Best .035 ER70-6 mig wire

[Scott V]

Dan,or anybody else,I was wondering which mig wire is your favorite brand.In the above type,and size.I have been using all different brands,and today I changed to one that is really good.You wouldn't think solid wire would be very different.Well it is.This one has a soft type arc,and is a little more ductile than the Radnor stuff I used last time.It is kind of a suttle difference,but in my inverter I noticed the change in the arc right away for the better.you might have some feed problems every once in a while in a 15 ft gun,but overall it's good stuff.I think I will hold off telling you guys just because you think I am full of it.I would like to know how many of you know your wire,and arc qualitys.I don't think some off you guys could tell,but I bet Dan probably will get it right the first guess.

[Sberry]

Personally I dont pay that much attn,, but when I use a lot of 10# rolls at one time I did find differences in how it was wound on the spools. The Lincoln was not wound right and used something called,, Blue Star or something,, foriegn made. I use Century in that machine now because at a chain store it is 10$ a roll difference and when I am thru there I pick up a spool if I need it. The blue was cheaper too as I remember.

[Scott V]

Very good Aaron.

Aaron,you got it.It is Hobart HB-28,and it works great.In fairness to Radnor,using it with my Mk inverter during spray-arc welding it really works great.I haven't tried the Hobart in the spray process yet.If you want to tune up your arc get the Hobart.My friend at the welding store Knew this for years,but this is the first time I asked him about solid wire.He gave me the whole run down as usual.He does the same thing with machines!

Which I had a nice long talk about the Miller XMT 304 vs the Esab 350 mpi.Looks like some more horse trading for me.

[Scott V]

First Aaron,the arc was softer so their is less spatter,and the puddle was wetter like you said.I only used it for about two minutes so I really didn't give it a work out.I liked it from the first time I pulled the trigger,and I am not going back either.

My friend didn't go into the reason too much,but did say that the wire is alot more ductile.He mostly was just going on what he has seen in lot's of machines.He usually gives me the make up differences in wire chemistry,but not this time.Steve from US alloys on the Yesterdays tractors, gives some of the best info on the net on wire qualitys.Maybe we could did up a couple of Hobart bros to give of the real answer?

[Hobart Expert Rock]

SCOTTV.............XMT304......... I LIKE TO OF FALLEN OFF OF MY LEAN BACK ROLL AROUND CHAIR......... YOU A DIEHARD COMPETITOR AND AN XMT304................ARE YOU ABOUT TO BECOME A CONVERT................?

IF YOU CALL THE HOBART SCHOOL OF WELDING TECHNOLOGY, AT 1-800-332-9448 AND ASK FOR ALICE IN THE APPLICATIONS LAB SHE CAN GET YOU TO CHARLES (BUTCH), CHRIS, IVAN, OR DENNY ANY OF THESE FOLKS CAN ANSWER THE HB-28 WIRE QUESTION........ THESE WOULD BE THE HOBART (BROS) AND (SISTER) ON WIRE AND WELDING ROD GERU'S............... ALL WELDING ENGINEER TYPES AND THEY DO TRAVEL A LOT THIS IS WHY I'M LISTING OUT 4 OF THEM AND THEIR SECRETARY..........................ALICE CAN TELL YOU WHO IS IN...............BE SAFE.....................ROCK.........
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[Dan]

Darn it Scott I though you were going to hold back on answering this for a little while. OH well , at least I would have had the correct answer. I have a roll of the .030 in my MM 210, and a roll of .024 in my HH 135. Besides the Hobart wire I also use Praxair's Prostar too. Since I was at the welding supply store the other day I picked up a roll of .035 Prostar. I haven t notice much difference between the Hobart or Prostar wire. Maybe I ll order a roll of .035 Hobart so I can run so comparison tests.

[dseman]

AWS specs all electrodes with minimum yield, tensile strength, and grouping. So an ER70S-6 from one manufacturer can be quite different than another. All mfg. have to meet the minimum standard, but most exceed the minimum and then change the chemistry to satisfy other requirements---such as 'operator appeal' and 'ease of use'. I know that when it comes to SMAW rods, I prefer hobart and some esab rods like the atom-arcs.
-dseman

[dseman]

Also, AWS has a spec RANGE for the alloy composition. Silicon is added to wet the toes of the weld, and that is specified in a range I think from 0.80-1.15%. The hobart wire may be at the higher end of this range compared to the raynor. It usually is good practice to try several mfgr. once a specific type of electrode is chosen. If they all meet the metallurgical specs of the final weldment, then choose the one that has the 'operator appeal' and price point that you like best.

-dseman

[Scott V]

Rock,I really don't need too much info on the wire,I only am happy it works.I used to buy whatever was there on the shelf.I am changing that way of picking stuff.I kind of thought flux-core would matter,but not solid wire very much.I am going to have do research on the aluminum stuff I use.I do know of a couple to stay away from,but not which one could be best.

Rock,what is the difference in the arc quality of the 304 xmt to the 354 mp.In the non-pulsed,and in the pulsed mode?I do know the Esab 350 mpi is a very nice welding unit,and the 304 xmt with the Optima pulse control is more advanced then the Esab with the ultra pulse 350 pulse pendant control.I could rent a 304xmt with their XR edge gun,and control for about $120 for a week to give it a real work out.The Esab push pull is not that hot for theirs.Although you could put a MK products python,and control box to fix that problem.I am mostly thinking ss steel,and mild steel use.

[Hobart Expert Rock]

SCOTTV........WELL IF IT WAS ME I WOULD HEAD OVER TO MY (FRIEND) AT THE WELDING STORE AND HAVE HIM SET UP A TEST.....I CAN GET SOMEONE FROM MILLER ON HERE FROM ADVANCE TECH.......... BUT IN ALL HONESTY WHY NOT TAKE THAT GIRL OUT FOR A TWIRL................. HAVE YOUR FRIEND SET UP A DEMO AND COMPARE THE TWO............... NOW HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU HEARD ME SAY THIS.......... YOU DECIDE IT IS YOUR HARD EARNED CASH........... SCOTTV....... AS MIKE WOULD SAY....... "THIS IS HOW WE CHOOSE TO DO BUSINESS"........... YOU DECIDE IT IS YOUR HARD EARNED CASH AND THE FINAL DECISION IS ALWAYS YOURS...................... HAVE SOME FUN NOW AND LET US KNOW.........LET THE QUEST BEGIN...............ROCK...........
[email protected]................."THIS IS HOW WE CHOOSE TO DO BUSINESS"

[Sberry]

I dont know much about wire but I do tend to like Hobart in e6010 better than Lincoln for some reason,,, and I have used LOTS of the Lincoln. I see mention of Atom Arc,, is that the stuff that used to be called Chemtron? We used that on a nuke and it was fussy on starts to avoid porosity. I thought it was a pain.

[dseman]

Yep, e6010 hobart is very nice. Sberry you're right about Chemetron. Before Chemetron it was P&H, but now they've been bought out by Esab. I haven't done any 7018 comparison for a few years, but I liked the esab 7018. I never really had any problems with it though (3/32 and 1/8 dia.).

-dseman

[Dave Almy]

XMT 304 and 354MP

Scott
The arc characteristics between the XMT 304 and the Invision 354MP are the same in non pulse and the pulse mode. They are the same power source on the inside, the difference is that the XMT 304 can also be used to do DC GTAW where the Invision 354MP can not. Also the MP series power sources have the pulse programs built into the power source, with the XMT you must order the Optima to have the pulse process. The pulsing programs in the Optima and the MP are the same programs. The other difference is that the XMT and the Optima package will cost a little more than the Invision 354 MP. Let me know if you have any questions. Dave Almy

posted by Scott V [/i]
Rock,I really don't need too much info on the wire,I only am happy it works.I used to buy whatever was there on the shelf.I am changing that way of picking stuff.I kind of thought flux-core would matter,but not solid wire very much.I am going to have do research on the aluminum stuff I use.I do know of a couple to stay away from,but not which one could be best.

Rock,what is the difference in the arc quality of the 304 xmt to the 354 mp.In the non-pulsed,and in the pulsed mode?I do know the Esab 350 mpi is a very nice welding unit,and the 304 xmt with the Optima pulse control is more advanced then the Esab with the ultra pulse 350 pulse pendant control.I could rent a 304xmt with their XR edge gun,and control for about $120 for a week to give it a real work out.The Esab push pull is not that hot for theirs.Although you could put a MK products python,and control box to fix that problem.I am mostly thinking ss steel,and mild steel use. [/QUOTE]

[Hobart Expert Rock]

THANKS DAVE...............SCOTTV...........STEVE AND I TALKED IT OVER YESTERDAY AND WE THOUGHT THAT SINCE DAVE ALMY WAS A WELD ENGINEER FOR THE 2 ABOVE MENTIONED PRODUCTS WE WOULD LET HIM ANSWER........... HE READ IT YESTERDAY AND AGREED TO ANSWER........... THANKS DAVE AND WELCOME ABOARD................ SCOTTV YOU CAN ASK THIS GUY ANY QUESTION ON THESE MACHINES AND HE WILL ASSIST................ ROCK.......
[email protected]

[Scott V]

Thanks Dave,that's the kind of Info I was looking for.I am just doing some checking on different units that pulse.I first am going to try to find the synergic control for my Mk 2000a.The machine in the manual mode of setup is kind of a workout compared to my powermig one knob control.It is a good way to see what parameter effects the arc.I really don't know if I need to learn any of that info with all the synergic stuff out now.Its comparing ten knob controls to about maybe two,and with ten things to set you can really get it out of wack.