Common welding related questions we hear. Part 18

Continuing on with the stick welding rod theme of questions, we often get questions about the 6010 capability of our machines. This is a valid question, but a significant percent of people ask it without seeming to know the importance, or lack of importance of that feature and what it means to them. Just today, I had a customer with an issue over his unit not welding 6010, after the fact, despite the specifications on our site explained that the unit he purchased did not.  

Unfortunately, he missed this comment on our website, as he truly needed 6010 in his daily use of the machine. But this is an exception to the rule. Most customers don’t realize that they really don’t need 6010. Although E6010 has considerable “bite” and is exceptional at penetration and fast freezing, making it a good choice for poor fit up and rusty surfaces, E6011 comes quite close to the performance of the 6010. 6011 has a more stable arc and is more forgiving with arc length and variations in technique.

Though some penetration is lost, it is more than a capable welding rod to use with most of our units, even with the ones rated for 6010 use. Some people think it is an AC rod, but it isn’t. It is AC or DC and welds much better than 6010 in many circumstances under inexperienced hands. But if you, like today’s customer, think you need serious 6010 performance, consider the following models for your purchase: PowerArc 200ST, PowerArc 280STH, PowerARC 300ST, PowerTIG 255EXT, and the PowerTIG 325EXT. If you need a MIG, TIG, stick combination, take a look at the Power I MIG 275 series.