Good flux core wire????

admin

Despite the thread name, I am going to use this thread as a general questions thread, for myself and hope it helps others. Forgot I had these questions until right after I made the thread.Is there a better alternative to the lowes lincoln wire I am using right now? I am just beginning, but they never have the larger rolls at lowes, and I haven't gone to my LWS as I don't know any "good" brands to ask for, or bad ones to avoid. I am using a Lincoln Pro Mig 175 btw.Is it going to improve anything, by running a new gun, instead of the "stock" lincoln gun? I really want to have a good garage setup, and something that will be worth learning on. Also, a little off topic, but is there a TIG machine that would do 1/4 or less thick material at a reasonable price? I don't know, once again, the good from the bad other than if I were buying one of the big 3 companys.Last edited by GrantH; 08-07-2008 at 04:51 PM.
Reply:Lincoln's NR-211MP FCAW wire is a good non-critical-use (no seismic requirements, no CVN requirements, etc) general-purpose one, within it's thickness limits of 5/16" maximum plate thickness for 0.045" and smaller wire diameters.  Lowes and HomeDepot usually have it in the 10lb (8") spools.  YMMV.If you want to go with a GMAW wire (aka MIG), the Lincoln L-56 is a good general-purpose wire.  Again, Lowes and HomeDepot usually have it in the 8" spools as well.The stock Lincoln Magnum100 gun is just fine for the capabilities of the machine.ESAB wire is usually good.  I avoid the 'off' brand wire and the Chinese wire as well.  With how much/little wire I use, I'd rather spend a few extra dollars on a name-brand 'good' wire and not deal with frustration or crap from iffy/crappy wire.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Lincoln, Allstate and ESAB are all good wires. I burn lot's of NR211MP but get it in 25lb spools. The key thing is the MP (Multi-Pass). I have used it on stuff quite a bit thicker than 5/16 using multiple passes just as you would with stick electrodes with no problems. Just to see how it would work for it I used it to repair the frame on a semi trailer that is constantly overloaded and hauled over rough roads about 4 months ago. I just checked it again last week and it's still holding up. It's tough stuff. There are a couple of threads on this subject that are recent. On one of them my dad lsits what he uses in his weldpak. I can't remember what it is right now, but he likes it better than the 211 and it's cheaper. Maybe Unibraze or Uniweld but I'm not positive. E71T-GS maybe?Last edited by Jolly Roger; 08-07-2008 at 08:09 PM.Reason: addedThe difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:psst, Roger,The MP in Lincoln's NR-211MP absolutely does stand for multi-pass.But flat-out, Lincoln says to not use the NR211 in 0.045/0.035/0.030 on material thicker than 5/16 inch.  And the 'thicker' NR211 wires have a listed max plate thickness of 1/2 inch.  No matter how many or how few passes you make, those are Lincoln's stated wire/process/material limitations.The 175 machine can only 'handle' 4 and 8 inch diameter spools.  So the 25 lb and 33 lb and larger spools won't fit.  (unless you go to the trouble of rigging up an external wire-spool holder, make a hole in the back panel of the 175 machine, and feed the wire through that way.  IIRC, elvergon(?) rigged up something like that.)  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Lincoln wire in the flux is ok. I like the lincoln solid super arc L-56. I hate lincoln's metal-core wire. Hobart (weld-it) wire is good. Radnor wire (airgas brand) seems to be good. And a hobart brand called tri-mark makes very very good dual shield. It is the best I have ever used.
Reply:Stay away from the Harbor freight flux core wire. I had nothing but trouble with it  . I think it has to do with the type of flux they use. I use the lincoln .035 wire and have had no problems at all.  Hope this helps[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]weekend metal melter and all around pain
Reply:Hobart and Tri-mark are excellent brands of wire.  Hobart is the only wire I ever use.  Hobart owns the Tri-mark, Corex, and McKay brands.
Reply:Originally Posted by fbrown333Stay away from the Harbor freight flux core wire. I had nothing but trouble with it  . I think it has to do with the type of flux they use. I use the lincoln .035 wire and have had no problems at all.  Hope this helps
Reply:Originally Posted by MoonRiseLincoln's NR-211MP FCAW wire is a good non-critical-use (no seismic requirements, no CVN requirements, etc) general-purpose one, within it's thickness limits of 5/16" maximum plate thickness for 0.045" and smaller wire diameters.  Lowes and HomeDepot usually have it in the 10lb (8") spools.  YMMV.If you want to go with a GMAW wire (aka MIG), the Lincoln L-56 is a good general-purpose wire.  Again, Lowes and HomeDepot usually have it in the 8" spools as well.The stock Lincoln Magnum100 gun is just fine for the capabilities of the machine.ESAB wire is usually good.  I avoid the 'off' brand wire and the Chinese wire as well.  With how much/little wire I use, I'd rather spend a few extra dollars on a name-brand 'good' wire and not deal with frustration or crap from iffy/crappy wire.
Reply:Originally Posted by weldrwomnHobart and Tri-mark are excellent brands of wire.  Hobart is the only wire I ever use.  Hobart owns the Tri-mark, Corex, and McKay brands.