Best brand of rods?

[Memmeddu]

Hi this is probably a matter of opinion, but..

I'm doing a stick welding course ( at Southampton with Davina, some on here may know her..)

I'm already handy with MIG, but it's no good for sticking cleats on to 10mm decks on a rusty barge in the wind, so Im getting some formal stick school.

Everyone seems to use 6013's for general mild steel work, + they seem to be the most widely available, so talking about 6013's at 3.2mm.

B and Q etc seem to receive a lot of criticism, being so bad they are difficult to use.

But which are the best, which receive praise from everyone who uses them?
There must be a popular favourite brand, not neccessarily the dearest, but nothing bad about them?
Do you have a favourite brand, and why?
Thanks in advance Jerry

I like to use siderotermica rods ,which now is an esab brand
Citoflex 6010
Supercito 6013
Citobasico 7018
I also like cemont speedarc 6013 and bohler rods
But essessentially I prefer siderotermica cito rods
On 6013 I use siderarco and cemont speedarc but only because I already taken a box of 2,5mm and one of 3,25mm
I think that everyone needs to know how to handle a rod , somebody may prefer esab....
somebody bohler ....
I think that is a routine ,whe w you use a brand for a lot of time you can tend to prefer that brand ,and when you try another brand you may have issues with it .
Feel the arc stronger ,the pool hotter at the same current,the slag more difficult to handle.
This is what I think about

 

[jerrytug]

I like to use siderotermica rods ,which now is an esab brand
Citoflex 6010
Supercito 6013
Citobasico 7018
I also like cemont speedarc 6013 and bohler rods
But essessentially I prefer siderotermica cito rods
On 6013 I use siderarco and cemont speedarc but only because I already taken a box of 2,5mm and one of 3,25mm
I think that everyone needs to know how to handle a rod , somebody may prefer esab....
somebody bohler ....
I think that is a routine ,whe w you use a brand for a lot of time you can tend to prefer that brand ,and when you try another brand you may have issues with it .
Feel the arc stronger ,the pool hotter at the same current,the slag more difficult to handle.
This is what I think about

grazie!

 

[Memmeddu]

grazie!

Was nearby to tell you "prego" but this is an English forum so I will tell "you are welcome"

 

[TechnicAl]

I like to use siderotermica rods ,which now is an esab brand
Citoflex 6010
Supercito 6013
Citobasico 7018
I also like cemont speedarc 6013 and bohler rods
But essessentially I prefer siderotermica cito rods
On 6013 I use siderarco and cemont speedarc but only because I already taken a box of 2,5mm and one of 3,25mm
I think that everyone needs to know how to handle a rod , somebody may prefer esab....
somebody bohler ....
I think that is a routine ,whe w you use a brand for a lot of time you can tend to prefer that brand ,and when you try another brand you may have issues with it .
Feel the arc stronger ,the pool hotter at the same current,the slag more difficult to handle.
This is what I think about

Thats interesting.....those are Oerlikon brand names who are now owned by Lincoln....so theres both Esab and Lincoln making the same products???

 

[Memmeddu]

Thats interesting.....those are Oerlikon brand names who are now owned by Lincoln....so theres both Esab and Lincoln making the same products???

Siderotermica Is an esab brand cito Is a siderotermica trademark .
This if they didn't sell the name to oerlikon as you said

 

[TechnicAl]

Siderotermica Is an esab brand cito Is a siderotermica trademark .
This if they didn't sell the name to oerlikon as you said

I dont know who owns who or what anymore but Supercito has been used by Oerlikon for donkeys yesrs

 

[Memmeddu]

I dont know who owns who or what anymore but Supercito has been used by Oerlikon for donkeys yesrs

Yes was checking but oerlikon have a bad website.
Esab have not cito in their trademarks so I think was wrong
But my electrodes says siderotermica citoflex esab.....
But I think was a box bought 5 years ago at least

 

[Memmeddu]

I make a screen shot of the pdf about cito Rods
It say
Siderotermica is an esab brand ,arro arroweld isn't affiliated with esab ....
So cito rods are esab
I downloaded the pdf about 3 weeks ago

 

[Liquid Metal]

Most places that ive worked until now, 6013 Murex Vodex have been the order of the day.

6010s mostly fleetweld 5P+, one place used Murex Celtian too.
LowHy's 7016s, Filarc 56S and Elga P47.
And Iron Powders have been Esab 7024's. Lovely and smooth for structural work and welding big tank floors

Cant fault any of them really, although as far as lowhys go I must say I prefer the 56S rods, seem to have a stiffer arc to me, seems nicer when holding a nice short arc.

 

[jimbo84]

Slight hijack of the thread but can anyone recommend any 2.5mm 6013 rods that are comfortable at 80a ac? Fincords I've found good in the past but are out of the question due to price. I have Overcord E at the moment but they need to run hotter I find.

The ampage issue is that I'm on an Oxford ac welder and the next selection up is 100a which kills the genny so 80a is my limit, just need to find some affordable rods that are comfortable at that current if anybody can recommend. Have been looking at the Bohler AWS.

 

[Memmeddu]

Slight hijack of the thread but can anyone recommend any 2.5mm 6013 rods that are comfortable at 80a ac? Fincords I've found good in the past but are out of the question due to price. I have Overcord E at the moment but they need to run hotter I find.

The ampage issue is that I'm on an Oxford ac welder and the next selection up is 100a which kills the genny so 80a is my limit, just need to find some affordable rods that are comfortable at that current if anybody can recommend. Have been looking at the Bohler AWS.

To don't kill Genny (my genset is named Gervasio) you may try to use 2mm rods ,but generally all 2,5mm rods works in the current range of about 70A to 105A ,I used 7018 at about 100A

 

[Munkul]

We tried a few different brands and flavours of 6013 and 7018. Because the local welding shop stocks them and they don't break the bank, we now just go for Bohler AWS by default. There's probably better 6013's out there, but the 7018 is predictable and easy to run all position.

 

[123hotchef]

 

[jimbo84]

Some Bohler aws arriving Monday, will give them a go.

 

[jimbo84]

The Bohler AWS arrived today so burnt some this afternoon. Huge improvement on the Overcord M. Happy with them and can highly recommend the Bohlers (from an amateurs POV). The coating on the Bohlers seems much thinner than on the Overcords.