6011 or 7018?

[travis]

ok I used some 3/32 6011 and really went though the rods pretty fast iam thinking 1/8 inch would work better iam welding some 3/8 to 1/4 inch steel and iam thinking of trying some 7018 seen some youtube vids and it looks like nice beads any input would be nice .......oh I have the powerultra 205p ...thanks

[DaveO]

Were you happy with your results with the 6011? Maybe get some heavier 6011 when you go to get the 7018, and compare them side by side.

[travis]

I have not welded in 25+ years so my welds need practice I want to try a 1/8 6011 maybe 6013 and 7018 but now I read that 7018 needs stored in a oven ? maybe a small box of that to try it

[sportbike]

Unless you need the extra strength, I would go with the 6011 all day.
6011 is a pretty universal rod, sometimes referred to as a farmer rod since it is the go to for fixing things around the farm since it works well in many applications.

[Rambozo]

7014 is very similar to 7018 but without the storage requirements. Also unless you are welding to meet code, unheated 7018 still works fine. You just might see the occasional pit or pinhole from moisture in the flux. 6011 is great for lots of things, but can be too hot for sheetmetal and too much work to clean up for ornamental work. 7018 will lay down a smooth clean bead with virtually no spatter and flux that peels right off.
As you said, try several, and see what works best for what you are doing.

[geezer]

ok I used some 3/32 6011 and really went though the rods pretty fast iam thinking 1/8 inch would work better iam welding some 3/8 to 1/4 inch steel and iam thinking of trying some 7018 seen some youtube vids and it looks like nice beads any input would be nice .......oh I have the powerultra 205p ...thanks

On that thickness 3/8 to 1/4 ,, 1/8 6011 would be a better choice than 3/32,,,7018 1/8 can work very well although it require more amps for the rod size over 6011,,, my point is,, go with what you are good at,,,,trying a new type of rod is always interesting,,,it has it's draw backs,,,in the case of 7018 ,,down hill welding is not reccomended..

[DaveO]

I read that 7018 needs stored in a oven ?

The slightly longer explanation is that 7018 is a "low hydrogen" rod, and when stored they pick up moisture that will contribute to porosity. To avoid that moisture reliably, welding operations that are using 7018 to adhere to a specification store their 7018 electrodes in an oven (oven = heat = low moisture). You can mitigate the moisture by baking the electrodes in an oven prior to using them but as Rambozo said, it's not going to make any practical difference.

[redbeard]

Plenty of variation from brand to brand in taking up moisture too. I had a cardboard box of Lincoln from Home Depot that lasted for many years, next batch was Hobart and I left a half a stick hanging in the stinger overnight and by morning it was soggy. Also makes a big difference whether you live in Florida or Nevada.

[Jimboslice]

7014 is very similar to 7018 but without the storage requirements. Also unless you are welding to meet code, unheated 7018 still works fine. You just might see the occasional pit or pinhole from moisture in the flux.

The visual issues such as pin holes or are not the issue with wet LH;it is the non visible porosity that is the issue. Ive seen some many times people using wet 7018 to weld"olets" to pressure vessels or oil flow lines and I can see oil or steam oozing out of nice looking & 'fused' welds. Its strength is greatly weakened and it should never be advised for anything that holds even a remotely dangerous load.
well just my two cents.

[Rambozo]

The visual issues such as pin holes or are not the issue with wet LH;it is the non visible porosity that is the issue. Ive seen some many times people using wet 7018 to weld"olets" to pressure vessels or oil flow lines and I can see oil or steam oozing out of nice looking & 'fused' welds. Its strength is greatly weakened and it should never be advised for anything that holds even a remotely dangerous load.
well just my two cents.

Very true, and why I said you can't use for code level work. Pressure vessels and steam piping being about as code critical as you can get. I'm talking more about fixing your plow or busted BBQ, or any application where the hydrogen embrittlement, and porosity is not going to be a deal breaker. And switching to 7014 is still the best way to go for those without rod ovens.

[Jimboslice]

Very true, and why I said you can't use for code level work. Pressure vessels and steam piping being about as code critical as you can get. I'm talking more about fixing your plow or busted BBQ, or any application where the hydrogen embrittlement, and porosity is not going to be a deal breaker. And switching to 7014 is still the best way to go for those without rod ovens.

Granted it still can be used but OP didnt say what he was welding for all we know he could be fabbin up some structural stuff for his backyard bungee jump.

[Shield Arc]

This subject comes up all the time. I worked heavy civil and marine construction from southern California to Alaska, I can't tell you how many times I had to pour water out of a can of 7018 before using it.
First off let me start with the disclaimer! I don't recommend this one little bit. But I just wanted to see what I could get away with!
I took some 1/2-inch thick plate, cut 45-degree angles on them. Placed them 3/16-inch apart. Took a hand full of 1/8-inch Lincoln Excalibur 7018. This rod has been setting on the bench for years in an open can, never seen the inside of a rod oven. I placed the rod in a welding rod can, and filled the can with water. Poured the water out. Set the Lincoln V350-pro to 120-amps, 0.0 on the arc force. Before using each rod, I placed them in the stinger and grounded them out on the welding table. Once the water started to boil out of the rod I used my glove to dry off the rod. I ran one rod after the other on this test plate, only stopping to clean. Cut the coupons into 3/8-inch strips, and did a side bend test.
I don't think they came out to bad.

[fdcmiami]

heresy!!! next you'll tell me the earth is flat. lol

[travis]

ok I bought 5 pounds of 7018 I think Hobart firepower rods I had tested another brand and It worked great this new rod likes to stick like on the frist touch to metal it sticks iam running about 130 amp went down some up some same thing it sticks bad am I doing something wrong or is it the sticks

[Shield Arc]

This is where adjustable hot start really come in handy for guys just starting out.

[SeanMurphy265]

7018AC is a great option for inverter style welders in my opinion. 7014 is known as the sheet metal rod, and I personally find it to work very well on thin metals. I use 7018 (H4R) 1/8 Lincoln Excalibur at work, and I find myself using 7018 95% of the time when I work for myself. I've used 7018 more than any other rod so I tend to use it the most. There is nothing more aggravating than sticking a bunch of rods and watching your money be thrown away! That's where 6011, 6013, and other rods are better for the hobby guy/weekend warrior; now I just go and get a new 5 pound box (7018) if I do a job for someone.

[TheGary]

OK here is the run down on the rods your talking about.
6010 - good for open root pass , rusty metal , anywhere you need deep penetration , like fixing a cracked weld that you either do not have the time or can not get at very well to grind it out and prep it good. This is primarily a DC rod

6011 basically the same uses as 6010 but was designed for running on AC. ( if you have a DC machine us 6010 instead )

6013 was designed for thin metal , it is not used much anymore because of the wide spread use of mig.

7018 it is a low hydrgen electrode. It needs to be kept in an oven once it is opened or it can be put in a sealed rod tube and it will stay good for most uses. this is probably the most commonly used rod . It is not my first choice for any open root welds and where you need deep penatration. usually the root pass would be done with 6010 then the rest of the weld would be finished with 7018. 7018 does not like rust but it will deal with mild rust. it does not spatter near as much as 6010 or 6011 and the welds will look much better.

7018AC was designed for use with an ac welder if you have dc there is not much need for this rod. There are times when something you need to weld is magnatized that running this rod on AC will work better than welding on DC.

7024 flat position only, nice looking welds, fast freeze , heavy slag that removes easy . If you can't weld with 7024 sell your welder.

[performance]

Gary,
Disagree on the 6011. If you have DC, 6011 still runs better than 6010. No reason to run 6010 unless a specification calls for it. It's not an AC only rod. It's both, and always has been.
6013 is often classified as medium penetration. It's a great fab rod, and great for GP welding.
7024 will run horizontal.
7018 is often required now for root pass welds, and many places have been replacing 6010 now for insurance reasons.

[TheGary]

Gary,
Disagree on the 6011. If you have DC, 6011 still runs better than 6010. No reason to run 6010 unless a specification calls for it. It's not an AC only rod. It's both, and always has been.
6013 is often classified as medium penetration. It's a great fab rod, and great for GP welding.
7024 will run horizontal.
7018 is often required now for root pass welds, and many places have been replacing 6010 now for insurance reasons.

My run down was not meant to be all inclusive. A lot of rods can run on ac and dc , they just run better on one than the other. I can't even remember the last time I saw 6011 rod on a job site. 7018 is fine for root passes , just not open root passes. On the structural cert with a back up strip they will use 7018 all the way out but on open root its 6010. The last time I used 7024 was many years ago and the horz use I do not remember. If I think 7024 is needed there is usually a flux core mig around to do the job faster but If stick is all you have 7024 can put down a lot of weld in comparison to other rods. just make sure there is no cold cracking from the heat being pulled out too fast on large parts.

[AKweldshop]

If your welding 3/8 to 1/4 steel your going to need some heat!!!
1/8 6011 ain't gonna cut it!!!
I would use 7018 multi-pass
you gonna need to bevel your plates to get more strength.