The E7018 is probably the most revered welding rod in the industry. With the reverence it commands, a lot of people jump at the chance to use it. It’s a master of structural steel welding and makes a near perfect weld in skilled hands. The problem is that while it offers the potential of a strong, high quality weld, special care must be taken to preserve its low hydrogen properties that give it the qualities it has. Many of the new people interested in learning to weld are not aware of the storage and handling requirements it has to get the most out of the rods. The low hydrogen properties that prevent weld problems like under bead cracking are lost if moisture enters the rod. Moisture ingresses fairly rapidly into the iron powder and titania flux so the rods must be perpetually heated to hold moisture at bay. All 7018 rods should be kept in a special oven to keep them dry. They also should be purchased in a vacuum sealed container. Many companies will sell them in cardboard boxes or in plastic containers. Unless the welding electrodes are baked at 600 degrees F for several hours, they are not considered safe for critical work. E7018 have several suffix designations which indicate the varying degrees of moisture resistance. Regular non suffix rods are considered acceptable for use out of the oven for only 4 hours. Welding rods that see more time than that out of the oven should be discarded or rebaked at 600 degrees (depending upon exact manufacturer and code requirements). The suffix designation of HR4 allows the stick electrodes to be held out up to 8 hours, again depending upon exact code requirements. Either way, the rods should be stored in an airtight container while away from the oven. 7018 rods can be used with AC “buzz” boxes, though arc starting is much more difficult, and sticking can become an issue. Additionally, higher amperage is required. Reverse polarity (DCEP) is best. A special rod is produced with the designation of 7018 AC that works much better with the cheap transformer welders. However storage requirements are not changed, and it’s unlikely that most people with “buzz” boxes will have the storage ovens required to keep the 7018 at its best. There is not much advantage to using a moisture rich 7018 over another rod like the 7014. Ductility may be a little better, but underbead cracking becomes a problem. For the added cost and additional storage requirements, the 7018 is typically not the best rod choice for most hobbyists and small repair shops. Larger shops do have rod ovens and can buy large, 50lb sealed containers which make it a more economical choice. However for the average user, not doing code work in the construction or pipe industry, the 7014 may be a better choice.

“Once you try 7014, you’ll throw rocks at those other rods.” Thinking back to that comment made jokingly by my long-in-the-tooth welding instructor in college, I often get a chuckle. But what he said in hyperbole is really not that far from the truth. The 7014 is a great rod. Some professionals tend to dismiss it, largely because they haven’t used it and tend to stick to the code required 7018. Alongside the E 7018, the E7014 matches the 70,000 lb tensile strength and is fairly similar in weld appearance. But it is different in the fact that it is distinctly easier to start an arc and the flow of the metal is unmatched. The iron powdered flux creates a full slag coating that releases so effortlessly that a mere brushing is all that is needed. It is an all purpose welding rod designed for high speed fabrication. Technically classified as a “fill-freeze” welding rod, it lays down a bead about as fast as the “jet” rods. It is also an all position rod that can be quite easily manipulated, and works well with a “weave” pattern. Many shops use this rod for fabrication duties and repair of heavy equipment for areas where MIG isn’t practical. Its drawback is that ductility is a little bit less, and it is not considered low hydrogen so it’s not traditionally relied upon for code work. But then again, no special storage requirements are needed for it and it holds up well without keeping it hot and dry in a rod oven. For people that don’t have storage capabilities and don’t want to treat a welding rod with kid gloves, but want a strong weld and smooth welding experience, the 7014 is a rod that offers the best of both worlds.

Though it isn’t as much of a commercially popular rod as the E6010 in the US, the E6013 is a welding rod that finds much use in other countries in place of the E6010 and E6011. It’s a much more smooth and easy flowing rod, though penetration is relatively shallow. It’s often derisively referred to in the US as a “sheet metal” rod, referring to its limited penetration. That’s not all bad though. It simply means it’s a more forgiving rod. For beginners, this is an excellent rod for confidence building. Even a beginner can make a passable weld soon after picking the rod up. Slag is heavy and is easily separated away from the weld. In fact, if the weld is properly made with the correct amps and technique, the slag should “curl” up off the weld and little or no effort is required to remove it. Overseas, in other countries, the 6013 is used for root pass welds. The rod does not freeze as quickly as the 6010 or 6011, but because of the smoothness of the weld and easily removed slag, it has been adopted in place of the 6010. But what is more important is that this rod is very versatile and works well for many hobby welders and small shops. Sharing the same 60,000 lb tensile strength rating, it theoretically is capable of making as strong of a weld, though there is a difference in ductility. The iron powder coating on the 6013 makes this rod a fast deposit rod, meaning that the weld lays down much faster than the 6010 or 6011. For light gauge welding, the 6013 has no rival. Thin material easily welds without fear of burning big holes in the metal. The stable smooth arc that is characteristic of the 6013 makes it a joy to weld with. One problem that can be experienced with the 6013 is a problem commonly referred to as “wagon tracking”. This is a problem where slag, because of its plentifulness, can be rolled into the edge or center of the weld. This is usually a result of too low of amperage or too extreme of a rod angle. With a little practice, however, this problem is fairly well managed. Reverse polarity is typically used for this rod, though it will weld well with AC “buzz” boxes as well. Whether you are wanting to get your toes wet or just wanting to add another rod to your arsenal the 6013 is a quick study for joining mild steel.

The last time, we looked at the E6011. This time we’ll look at it’s big brother the E6010. Granted, the 6010 is a difficult rod to use, and not for the average user to take on in the beginning. It has a cellulosic flux, and very hard driving arc that offers exceptional penetration. Like the 6011, it too has a 60,000 lb tensile strength rating. But for Pipeline, Construction, and large fab shop it is the primary rod used for stick welding in root pass situations. Its ability to penetrate and the quickly “freeze” quickly makes it great for open root welds. The weld isn’t the prettiest. The hard edge left to the ripples and the difficult to remove flux makes it less than fun to weld with for most people. But no one can deny that the rod is King when it comes to X ray and code work. It’s available in several configurations that add one property or another. You’ll see designations such as 5P or 5P+, each identifying the individual special properties for the rod. Though to the average user, there won’t be much difference in casual use. It is similar as we mentioned, to the E6011. But, it just won’t weld worth two cents on a cheap buzz box welder. It requires higher voltage and a more stable DC current output to keep the arc going. This factor alone, takes the rod out of the hands of many users…Even many smaller portable repair guys shy away from it because it’s nature to be a little eccentric in its taste for welding machines. Yes, mastering the 6010 is a valuable welding skill, but for most people the 6011 happily and easily eliminates the need for it. But if your future is in pipeline or heavy industrial 6010 will definitely be a rod worth your time and effort.