I almost,,,,,,,

  Some of Ya'll may remember how I come to get this new Pro Mig 140 some months ago and lately it has been givin me absolute FITS,,,!!! Wasn't weldin for chit and doin more spittin gorillas that any weldin,,, When I got it thet thing would weld sooooo smooth with that distinctive "fryin Eggs" sound and put a beautiful flowin weld on just about anything I threw at it. Here lately,,tho,,I was bout to chit can it and thinkin bout buyin a TIG machine instead. I have an older 200 amp arc machine that will weld the pants off anything, and use it for really heavy stuff

I caught my Millermatic Vintage for a long time. I put in a new liner and that really helped. I now have to turn the heat up one or two notches More than I used to. I think it may need a new capacitor or more than one. It’s quite agrivating.

Got a Hobart wire feed that I use for light stuff and I have to play with the settings to get it where I want it. For real welding I use the Lincoln 225 AC that I have at the farm. It has served me well for years. A lot of people say the wire feed is easier to use but I prefer the old buzz box.

When I weld with 6013, the welds look like crap, but hold strong.

Welding is preparation! And knowing the metal you are welding. After saying that I can tell you I have made welds that look like chicken chit! I have a Hobart wire welder that I have to tinker with to make good welds. Most of the time I just fire up the Lincoln ACDC 225 and get it done! After all that is what I have welded most with. My Hobart did not weld good with flux core wire. I have co2 argon gas with it now and it welds better. Seems like it is temperamental in it's settings with a lot of adjustments. I have to remember that wire welders are production machines!

7018 doesn’t age well especially in a humid environment. Some welders will work well with 7018 ac and some not. I only like 7018 dc with a good dc welder. My ac225 Lincoln will produce decent welds with Ac 7018 my aead 200 ac will not.
I use a lot of 6011 on junk dirty metal and vertical.

Hmmm.....pretty sure my "7018" is brown in color.....maybe it ain't 7018?  Pretty sure that's right though.  Yeah, the storage environment, or lack thereof, of our rod leaves a lot, er, everything, to be desired.  And it was old when it was given to us 25 years ago.  Still looks like a roll of nickels, but no penetration. 

JC(WI) wrote: Tbone, At least your man enuff to admit your not much of a welder, ... but then again, you might be a better welder than you think or say that you are...  And I am sure you are far better than the maintanance man I had worked with for a spell... he thought he was a welder and I had to redo much of what he touched. burned holes through, or leaving chicken splatter welds that  had no penetration. and he never got any better than that, Not even with a wire feed, he had welds that looked like porcupine quills hanging out from all the starts and stops with the wire...  Had to wear gloves around his work.

if your using 7018 on an AC machine, your kidding yourself..  7018 is a LOW HYDROGEN, multi position rod. You can weld upside down, or uphill or flat... just need a GOOD DC welder.. Think of the difference between DC and AC.. AC " alternates back and forth".. DC is CONSTANT FLOW ONE DIRECTION........ the "LOW HYDROGEN" means the rod must be KEPT DRY.. You keep it in a small heater, old refrig, etc .. with a light bulb or element to keep the rod at least 50 degrees warmer than ambient... If its not hot, its WET and will not weld good... 25 year old rod is dumpster material. Most 7018 rod is GREY....... I normally run a 3/32 diameter rod for most things.. Heavy welding I will use 1/8 inch........ Farm stores like to push the 5/32.. that's WAY TOO BIG ..... and with 7018 the material has to be clean.. run a grinder over the face 1/2 inch in all directions to shinny metal........ 6011 and 6013 are the rods for AC machines and welding on old rust crap... and they don't have to be kept in an oven..

Gas shielded MIGs make a welder out of ALMOST anybody!  Until  you're in the wind.

Mig, Tig, AC, DC, spool guns + plasma cutters all setting in my shop and most of the time a 1/2 ton of cut metal waiting to be welded. Stop by any time, if you want to weld.
This was one of last weeks jobs.