Not sure what it is about my post that you consider a rant , since people have expressed concerns over moisture, I was just stating the rod that I had good luck with and the conditions I stored it under. I kept mine in the mfg's container too, it was a cardboard box. I could pick up a half stick that I left hanging in the stinger for a month, flip the switch and go with no issues. Wish I could say the same for the Hobart 7018 I have now; half a stick left out overnight and the flux practically falls off when you touch it, so my own personal experience suggests that there is a difference. Not all 7018s are created equal.