Rods cost how much? A Noob Question!

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Folks,I'm new to welding. In fact, I have only 6 weeks under my belt.... make that 6 days over the span of 6 weeks........... so..... I have a lot of interest, a lot of questions, and a long way to go.....So far I have used 6010 and 7018 rod in class (a continuing ed class that goes for 6 Saturday's).I really liked it and now, because of my enthusiasm, want to go out and buy a Dialarc 250. I won't yet, since I'm a noob, I don't have 220 in my garage, and basically have no real clue yet what I'm doing.Question is: How much does 6010 and 7018 rod for DC actually cost? (In class I had an unlimited supply for only $330 tuition...... yes..... UNLIMITED).How much should I expect to pay for good rods.... not crap made from scrap metal?
Reply:A 50 pounder(sealed tin) of Hobart 418 or Lincoln Excalibur 7018  is about $110 to $130 6011 is cheap 75 bucks6010 5P+ or Pipemaster same as the good 7018 in tins.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:So basically I'm looking at $2 / rod for 7018 and about the same for 6010 +++++ ?
Reply:Actually, no my math was wrong..... That's near $3 per rod......Damn. I had no idea.I easily burned over 100 rods in class..... and stuck at least 30, and about 15 of those were 7018 where the flux just fell off the first 5 inches of rod.... making it useless.  Not including electricity, consumables, etc. I guess ACC broke less then even on me.
Reply:??????????retail on a ten pound can of 5p is $35..or $3.50 per pound.. i never really counted but theres probably 30 rods  to a pound...or ten cents a rod....dont go buying a 50 pound can of 7018 unless you plan to use it  real soon or have a big oven for it...Last edited by weldbead; 12-27-2011 at 07:36 PM.
Reply:Yeah... it's late after a long weekend.... I'm a dingle berry tonight. I should have said....... $3/pound (not rod).
Reply:Yes, its sold by the pound.If you happen to be 45-50 minutes away from your "local" welding supply, you can get smaller 5 or 10 pound packages from TSC, Lowes, and Home Depot. Tractor Supply sells Hobart Electrodes,Lowes and Home Depot sell Lincoln.They're both pretty reputable, but I prefer the Hobarts from TSC (plus they have a cute girl behind the counter) personally. I want to say a 10 pound box is $30, and a 5 pounder is around $18.If I had a source local for Excal's, and 5P+, Id run that... Welcome to the Hobby, man!! [Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Keep in mind, your school gets a good discount.Rods per pound - (Hobart catalog)6010 3/32 - 30     1/8 - 17     5/32 - 126011 3/32 - 29     1/8 - 16     5/32 - 117018 3/32 - 21     1/8 - 12     5/32 - 9I was buying 10# cans of Esab Atom Arc 7018 1/8"  in tins for about $30.00 before tax. I did find some Hobart 7018 from TSC for $24.00 in plastic paks, but I prefer tins. I have been quoted, 7018 in 50# tins are about $120 - $150 before tax, in my area. I usually only buy 7018 in 10# cans so I can open a fresh one when needed, and not have to store too much balance. However, I have one frequent non-critical job I do, where I go thru approx. 15# of 7018 each time I run a batch. So this past summer I came across a great deal on ebay. A local guy was selling six 50# cans of 7018. Three were Esab Atom Arc 3/32 and three were Lincoln Jet LH78MR 1/8. I got them all for $300.00, so you might want to save a search for local listings on ebay. Also save a search on Craigs List. A while back there was a guy selling 50# tins of 7018, 6010 and 6011 for $50.00 ea. "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:I would suport the idea of only buying a small can of each until you start realy using them. Wet rods aint worth crap....ever. Those will make you think you are doing somthing wrong when its only the damp rods.....Have fun.A young green pipe welder asked an old salt one day...How can I make the weld on the bottom of the pipe look like the top.......The old salt replied....Screw up the top......
Reply:What Lanse said. For now, you'll be fine going to Lowe's, HD, Northern Tool, etc to buy in smaller quantities. Heck, even Wal-Mart has some smaller diameter Lincoln rods now.Good luck,PapaLincoln Idealarc 250 (circa 1962)Lincoln Weldpak 155 w/Mig KitLincoln Squarewave TIG 175