Ive used quite a few different brands. Excaliber is probly the one you will see most but i prefer inweld rods. Have never had any issues using them. Always smooth start and easy restarts.
The coating on the end vulcan rod. Keeps the flux from breaking off in transit. I have a 8"x1" 4in1 rasp/file that I modified for welding. Just file off a spot in the coating and they lite up smooth. Same goes for restarts.
I think start and restart is the main difference I have found in different brands when it comes to 7018. Also if you run low amps, low quality rods will turn themselves off after a few seconds
It'd be awesome if y'all got a camera set up with a real dark filter to show the puddles! That would really make the puddle clarity section easier to follow. They probably make some for the camera you're already using, but if not just throw an old hood lens in front of the camera lens :)
wonderful Mr Packard.... I have found Lincoln 7018 AC restarts with no issue...... there seems to be no flux/slag when you stop....I use Excaliber for structural, I am not a pipe guy.....cheers from Florida,,,,Paul...
Lol I was looking for this comment. ESAB definitely burns the cleanest and starts the best out of any rod. Best rod for welding old to new pipe and tubes. Once you burn 50lbs of ESAB you definitely notice when you have a hand full of Excalibur.
@@tranzgenduhgooner7197 and when you get to their QA rod that nuclear plants use, you can no longer use Excalibur. I had to tell the apprentices taking weld tests to scrape the “milled” end of the rod on some millscale on the table to get it to start better for them.
I learned to weld New Guinea nugeni using 6010 Lincoln Fleetweld 5, 45 years in the jungles of New Guinea. Yes this rod spatters alot (many a time got hot spatter in my ear stove pipe welding vertical and overhead even with my cap bill over my ear) but even to day at 76 I still prefer the 6010 or 6011 rod. My problem is I am now retire and live in Thailand and finding the 6010 or 6011 rod is impossible. 95% of my welding is on thin carbon steel less than 1/8 thick. I have a friend who buy me welding rods in America. Wondering if Harbor Freight sells a 3/32 or 2.8mm 6010 rod? The 7018 is a waste of time welding thin steel too many burn through. I am now thinking of buying a MIG machine.
i think "yawata" and "kobelco" is the best brand you can get in asia, they were made in thai.. i had a good result welding a really thin steel using yawata s13 which is made for softer steel, but they were only in 6013. . almost impossible to find other than 6013 and 7018 in asia.
@harisyoung4110 Thanks for the advise. When I first move to Thailand I was able to get the 6010 from the Lincoln reb in Bangkok, but that was 12 years ago, now they are no help. All the Japanese welding rod makers make a 6010 welding rod but but don't sell it in Thailand. I wave welded with a MIG welder and found it easy to use and I found Ali Express has some good ones for less than $500 with free shipping. I think that is the way to go. Starting construction on a new house made of steel and concrete. Will me framing the walls and roof with 2x4x 1/8 channel. Think the MIG will do the job. Thank again for the reply.
You must got a bad rod because I rather would have Harbor freight 7018 rather than Lincoln the HF rod for me runs a lot better and I get little to no spatter with it just because you hear pops when welding dont mean anything you got proper protection on they are all I use I got 6010 Lincoln and they love to stick I get HF 6011 and they runs nice and I can do easy restrikes
Harbor freight is not as cheap as every body thinks because they sell for 10. they sell only two pound box which makes them more expensive than much better brand rods that come with at least 5 pound packages. nice curve ball...
![Digital Circus Episode 4 [TRAILER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/abZtsmMUbJo/mqdefault.jpg)
The primary difference between $5 rods and $100 ones is the $100 ones end up in my box at the end of the day
🤷♂️
Ive used quite a few different brands. Excaliber is probly the one you will see most but i prefer inweld rods. Have never had any issues using them. Always smooth start and easy restarts.
Touché
The coating on the end vulcan rod. Keeps the flux from breaking off in transit. I have a 8"x1" 4in1 rasp/file that I modified for welding. Just file off a spot in the coating and they lite up smooth. Same goes for restarts.
Ooooh
I think start and restart is the main difference I have found in different brands when it comes to 7018. Also if you run low amps, low quality rods will turn themselves off after a few seconds
🤔
I have a lincoln weldanpower 225 and I find that if I don't weld over 110 with a 1/8 7018 I get that stopping also
I worked with a guy that had a lincoln 300 and it could go down to 95 with a 1/8 7018
It'd be awesome if y'all got a camera set up with a real dark filter to show the puddles! That would really make the puddle clarity section easier to follow. They probably make some for the camera you're already using, but if not just throw an old hood lens in front of the camera lens :)
Thank you for the suggestion!
wonderful Mr Packard.... I have found Lincoln 7018 AC restarts with no issue......
there seems to be no flux/slag when you stop....I use Excaliber for structural,
I am not a pipe guy.....cheers from Florida,,,,Paul...
Thanks!
@@WesternWeldingAcademy you guys are always great James. cheers, Paul
You write the same way as a guy called SBerry on a welding forum I joined recently. I'm curious if it's just a coincidence.
Make more of these!! They’re awesome and helpful
Glad you like them!
Puddle clarity with the Excalibur is top of the line!
esab has a hood 7018 line 👍
👌
Forney makes a real good rod. I was never a big fan of Lincoln welding rod. My favorite is Hobart.
👀
What do you think of the Hobart at Tractor supply? Definitely better that harbor freight. I'd like to see it vs. Lincoln
Hobart fillers are really good
It's aight
Nice video. Thanks for the information on HARBOR FREIGHT ROD.
You're welcome!
ESAB Atom Arc > Excalibur.
Hmmm
Lol I was looking for this comment. ESAB definitely burns the cleanest and starts the best out of any rod. Best rod for welding old to new pipe and tubes. Once you burn 50lbs of ESAB you definitely notice when you have a hand full of Excalibur.
@@tranzgenduhgooner7197 and when you get to their QA rod that nuclear plants use, you can no longer use Excalibur.
I had to tell the apprentices taking weld tests to scrape the “milled” end of the rod on some millscale on the table to get it to start better for them.
Rock mount rods are like 250 for 1 lb of tig wire
👍🏻
what about Hobart rods
If you want to
I learned to weld New Guinea nugeni using 6010 Lincoln Fleetweld 5, 45 years in the jungles of New Guinea. Yes this rod spatters alot (many a time got hot spatter in my ear stove pipe welding vertical and overhead even with my cap bill over my ear) but even to day at 76 I still prefer the 6010 or 6011 rod. My problem is I am now retire and live in Thailand and finding the 6010 or 6011 rod is impossible. 95% of my welding is on thin carbon steel less than 1/8 thick. I have a friend who buy me welding rods in America. Wondering if Harbor Freight sells a 3/32 or 2.8mm 6010 rod? The 7018 is a waste of time welding thin steel too many burn through. I am now thinking of buying a MIG machine.
Sounds like a tough spot
i think "yawata" and "kobelco" is the best brand you can get in asia, they were made in thai.. i had a good result welding a really thin steel using yawata s13 which is made for softer steel, but they were only in 6013. . almost impossible to find other than 6013 and 7018 in asia.
@harisyoung4110 Thanks for the advise. When I first move to Thailand I was able to get the 6010 from the Lincoln reb in Bangkok, but that was 12 years ago, now they are no help. All the Japanese welding rod makers make a 6010 welding rod but but don't sell it in Thailand.
I wave welded with a MIG welder and found it easy to use and I found Ali Express has some good ones for less than $500 with free shipping. I think that is the way to go.
Starting construction on a new house made of steel and concrete. Will me framing the walls and roof with 2x4x 1/8 channel. Think the MIG will do the job. Thank again for the reply.
If your just practicing in your garage, use the harbor freight. If your testing get the good stuff.
Does all stainless weld rod have bad puddle clarity? Also is the slag supposed to be super hard?
Thanks for your question! We might do a video for this
I like to run some Blue Demon rods.
👌
I appreciate your objectivity
Give me Miller over Lincoln best rod I ever used Strata. Raised on #77's
💪
You must got a bad rod because I rather would have Harbor freight 7018 rather than Lincoln the HF rod for me runs a lot better and I get little to no spatter with it just because you hear pops when welding dont mean anything you got proper protection on they are all I use I got 6010 Lincoln and they love to stick I get HF 6011 and they runs nice and I can do easy restrikes
To each their own
6010 and 7018 are always harder to run they take more OCV that has nothing to do with the quality
🤔
Atom Arc makes super lo/hi electrodes
👍👍🇺🇸
Loved your comparisons, I almost thought we were comparing ammo. 😂
😂😂
Love the content, an if I can recommend a school, this is the one 👌👌👌 6:57
Thank you!
Harbor freight is not as cheap as every body thinks because they sell for 10. they sell only two pound box which makes them more expensive than much better brand rods that come with at least 5 pound packages. nice curve ball...
I love the videos
Thank you!
anybody know what happens to the skinny fella who used to do welding videos
Chucke2009? He is back under "welding and farming archive".
Wish you had a better camera to show the puddles
Thank you for letting us know about this! We'll take note of this.
There is no such thing as $100 rods anymore. A can of 5P + is much more than $100. Or any other electrode for that matter.😊
Does all stainless weld rod have bad puddle clarity? Also is the slag supposed to be super hard?
Good question! We might answer this question through a video. Stay tuned!