Welding Tips and Tricks

When buying filler rod, does brand name matter? Hobbyist stuff, not certified, x-ray stuff.

Hobart, Blue Demon, Harbor Freight???

Thanks for the input. Learning this is hard enough, I don't want to sabotage myself by using crap rod.

No.

I would avoid Harbor Freight, but only because I saw their in-store 1lb tubes of 70S-2 are $9.99/lb.

That's insane.

Spartan wrote:I would avoid Harbor Freight, but only because I saw their in-store 1lb tubes of 70S-2 are $9.99/lb.

That's insane.

Good to know. THX. So who has good (best) pricing on filler rod? I'll only be buying 1lb each of various types.

limiting yourself to 1lb will make it more expensive, IMO. It's "cheaper" to buy 10lbs at a time; the cost per pound is usually a lot lower. Especially if you can find a (presumably online) vendor who can combine shipping. www.weldingsupply.com usually has excellent pricing on TIG filler rod.

eelman308 wrote:

Spartan wrote:I would avoid Harbor Freight, but only because I saw their in-store 1lb tubes of 70S-2 are $9.99/lb.

That's insane.

Good to know. THX. So who has good (best) pricing on filler rod? I'll only be buying 1lb each of various types.

Check your local welding supply as well as online, even if it's a bit of a hike to get there. No shipping that way, and prices are usually a lot better...at least in my experience. Some LWS's will let you pull rod out of 10 & 50 lb packs, weigh it, and only charge a small premium vs buying those larger packs.

Avoid buying 10 lb packs of mild steel if you don't intend to use it all within a handful of months, and if you don't intend to keep it in climate controlled area (i.e., your garage or a shed). It can and will corrode. Often still useable, but a real pain to have to scrub each rod down with scotchbrite before welding.

i think brand names do matter a bit.
there is fake filler out there.
you don't have to buy the big name brands but there is plenty of decent mid range brands around who buy from the same manufacture as some of the big brands.
be a little careful of no name packets. not uncommon for shops to break down a box of filler they scored a great deal on and repack it themselves.

So if I store in one of those airtight tubes....how long will it be good for? I'm thinking aluminum 4043 filler and ERE70s

eelman308 wrote:So if I store in one of those airtight tubes....how long will it be good for? I'm thinking aluminum 4043 filler and ERE70s

I use the DIY PVC tubes, my aluminum and steel filler has never shown any deterioration, this is in my garage in humid Florida. I weld mostly stainless so the steel has been around awhile

eelman308 wrote:So if I store in one of those airtight tubes....how long will it be good for? I'm thinking aluminum 4043 filler and ERE70s

As long as the air wasn't too humid when you capped it off, they can last a long time. Small desiccant packs will also help. I've had some of these for YEARS and no oxidation on the rods if it wasn't already there before I capped them.

Ahh. Desiccant packets. I like it. Those things are in just about everything you open.