What 70 series 035 wire are you running ?

[tackit]

Who's your favorite wire manufacturer and what all position 70 series .035 wire are you running on mild steel?

I bought some made in Mexico "ARC Weld ER70S-6 AWS A5 17 ASME SFA-5 17 EF11k" wire when I bought my MM251 and I hate it. Not only does it splatter and sputter but I have to adjust the 251's wire speed settings way over what the machine's settings call for in order to get a nice wash in.

Thanks

[thehat]

My first choice is Hobart 70S-6 second is Harris.I don't like the bare wire,it doesn't seem to start or run the way I like.I also like the Versatile 71T dual shield for the heavier stuff.

[cope]

I have used Miller's Gold Seal as well as Weld-It. I have run 1/2 of a 33# spool of .035 Uniweld hrough my PowCon and have been impressed with it. I heard from a guy on Hobart who has had good lkuck with Anchor brand. I am not surprised taht the Mexican wire is NG.

[Paul Seaman]

I use Harris E70S6 and love it, never had a problem with over 80lbs used in a year. For what its worth I buy a small 1 or 2 lb. spool before I will invest in 10 or 20 or 40 lbs of junk. I also buy from welding suppliers that will give service if there is a problem. They get all of my business and they know it, so they treat me right!

My second choice is Radnor, and I actually like their wheels better than all the others I've tried, especially their flapper wheels.

I believe if you try the Harris or Radnor you won't go back to the cheap stuff.

Weld well,

[thehat]

Cheap usually costs more

[Paul Seaman]

I agree, but so does education and if others can learn for free from my mistakes of years past thats great, Here on millers forum that what it all about!!!

Peace,

[HAWK]

GOOD INEXPENSIVE WIRES IN ER70S6:

LINCOLN AND ANCHOR BRAND

Two cents for thought: I have found the larger spools (33lb and 44lb) tend to feed better. They are usually automaticaly wound by machine. The smaller spools are many times respooled from the 33lb and 44lb rolls by hand or poor quality machines. This causes the wire to feed from underneath its own layers. This results in a lesser quality feeding spool.

[walker]

Hawk, what I found with the small spools is that the wire comes unwound just by the spring tension in the wire, When the drive rolls catch up it starts to tighten all of the unwound wire, thereby tightening coils of itself under its other coils. This causes a jerky feed through the gun. I always use the big rolls. I just found out recently that my MM185 is supposed to bbe problematic with big rolls, maybe I shouldn't mention this out in the garage in case it doesn't know this. I have never had any trouble with it.

[klsm54]

If my customers want a good, dependable, consistent wire, I sell them Lincoln L-56, not Lincoln Sure-Arc. Lincoln L-56, or the L-50 in S-3, is right at the top in feedability and consistency. I know this is a Miller Board, but I've got to reccommend what works best for my customers. Lincoln also has the Murex brand, in the middle between Super-Arc (L-56) and the oft imported Sure-Arc, that has been a real good wire for my customers.

In all fairness, the newer Hobart solid wires seem to be really great. The problem in my area is that the older Hobart wires, only 3 or 4 years back, left a lot to be desired, and customers are slow to try them again.

As far as the series of wire, 95%+ of my customers run ER70S-6, over S-3 wires. Our stores don't even stock S-3 wires unless it is for a certain customer. 15 years ago, or so, we decided to end the stocking nightmare and go with all S-6 wires. In 99% of welding applications, that I have run into, if S-3 will weld it, S-6 will weld it just as well, or in most cases, better.

Now I am only talking 30, 33, and 44# spools here. In the smaller spools, we sell mainly Harris -Welco with a spattering of Lincoln thrown in.

The problem, as I see it, with many of the imported wires is inconsistency. All to often the companies that are selling import wires will use wire from multiple manufacturers, and countries. I have had wire, that when it came from Mexico, worked very well. Then the next shipment came from Italy and ran terrible. So unless I have a customer that demands the cheapest thing out there, I try to stick to domestic. If I sell import, I like to find a manufacturer who sources from one plant, in one country.

[tackit]

Mexican wire update

Update:
I just would like to inform you all that my welding dealer stopped by the shop today and exchanged for free the more than half used up roll of Mexican wire for a brand new 44 lb spool of Lincoln's SuperArc L-56 ER70-6.

Upon trying it I couldn't believe the difference, no sputters or splattering. The bead is beautiful....it has no waves, it's completely smooth and uniform, and the wire washes in beautifully, another thing I like is wire speed is back within the MM251's parameters.


Klsm54 you know what your talking about brother.

Thanks Weldstar Logansport Indiana, you guys have always been the best.

[klsm54]

Glad to hear that your distributor took care of your problem tackit .......You would have a hard time getting service like that from an on-line dealer.

[cope]

Originally posted by klsm54
If my customers want a good, dependable, consistent wire, I sell them Lincoln L-56, not Lincoln Sure-Arc. Lincoln L-56, or the L-50 in S-3, is right at the top in feedability and consistency. I know this is a Miller Board, but I've got to reccommend what works best for my customers. Lincoln also has the Murex brand, in the middle between Super-Arc (L-56) and the oft imported Sure-Arc, that has been a real good wire for my customers.

In all fairness, the newer Hobart solid wires seem to be really great. The problem in my area is that the older Hobart wires, only 3 or 4 years back, left a lot to be desired, and customers are slow to try them again.

As far as the series of wire, 95%+ of my customers run ER70S-6, over S-3 wires. Our stores don't even stock S-3 wires unless it is for a certain customer. 15 years ago, or so, we decided to end the stocking nightmare and go with all S-6 wires. In 99% of welding applications, that I have run into, if S-3 will weld it, S-6 will weld it just as well, or in most cases, better.

Now I am only talking 30, 33, and 44# spools here. In the smaller spools, we sell mainly Harris -Welco with a spattering of Lincoln thrown in.

The problem, as I see it, with many of the imported wires is inconsistency. All to often the companies that are selling import wires will use wire from multiple manufacturers, and countries. I have had wire, that when it came from Mexico, worked very well. Then the next shipment came from Italy and ran terrible. So unless I have a customer that demands the cheapest thing out there, I try to stick to domestic. If I sell import, I like to find a manufacturer who sources from one plant, in one country.

What do you get for a 33# spool of the L-56 .035?

[tackit]

klsm54 good dealers definitely are blessings.

My dealer has been there each and every time I needed him. All I do is call him and tell him what I need and when he makes his rounds he drops it off.((no UPS charge either)) I feel any money I may have saved buying over INTERNET Rod has made up for in gas, travel time and great great service.

I told him today in two weeks he can expect to see my order for the MM251 aluminum push pull module, gun and a Metabo 6" angle grinder and disc's.

[klsm54]

cope, That is a tough question to ask a distributor... ...How much is anything? We are like the auto parts stores, everybody gets a special price on just about anything. I checked though and we are "averaging between $1.45 and $1.69 a pound on 44# spools for L56 .035, 33 lb'ers would be about a nickle more. Keep in mind, that is up about $0.20 cents since April in steel surcharges, and will go up another $0.05 on 7-1-04 with no end in site.

[cope]

Originally posted by klsm54
cope, That is a tough question to ask a distributor... ...How much is anything? We are like the auto parts stores, everybody gets a special price on just about anything. I checked though and we are "averaging between $1.45 and $1.69 a pound on 44# spools for L56 .035, 33 lb'ers would be about a nickle more. Keep in mind, that is up about $0.20 cents since April in steel surcharges, and will go up another $0.05 on 7-1-04 with no end in site.

Scott,

I was just looking for a ball park. I am in Houston so the price might be higher or lower here. I paid $27.95 for a 33# spool of Uniweld .035 last April. First 33# spool I had bought in 10 years but I remember that I paid more than that back in 1992.