100% CO2 and what spatter???

[A-one]

I just decided to do a little experimenting. I got a 20 pound CO2 cylinder and some Weldmark .035 ER70S-6. After running a few welds to test the combination, I love it!!! Definitely not more spatter than flux core. Seems pretty hot too. Am I missing anything???

 

[Yomax4]

Most imported welders are designed to run on CO2. Dialed in with good wire, proper gun angle and stick out you can do some nice hot welding with CO2 at a fraction of your 75/25 gas.

 

[A-one]

I guess it is imported. Pro Mig 180 sold by Lowes and assembled in Mexico. Maybe my gas nozzle keeps the spatter off the work. I have to clean it quite often. The stick out has to be kept pretty short. I have to say, I probably won't go back to flux core. If I see a need for flux core, I'll probably use stick first.

 

[Yomax4]

I guess it is imported. Pro Mig 180 sold by Lowes and assembled in Mexico. Maybe my gas nozzle keeps the spatter off the work. I have to clean it quite often. The stick out has to be kept pretty short. I have to say, I probably won't go back to flux core. If I see a need for flux core, I'll probably use stick first.

Yeah, Some solid wires spatter more than others but are usually still better than flux core.

 

[A-one]

I just bought what the welding shop had. Never heard of Weldmark until I started going to that shop. I think ESAB makes the ER70S-6. A Google search turned up Weldmark by ESAB.

I bought some 6011s and 7018s that I thought were pretty decent. They had the Blue Demon Logo on the package. I guess the 7018s are contaminated by now though. I can't get the slag to peel anymore.

 

[Yomax4]

I just bought what the welding shop had. Never heard of Weldmark until I started going to that shop. I think ESAB makes the ER70S-6. A Google search turned up Weldmark by ESAB.

I bought some 6011s and 7018s that I thought were pretty decent. They had the Blue Demon Logo on the package. I guess the 7018s are contaminated by now though. I can't get the slag to peel anymore.

Weldmark is the brand logo of the IWDC. They are a buyers group that offers independent welding distributors a one stop lower cost alternative. Most of the stuff is good and private labeled brand name stuff that's subject to change at any time.

 

[A-one]

Weldmark is the brand logo of the IWDC. They are a buyers group that offers independent welding distributors a one stop lower cost alternative. Most of the stuff is good and private labeled brand name stuff that's subject to change at any time.

I guess my best bet for consistency would be the Lincoln wire from Lowe's. I can't really say much about the SMAW rods from Lowe's. I bought an imported stick welder just to see how I would like it. Turns out that I like it more than mig or flux core. But I was using the Lowe's rods. Since then I bought a used Lincoln Invertec V155-S. I know it runs waaaaaaayyyyyyy hotter than the little import. But I'm using the Weldmark rods, so I wouldn't know the difference from one 6011 to another at this point.

It will be a while before I get to try any other wire though. I bought the 11 pound spool. I do know that I'm going to go with .030 next time. I tend to pile more weld into a joint than it needs. I guess I travel so slow looking to get the best penetration possible. And I like to turn the wire feed up a little from what the door chart says. I think the door chart is wrong on purpose though. If somebody were to make a complete weld using those settings, they would be really frustrated.

 

[WranglerX]

My personal choice for most of my mild steel shield gas is C-25 (75% Argon/25% Co2).... Hardly ever run fluxcore anymore....

As for wire try to stay with popular brands, Lincoln, Hobart, Miller, ESAB.... Now that I have made that statement , my preferred brand is PROSTAR found at local Praxair welding supply...

Door charts are only ball park (starting place), you need to move setting up or down to fine tune to get desirable bead shape and penetration...

 

[A-one]

Usually the suggested wire feed rate is too low to even get a bead started on this machine. About 25-50 IPM will get it going pretty good. A little oscillation will flatten the bead for me. I move too slow for the fast feed, and I get a better tie in at the toes.

I might try some Lincoln wire later, but I've been shopping with the welding shop, and Weldmark is what they had. The ER70S-6 at Lowes has another 1.5 pounds for about the same price.

 

[A-one]

Yep, all of the spatter ends up in my gas nozzle. I have to clean it every 5 welds. I still like it better than flux core though. It seems to make a stronger weld. It definitely makes a better looking weld. And if my calculations are anywhere near close, it's more cost efficient.