Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi all,

Im currently in the market to purchase some new Sticks for MMA.

I have currently had experience with the 6013, 7014, and 6011.

I cant decide on what i should buy next considering i like these three quite a bit.

Im open to trying new Rods, so any opinions would be good.

Don't laugh , I'm having a blonde moment. What is MMA ?

Manual Metal Arc, its another name for Shielded Metal Arc Welding

Thanks Fairmont. I kinda figured it had to do with the smaw process with the listing of the rods, but didn't know exactly what it stood for.

Gordob,
For welding steel, you pretty much got it covered with those electrodes. Do you run your 6011 on ac or dc? Try a 6010 rod (DC +), if you run 6011 on DC it is fairly close to that or a 7018 (DC+). Those are probably the 2 most used rods anywhere. I am assuming you are not in the U.S. by the MMA designation.

Can't speak for Gordob, but I'm from Australia and MMA is a common name here for SMAW.

Darin.

For mild steel 6010 root, 7018 cap.

I love the good ole 5p+++++. run it any position under the sun, and a good whip technique can lay down some really slick lookin beads. Theres also somethin about the way that slag just peels itself off 7018s and 7024s that always makes me grin. On a/c 6011s are hard to beat. I personally don't give a rats arse if I ever have to weld with a 6013 again. Never been a big fan of them. I ve used a few 7014s and thought they were alright but I have a dc only machine and I think they are more of an a/c rod, but I m wrong plenty of the time. I do love the 70+ rods (8010-G) almost as much as 5p. maybe because they have a very similiar flux composition and weld characteristics