What's your brand of rod?

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Hi, guys, I was curious as to what brand of rods you prefer.  I primarily use 7018's and have been using Lincoln 7018 H4R's and the past two boxes I have gotten were horrible.  I used to use Murex rod's which were made by lincoln and I loved them, but can't get them anymore around here.  I just picked up a box of esab atom-arc, and a box of Hobart to try this week.   I was just curious as to your opinions.  ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:I use 70S-2 filler wire.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I use Forney 6011's...good all around rod and deeper penetration. I still clean my metal before using the 6011's...although I don't use it much. I also TIG and MIG everything.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:If I'm using a stick, what ever type I need I only use WIA (assie brand real good and flows beatifully) and with wire, again only WIA, .9I own a 87 troopie (rust is slowly owning it  )I ride a quadand I love sticking metal together.  And I live in OZ...  (Geelong)
Reply:I am using just about all Hobart Brothers rods now. My favorite 7018 has to be the Hobart 418. Next is the McKay 7018 XLM. I have tried quite a few of late with my TB302 and it likes the Hobarts the best...and so do I.  I tried a box of Excaliber 7018's and they sucked at best. I tried them every concievable way I could and the result was the same......they were garbage. Sad thing is they are much easier to get than the Hobarts.
Reply:are you guys baking your 7018 rods?
Reply:Originally Posted by WoodStoneSteelare you guys baking your 7018 rods?
Reply:I run esab atom arc only rod i liked better is the murex 7018.Hobart rod runs good too,way better than that stinkin rod. excalibur is not good for welding but is excellent as a spacer when needing 3/32 to 1/8 inch gaps.
Reply:Like yogie I use all Aussie brands alot of WIA (which is owned by Miller )and CIG here is the list all specs are aussie specs so they may be a little different to yours rods E4112 Austarc 12P General Purpose  WIA E4113  Austarc 13S General purpose  WIA E4816 Austarc 16TC Low hydrogen   WIA E4814 CIG Ferrocraft 21 medium iron powder  CIG E4824 CIG Ferrocraft 22 High iron powder      CIG MigER70S-6 mig wire steel  WIA or CIG ER80S-D2 mig wire steel  WIA ER5356   mig wire aluminium  WIA ER5183   mig wire aluminium  WIA Tig R45 steel  WIA R4043 aluminium  WIA R5356 aluminium  WIA   Creative metal Creative metal Facebook
Reply:I can get lincoln the eaisest.  This week, I went to tractor supply and got some hobart.  Same price, no filler metal charge.  I also like McKay but its not available in this area.  I have found lincoln 7018 runs better if I run it a little hotter than the other brands.  I don't have a rod oven, but I do dry them at home in the oven some  times before a job.  I would say Lincoln is on the bottom of my list for 7018.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:David, TSC's Hobart Weldit is not the same as Hobart Brothers rods. Same manufacture point I'm sure, but different recipe. They do run better than the Lincolns, though. The Anchor Brand 7018's are extremely close to the Hobart 418's. Surprised me how close. They are actually a good rod for an off brand. Given the choice between old wet TSC Hobarts and fresh Excalibers...gimme the wet ones. Now that I have a machine that will actually burn Hobarts, I am having troubles finding them. I have a few sources...too bad they are the furthest away.  My LWS is starting to carry McKay. It is pretty good. My old Bobcat would not burn Hobarts at all. They would sputter and generally act terrible. Lincolns would run just fine, however.  It was strange. My TB loves Hobart rods and is indifferent to Lincoln, except the Excalibers. It really hates them...as do I.
Reply:the last two boxes of 6011 I bought were from Home Depot and the logo on the box said Lincoln.  I've used it before and the coating was always gray but with these two batches it was an odd brown and it left an oily residue around the welds. I talked to a Lincoln dealer who speculated that it might be a cheaper rod or a rod made for use on metal that isn't quite as clean as it should be, i.e. rust, paint, etc.  Could be.  Anyway, I'm off Lincoln 6011.  When this batch is gone, I'm going to another brand.  P.S. Some Lincoln 6013 I bought at the same time looks and welds like it always did.
Reply:Weldit 7018Alum mig 4043 Crown Alloys .035Mig wire .030 S6 from ebay seller welders4less   ....BobBob WrightSalem, Ohio  Birthplace of the Silver & Deming Drillhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/southbend10k/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sawking/1999 Miller MM185 w/ Miller 185 Spoolmate spoolgun
Reply:Lincoln 5p for 6010.Hobart 418 in a tin(then straight to the rod oven) for 7018.For flux core Lincoln NR-211 it is.ESAB Coreweld for dualshield wire.  6011 and 7024 I take it as it comes.TIG wire is what ever the job calls for, I have alot of Harris hanging arround that is just fine.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:anyone use "radnor"?
Reply:Yea, Radnor is airgas's house brand.  I believe made by Lincoln (I think).  I have only seen them in smaller packages.  Thanks for the comments so far.  I have been using the atom-arc rods this week, and they seem to burn real well.  I have not noticed near the sticking or stalling  I was getting with the excalibur's.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Nice to see I am not the only one that doesn't prefer Lincoln.  I bought 2 10 lb cans of atom arc 3/16 7018 to try for a job.  It came in tin cans you have to open like sardines.  DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I use mostly Weldit 7018 and 6013 for Stick (easy to find at the nearby Northern Tool), and an ER70S6 MIG wire sold by Welding-Direct;  I think it's "Blue Devil"? brand.  Seems to work fine with straight CO2.  Not to derail the thread, but I just got a spool gun and was wondering what brand of 4043 and 5356 wire on 4" spools you guys prefer? (mostly for 6061 that will NOT be anodized)cricman
Reply:Cricman,  I don't do alot of aluminum, but I usually use radnor 3/64 in my spool gun.  mainly because that's what my supplier (airgas) keeps in stock.  I have never had any trouble with it that i can remember.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Originally Posted by WoodStoneSteelanyone use "radnor"?
Reply:I'm not a big fan of Radnor. Their wire isn't so bad, but the rods I can live without. I am using Linc 4043, Weldit 4043 and Pinnacle 4043 in alu. I really don't like 5356. I try to use Pinnacle wire for most everything in the wire dept.
Reply:airgas sold me the 7018 too!  I wonder who sells 7018 in 1/16 or 5/64... I want to try it with my portable 115 volt.  I couldn't get a good enough burn on the 3/32 radnor to comment!  They sell a 10 stick pack of 5/64 7018 but it is as much money as 5 lbs of another size...almost a dollar a stick!
Reply:Looks like I'm the only one that does like the lincoln excaliber rods.   I got to run a couple at a demo show and really liked them so they gave me about 5lbs to try out.  Those lincoln guys were great.DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools