[ryanjames170]

has anyone ever noticed a brand or type of 7018 that always seems to run with less amps (or with the amps there charted too) then the other brands? what i am getting at is if you go by the lincoln charts 7014/6013 should use more amps then 7018 in the 1/8 inch rods and the only 7018 rods i have take way more amps to then the 7014/6013 to run and im curious if the brand (not lincoln) i got from school (grabbed and hand full with teachers permission to try on my stick welder) takes 120 to evan think about staying lit but yet i was running the 1/8 7014 in the 90's right around there with the two difrent brands of 6011 that i have.. and if you go by lincoln this is under amps for this by a fair bit some 20 amps and it welded fine but yet 7018 should of been able to run on less then 120A way less.. the reason i ask is i would like to be able to run bigger then 1/8 rods on my welder with out pushing it to the max just to get it started because if you go by this i wont be able to run anything bigger then 1/8 but if you go by the charts it should be able to ligh off 5/32 with no issue. and i would also like to be able to run 1/8 on 110V when i dont have 220 to play with as evan if i had a 110V circut (gen set) that was was able to support the full amperage the machine cuts off at 120 for 110V

[Poland308]

Wow that's a lot of back and forth. 7018 1/8 should run good between 100-130. That's depending on the machine. Are you comparing amp setting on the same machine or on two different ones. There can be a lot of difference between 120 amps on one machine compared to another. The second may be set for 120amps but only putting out 90. Most small machines running on 110volt will have a real hard time running 5/32 7018. That's a good way to burn up a welder. I've done it to two welders. One miller one thermal arc. I would recommend running 3/32 7018 if your on 110 volts. Run about 75-85 amps. Even then practice lots to see what amp setting actually welds good with the 3/32. If you have to turn your machine up over those settings then that will tell you how far off your dial is from actual amp output.

[ryanjames170]

Wow that's a lot of back and forth. 7018 1/8 should run good between 100-130. That's depending on the machine. Are you comparing amp setting on the same machine or on two different ones. There can be a lot of difference between 120 amps on one machine compared to another. The second may be set for 120amps but only putting out 90. Most small machines running on 110volt will have a real hard time running 5/32 7018. That's a good way to burn up a welder. I've done it to two welders. One miller one thermal arc. I would recommend running 3/32 7018 if your on 110 volts. Run about 75-85 amps. Even then practice lots to see what amp setting actually welds good with the 3/32. If you have to turn your machine up over those settings then that will tell you how far off your dial is from actual amp output.

oh its all the same welder, and when it knows its on 110V it limits the current to what its designed to handle on that. i can crank the handle all i want it will not go above 120A i normaly weld in the 75-100A range witch it has no problem with heat wise and current wise. but what i was getting at is i can weld anything else i got in 1/8 ie 6011, 6013, and 7014 in the 85-105A range no issue i mean 1/8 6011 at 105 is getting way to hot and i usaly run that in the 80-90A but this Unamed 7018 i got from school.. would not evan do anything worth while calling welding untill 120A.. on the note of 3/32 7018 i can run that in the 80-90A range easly i just was hopping i could run 1/8 7018 on it i mean if you go by the chart i should be able to run it in the 85-100A range

[cj737]

I'd offer you some opinion based input: Welding 1/8" rod on 110v is probably overtaxing your machine. While it may be listed as capable, its usually the outer limit of its performance. Hence, it may struggle to keep the amperage consistent all the way to the work surface.

If you want to practice, and you find only 110v available, drop down to 3/32" and practice out of position, opposite hand, with a mirror, and every crazy thing you can think of. But for 1/8" or 5/32", use 240v. Its far easier on your machine and your power supply. Too many of us only practice what we are good at, not the things that actually need practice

[Poland308]

All the other rods you mentioned are very different than 7018. The flux and rod are made up of different chemicals and will weld differently even if they are the same diameter at the same amps.

[Otto Nobedder]

Are you running the 7014 and 6011 on DC? The amp recommendations for the 6011 are likely for AC, though it can be run DC. I've only ever run 7014 on AC, so can't compare, but running on DC always takes less amps than the same rod on AC, typically about 71%, or RMS value. This seems to roughly agree with the numbers you gave.

Steve S.

[ryanjames170]

Are you running the 7014 and 6011 on DC? The amp recommendations for the 6011 are likely for AC, though it can be run DC. I've only ever run 7014 on AC, so can't compare, but running on DC always takes less amps than the same rod on AC, typically about 71%, or RMS value. This seems to roughly agree with the numbers you gave.

Steve S.

ahh i was going by Lincoln Electrics DC amp range's for those rods same with 7018 they give both for just about everything but E6010, i did contact Lincoln to ask how accurate there ranges were and the guy said they about right on if the machine is putting out.. i really am thinking the 7018 Rods i had there where just crap.. i am going to buy a bunch of samplings of 1/8 rods to see.. i mean if none of them work out i will just burn them on the engine drive this spring haha that thing will put out enough amps to that im sure haha 225A should be way more then enough for anything.. i was just hopping i could run them i know i cant get away with running 120A on 110V for very long with out tripping the breaker but as far as the machine gose it was made to put out that kinda amps on 110V..

if you go by lincolns chart and figure in fudge factor i should still be able to run 1/8 7018 under 120A might be cold but it should still light up and stay lit.. why am gong to get a bunch of difrent rods ie Lincoln, Hobart, Firepower and see how it gose.. i have a feeling that the 7018AC hobarts and the lincoln Excalibre 7018 will run just fine under 120.

[Otto Nobedder]

Yeah, something's hinky... I've burned a ton of 1/8" Excalibur 7108 in DCEP, and rarely have gone above 120A, even in flat position. I'll run them as low as 105A on pipe. I've also burned a lot of ESAB's "Atom Arc" 7018; It likes to be a little hotter, but not much. I have no experience with anyone's 7018AC.

Steve S

[ryanjames170]

Yeah, something's hinky... I've burned a ton of 1/8" Excalibur 7108 in DCEP, and rarely have gone above 120A, even in flat position. I'll run them as low as 105A on pipe. I've also burned a lot of ESAB's "Atom Arc" 7018; It likes to be a little hotter, but not much. I have no experience with anyone's 7018AC.

Steve S

i did some more looking and found this perhaps the answer to the question too.. the fallowing AMP ranges are for 1/8 rod only
according to lincoln

Excalibre 7018H4R is 85-150

Jetweld LH-70 is 90-150

Jetweld LH-73 is 100-140 AC rod according to AWS how ever lincolns AC 7018 is not listed as it would be a Lincoln 7018AC by name

Jet-LH 78MR is 110-160

so yeah perhaps those rods were like the JET-LH 78MR's maybe i could see that rod by a lesser manufacturer being 120A to light up its a AWS 7018H4R just like the excalibre too..

anyhow with that said Excalibre it is then still going to try the firepower stuff from work im sure that is 7018AC.. and see if i can snag a 10lbs can from the LWS of Excalibre 7018 as well to try out

also did more digging and found out 6011's come in 2 flavors with different starting amps 1/8 rods

Fleetweld 35 70-110

Fleetweld 180 55-110

ive welded with Fleetweld 180 and some other 6011 that was just a regular 6011 and u can tell the Fleetweld 180 dose not need as much amperage..

with something to say for marketing both the Fleetweld 180 and the Lincoln 7018AC both say there for AC machines with and Low open circuit voltage.. makes me think they have added something to both to alow them to use less amps and keep lit with machines that have lower OC voltage

[Poland308]

Can you post a pic of some of the beads? Preferably one right after you weld with the slag still on. And a second after the slag is off. Are you running the Lincon 210mp? If so I have that machine and I use it mostly on 220 but could do some tests on 110 to compare.

[ryanjames170]

Can you post a pic of some of the beads? Preferably one right after you weld with the slag still on. And a second after the slag is off. Are you running the Lincon 210mp? If so I have that machine and I use it mostly on 220 but could do some tests on 110 to compare.

i would be intrested to see what you come up with running on 110V though evan though the machines are difrent IIRC there both IGBT and should be simular in respects.. i suspect they will be similar enough to decern if its possible to run what i want to run

this weekend i can get some pics.. i am running a AHP 160ST witch is a dual voltage machine i know ChuckE2009 said he felt the amp output was about dead on.

i have noticed that there are getting to be alot of the newer IGBT inverter machines that have 100-120A on 110V outputs i think that is due to the fact there way more effciant then the older types. and i know the AMPs are there because i cranked it up when i was load testing the braker i was burning threw with 1/8 E6011 on 3/16 plate