the breeze and not with it. It didn't weld any better on the Eagle 10,000 (straight dc engine drive) than it did with the ac225. If it's anything critical or has to take a serious load I would recommend using something else. Just my experience with the stuff.X4The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:The only 7018AC I've ever run was a 50# box of Excalibur 7018AC that I bought when the LWS was out of regular Excalibur. I figured it would run the same as the DC rod but it doesn't. Hard to make a smooth weld with. I would buy Atom-Arc before Excalibur 7018AC and I really don't like Atom-Arc.
Reply:The only good AC rods I have burned were Murex 7018AC, and honestly they were pretty nice.  Smooth arc for AC, and the slag would peel up behind them.    I have burned the lincoln, and some other off brand and they were absolute crap in my opinion however if you have them I would give them a try and see what they do.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......