The best rod for the newby to learn on

[geezer]

Assuming you just got a PA 200 (not A/C buzzbox) and you don't know squat about welding, you are wondering what rod, what dia etc, to get. What amps do I set the welder at , do I wiggle the rod or drag it, all new and scary stuff for a newby.

IMO, the 6010 is the way to go, for the following reasons: First buy 3 box's of rods 3/32, 1/8, 5/32. That covers just about anything a newby will ever do,
The starting amp settings are very easy to remember 50, 100, 150 for the three different sizes, the variation in amps from those setting are 10 ,20 & 30 amps +/- for each of the different sizes , easy to remember. The 6010 is all position and deep penetration rod keep a tight arc and it welds nicely, if you are shakey that doen't matter the rod is made for a lttle motion from side to side.

That's the way I see it for the newby

PS the 6011 rod is an attempt to make a dual purpose rod AC/DC and it has a tighter adjustment range on the amps than a 6010 and a higher start rate on the 3/32, I doubt if you can find Hobart 6010 anymore, I haven't seen it on the shelf locally everything is 6011 so you may have to use other brands