What Quality Wire Selection For MM210

[harcosparky]

So far from what I have gleaned from this and other forums is that 030 wire is best for the MM210 however I understand that not all 030 wire is the same.

In reading I get the idea that it's good to avoid " poor quality " as well as " copper coated " wire. Being the new guy that I am and knowing that an LWS may well wish to sell you what they have in stock I have no clue what to ask for.

I want only the best for my MM210 as I feel this will minimize chances for failure due to conditions outside of my control.

What is the best quality wire avaiable, and if the LWS doesnt have that what's second?

Thanks for your help!

NOTE: In this case fellas size doesnt matter, it's all about quality.

[aametalmaster]

You mean the dealer didn't give you a free roll? I use ER70S6 .030 wire, i use what i can find cheap or free but i don't build rocket ships either. Try some Hobart S6 wire...Bob

[imported_Blackplague]

Although I Hate To Use The Word Lincoln!!

The best wire out there in my opinion is Lincoln L-56 in any diameter. The stuff runs so smooth and freezes so nice.

[DDA52]

Hobart HB-28 is my favorite followed by Linc L-56. I have also beed doing a lot of wire comparisons of late. The Pinnacle ER70S-6, IMO, is almost as good as the HB-28. Very similar in the way they act. It even has less spatter than the L-56. The priced is almost half the cost of HB-28 and L-56. Not everyone has it, but it seems to be picking up steam around here.

[Sundown]

Like Don I mostly use HB-28, I will use L-56 sometimes cuz I can get it at the local big box store on the weekends. I did use Hobart Weldit ER70S-6 when the local HF stocked it for $20 a 10#'er, but the smart manager of the store wanted to sell more CE (junk wire IMHO) so he quit stocking it. Funny thing is they keep it locked up and I thought I saw some spider webs on the lock during the sidewalk sale last weekend. The LWS around here have started carrying Ancor wire, but I havn't tried it yet.

[harcosparky]

I have a roll of Lincoln L56 and it appears to be copper coated, I read somewhere that the copper plating can come off or somehow dirty up the drive mechanism.

Id that a vaid concern?

YES I got a free roll of wire from the dealer ... flux cored ('cause I didn't get the gas bottle attime I bought the welder.

With any luck we should be applying power to the MM210 this afternoon.

Thanks again

[Sundown]

I have a roll of Lincoln L56 and it appears to be copper coated, I read somewhere that the copper plating can come off or somehow dirty up the drive mechanism.

Id that a vaid concern?

YES I got a free roll of wire from the dealer ... flux cored ('cause I didn't get the gas bottle attime I bought the welder.

With any luck we should be applwing power to the MM210 this afternoon.

Thanks again

Copper coating is no problem, just blow out the wire liner once in a while. As you live in a somewhat humid place the copper will keep the rust down alot better than non-copper coated wire.

[Jim-TX]

To all:
When I got my MM210 last month I got an 11 pound roll of ER70S6 .030 copper coated stuff made in China. This is what my LWS handed me (NOT free ) when I told them I needed wire. Since I have nothing to compare it to, and I'm learing the basics of mig, would it be worth my while to try to get a roll of something else? I don't remember the brand name, but know it's China made. I'm like harcosparky, I want whatever works the best. I'm not building ships so the wire cost isn't going to be a huge expense for me.

[Sberry]

I see some stuff on the shelf at my LWS called Washington Alloy? With a name like that its got to be from China or Korea??? It didnt have the location on the box, only distributors. I noticed Esab had wire made from all over, one box is Mexico, the next USA. The dipstick at the counter sees one he thinks its all from USA. I have been trying to be a real guy and shop local but my dealer has reached the end. I shop there for 30 yrs and I dont do bulk so I got to pay thru the azz. Have to price every item, cant just go in anymore and point to it, 30$ for 10# of 6011 or 6010, same box at TSC for 16. But, small rolls of alum were way cheaper at a weld store, its a shame we have to price that way, its sorry and as I told them, despite my volume what incentive is there for me there, just because they a couple nice guys? I noticed that about a lot of weld stores, bad, think they should jab all the small customers, bad plan.

[Scott V]

Cary,
Wa. Alloy is made in Korea. Level wound and looks nice. Pretty weird
arc when you turn it up. The Pinnacle wire Don spoke of, is better stuff.

Esab is Spool-arc 86 in .030 is really good wire. Hobart Quantum arc is
another good crisp wire. It replaced BR-6. I gave Jim a 60 pound
roll(BR-6) that he compared to L-56 and he said it was exacly the same
as L-56 wire. He ran it in his powermig 300 and invertec 350 adv.
process with the same outcome.

Some machines respond to different brand/type wires, so there is
no one brand that is best. HB-28 runs the best on most machines
I have used. Not the best on all of them, but overall more seem
to run it right.

[KB Fabrications]

Hobart Quantum arc is another good crisp wire. It replaced BR-6. I gave Jim a 60 pound roll(BR-6) that he compared to L-56 and he said it was exacly the same as L-56 wire. He ran it in his powermig 300 and invertec 350 adv. process with the same outcome.

I was at Airgas the other day trying to order some Quantum Arc and was told it is not available in .030 in 8" spools or the 30#ish ones.

[Scott V]

I was at Airgas the other day trying to order some Quantum Arc and was told it is not available in .030 in 8" spools or the 30#ish ones.

That is correct, .035 33lb are the smallest.
This is the wire that I am trying to get in
to try. It comes in the smaller spools.

http://www.thermadyne.com/stoody/literature/pdfs/84_9914.pdf

[DDA52]

Thats one I would like to try as well, Scott. My LWS just blinked at me when I asked about it. They know nothing of it...and won't find out since it isn't in their inventory.


I am just glad I got the Pinnacle so cheap and easily. When I get my 12RC, I may get a roll of .045 to try out.

[flukecej]

All I have ever used has been 0.035 dia wire. I ran a 25# spool of Esab Spool Arc 86 and it welded OK, lots of splatter with straight CO2, better performance with 75/25 Argon/CO2 Steel Mix. The next spool of wire was 33# wire spool of Esab Dual Sheild 7100 Ultra. This is flux core made for use with gas, also Steel Mix. Had to up the gas flow to help with splatter. This stuff welded great. Both of these Esab spools came from our LWS, but it was a total fluke that we even got them in the first place.

When I was getting low on the 7100, my dad ordered Hobart Brand HB28 ER70S6 wire in 10# spools so we would have some regular wire around. He got these from Cyberweld.com. Our LWS hasn't been stocking stuff like he used too and his supplier was Airgas in Lubbock. We go to Lubbock 2 to 3 times a week anyway for parts and other business, so we started dealing with Airgas directly instead of going through the LWS.

I just started using Lincoln Outershield 71M Flux core and this stuff welds fantastic. We got it on a 25# Plastic spool. Looking on Lincolns Website, it is available in 10# plastic, 25# plastic and 33# wire spools in a minimum diameter of 0.035.

I have noticed that most gas type flux cores are 0.035 minimum in size. Your solid wires, like ER70S6 will come in smaller diameters and smaller spools. We don't change wire allot except when the spool goes empty. My dad wants to use wire that welds good, low splatter and doesn't eat allot of gas in the process. I know what taps work the best on the MM200 in the shop and we have pencil marks on the wire speed dial that show which setting is best for the tap selected. If we have to, we tweak the gas and the wire speed a tad depending on the welding job.

We do have a spool of gasless flux core wire on a 10# spool. I have to run the machine reverse polarity for it to burn right. Really don't like this type of wire at all. I don't like how it welds, the splatter produced and the machine doesn't like it at all either. This wire doesn't run smooth through the machine. It might be the brand of wire, I'm not exactly sure. Because we don't like how it welds, it sets in the fridge storage with the rest of the welding supplies. It is only used as a last resort if I'm totally out of wire.

[hankj]

Well, I'm far from an expert, but when I brought home my MM 210 I also carried a 33# roll of .035 ER70S-6 (Radnor brand) with it. I thought it was decent for some things, but not so decent on taps 2 and 3. That's whan Dan (the kid from Stayton) suggested that the machine ran best on .030 wire.

Since I had some left from the 135, I ran it, and I've never looked back. My vote is for .030, but brand differences continue to elude me, except for one crummy roll of Radnor wire, which I now use for electric fence repairs.

As for copper coated vs. bare, it makes no difference to the weld as far as I've seen. The copper coat inhibits the rust, and makes the wire run smooth.

Hank