good rods gone bad

Date 03-02-2013 05:02

Doing a little structural job and I started fighting with my fillers. My 1/8 stuff was doing fine but when I ran my 5/32 it would be hit or miss....one rod would run "ok" and the next would spit, sputter and buckshot like mad. I would try to run a vert and it would puddle then suddenly start digging horribly and not fill at all. I reconditioned the suspect rods and still had the same results...so I started comparing diff brands and lo and behold the problem was that brand of rod. Lincoln Excalibers...not the fist 50lb can I have had problems with in the last six months or so. I put them up against old and "moist" hobarts and the hobarts were reliable and consistent...unlike the lincolns. Now the same lincolns from a different can I have had no trouble with. Well since getting two dodgey cans in the last few months I am DONE with Excalibers and Lincoln lohy in general. I tried out some UTP lohy today and I was impressed, they weld really slick and they are not expensive. I like the fact they are longer so less restarts + they only come in 14lb boxes so I can buy a mess and not have many lbs left open at the end of the day.

Any body else noticed a change in the Excalibers? I typically get the H4R.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 03-02-2013 12:38

The last 50 lb of 5/32's I got a few weeks ago was garbage. 2-3 pounds of it had the flux broke off on the tips. Picked it up at the welding supply put in the floor of my truck in the cab so it would not get beat up. Guess it was pre beat or just factory flaws. Restarts on the rod were hideous. Never remembered them taking so much to light one off. I did have buckshot but cannot be sure it was not unremovalbe galvanizing. Although on stiffeners we were able to grind down everything completely. I would weld the lower stuff first then the verts. Some had some pretty bad spatter covering the lower fillet. I do remember running across some where you were mumbling, wtf and would blame the galvy, cuss it a time or two. Then other times it would run smooth as silk. I just figured we did better on the removal of the galvy but we cleaned them all the same and in the end I was cleaning them off and was getting the same kind of results from the rods.

Like you I've had enough. As much waste as I had on rods with no flux on the ends and I used a brand new 10lb the other day and striking the arc and I felt like I was swinging a pick ax to try and get it lit and I was welding clean pipe. Heck, I used some TSC hobart 7018's on the galvy and they lit off easily, they burned good as well under the same conditions. Got an email in asking about those UTP's but think when I go back out I'll try out those Esab Acclaim again. It's bad when you load up your rod bag, clip it to your belt then climb up to 220 feet and while you hang there pull a rod out, tip is screwed up. Ok, next rod, tip screwed up?? What? Next rod, tip....ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! Yes, really happened. Think this was a moment when a cuss word was let loose over the valley.

By Chris2626 (***)

Date 03-02-2013 16:58

After you guys open these cans of rods up and there bad do you bring them back to get your money back on defective rods or store credit?? The store i work at my boss takes rods back that are defective and sends them back to the manufacturer. This doesn't happen all the time but it has happened a few times I have been there.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 03-02-2013 18:25

300 miles from the WS, any weather where it was not pouring down rain and I was there and could not get away to fool around with welding rod so it was run em' and be done. Got a few pounds in the shop I brought back with the flux missing. I usually don't complain to the manufacturer and usually don't have time to run around swapping inferior welding electrodes. I'll just switch manufacturers. If that's the best they can do then it's time to move on to another company.

By Rafter_G_Weldin (***)

Date 03-03-2013 16:13

Washington Alloy Premium I have left hand fulls at a time in the bucket on the back of the truck for a week and they burn like they just got opened. They come in 60# boxes individually packaged in 10# plastic cans.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 03-03-2013 16:27

That's what Tommy said about the UTP's. They come in 14# individually vacuum sealed bags. Heck of a lot better than a hole 50# can you have to worry about keeping dry, reheating, etc, etc. I'll have to check into the Washington Alloy. Buying 10# cans gets expensive.

By Rafter_G_Weldin (***)

Date 03-03-2013 17:27

Its a 60# card board box with 6 10# plastic cans open them as you need them thats what I do.they burn a lil hotter than a esab. You get the heat set right and the flux chips itself.

By Smooth Operator (***)

Date 03-03-2013 20:54

Cummins , Always used Murex goes by the designation #7018 MR comes in a blue & white cardboard box, never had to oven bake :cool:

About 10 years ago was under Airco brand (but had a note that said was made by Lincoln Electric)!!!!! After that ship sunk had the weld supplier track them down!!!! :wink:

Ended up being a company called Murex....Have been able to run overhead w/3/16" on fillets with it..... :surprised:

I can't understand why they don't package all rods in 10# cans and put in a box of 5 or 6 cans :confused:

OH YEAH; " IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DOLLARS" :yell:

By pipetommy (*)

Date 03-05-2013 17:25

I only run McKay lh, hell with Lincoln's