MIG Wire Brands in Different branded welders

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

I am a total novice at MIG welding. Can the more readily available locally Unimig wire be used okay in something like a Lincoln Electric MIG welder? Or is it better to buy brand specific MIG wire? It is for shielding gas so not gasless.

Remember the part about my being a novice. Yes - I know a welding machine cannot read labels on boxes.It does not mean there might be compatibility issues though between brands. Or do all MIG wires need to be made to meet the same quality standards and I am just being over cautions - read better safe than sorry. Remember the part about my being a novice.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Slunnie]

The brand of Mig wire doesn't make any difference to the machine. We use BOC wire in all of our machines. Just make sure the wire diameter and spool weight is what you're after.

[Lionelgee]

The brand of Mig wire doesn't make any difference to the machine. We use BOC wire in all of our machines. Just make sure the wire diameter and spool weight is what you're after.

Hello Slunnie,

Thank you for your detailed response. It does lead to another question though.... Why BOC wire? Also, when you mention 'all our machines" what brands would one be talking about ... hmmmm ? Inquisitive chappy, am I not?

Kind regards
Lionel

[Blknight.aus]

theres not a huge amount of difference between brands when it comes to standard wire, some brands have specialty wires for certain jobs that others dont BOC so far as I've found carry the widest variety and is my goto when I need to look at getting something like hard facing wire.

Cheaper brand wire (full boar from bunnings) I find tends to swing a bit on quality, sometimes being a little stiff and not wanting to feed just skidding in the feeder if I've got the handpiece and cable curled funny others being too soft and just knotting in the feeder But its cheap. Their gassless is worse.

[Lionelgee]

theres not a huge amount of difference between brands when it comes to standard wire, some brands have specialty wires for certain jobs that others dont BOC so far as I've found carry the widest variety and is my goto when I need to look at getting something like hard facing wire.

Cheaper brand wire (full boar from bunnings) I find tends to swing a bit on quality, sometimes being a little stiff and not wanting to feed just skidding in the feeder if I've got the handpiece and cable curled funny others being too soft and just knotting in the feeder But its cheap. Their gassless is worse.

Hello Dave,

Thank you for your detailed - as usual, reply. I was looking at brand names such as Unimig that make welders. I had forgotten about BOC that you and Slunnie both mentioned. They are at the other end of town from me. Whereas the Unimig supplier is closest to me. The tyranny of distance tends to put one place out of my mind; while I visit the 'go to' place first. I will cast the net further afield when I need to do get more gas. Two birds ...

Kind regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

While on a welding theme - what is your preference between E6012 and E6013 for welding the back corner frames of a steel tray for a ute? Sides and back are made out of 50 x 20 x 2-3 mm rectangular hollow section. Then the corner RHS is capped by a length of angle iron that drops further down vertically to provide a fixing point for about a 12 mm outer diameter pipe that acts as the side tie rail. As per the first two photographs.

My welder is multi-functional between MIG and MMA. I learnt MMA and oxy acetylene welding when I did Ag Mech (Agricultural Mechanisation) at Queensland Agricultural College. I just want to buy a hobby pack of electrodes and give stick welding another whirl, even if it just for old time's sake.

I just remembered that my first attempt at MIG welding was the rim of steel located just below the discharge chute on my MTD ride on mower's cutter deck. Despite my best efforts in making all the metal around the weld as clean as possible there was lots of splattering and crackling. This was not the sound of sizzling bacon that according to a couple of YouTube clips on welding suggest that a decent MIG weld is occurring. Since MMA is more forgiving of rust and paint, with that first weld now being broken, I could stick/arc weld a new repair while I am reminiscing. The welder came with all the goodies to do MIG and MMA, so it is at no extra cost for me and I might as well use it.

Oh, the third photograph shows how to convert from the original two lamp units and a reflect at the rear of steel tray to a combination three lamp Narva unit. Oh, the metal box that protected the original lamps is too small for the Narva unit. Get out the cold chisel and hammer. Break the welds in the corners and grab an adjustable spanner and bend the steel base back. 'Fixed' the job is a good'un

The driver's-side foot loop or stirrup had broken off Snowy - my Defender's tray. The remaining passenger-side one was not designed that well anyway. It was too small to step up onto with a safety boot on. I will be replacing both stirrups with a more spacious design that includes a checker plate tread.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Slunnie]

Hello Slunnie,

Thank you for your detailed response. It does lead to another question though.... Why BOC wire? Also, when you mention 'all our machines" what brands would one be talking about ... hmmmm ? Inquisitive chappy, am I not?

Kind regards
Lionel
Hi Lionel, we just get a good price from BOC for gas and wire and they deliver. We are able to access the govt pricing. We just buy wire for mild steel, the common stuff. No trick wire types or anything like that other than a standard light copper coat on the wire.

We are now mostly using WIA machines (x7), we have been finding these to be really good in terms of flexibility when welding, the way the physical unit operates and also for up time. We also run a single Air Liquide which is an old machine now, but it lacks nothing compared to the new machines, but it has a better start for aluminium MIG. We have previously run BOC/Kemppi, ESAB, Unimig and I think one other brand???. The WIA's are far better than all of these for reliabililty, up time and welding flexability. These are all transformer machines, I'm really not sure what the inverter type are like, which most domestic ones are now - so don't necessarily take what machines we run as me saying that they are the best welder for everyone.

[Toxic_Avenger]

Machines are agnostic to the wire inside - but you do need to give consideration to:
1) the material of the wire - ie steel, stainless steel, aluminium, Flux-cored etc. For the most part, the filler material will be a close metallurgical match the parent metal you wish to weld.
2) Wire diameter should match your expected welding parameters for your job- ie thicker wires needing, hotter (amps) and high feed and deposition rates will be best suited to thicker materials.
3) Some machines have limitations as to what spools of wire will physically fit into the machine case, Or the feed roll availability to match your chosen wire type / diameter.

Reputable Wires are made to a welding specification- most 'mild steel' mig wire will be ER70S-6, whereas most self-shielded 'gasless' fluxcore wires will be E711T or similar.
Within the standard you are purchasing to there will be limitations set for metallurigical properties, as well as tolerances for wire diameter deviation (cheaper wires will deviate more, as they spend less time in the drawing mills ensuring accurate dimensions). Manufacturing also affects the cast and helix of the wire - ie how tightly sprung it is on the spool, and how twisted it is in a relaxed state. The higher the cast and helix, the more corkscrew action it wil have as it leaves the mig tip, and more wear, micro-arcing, and general pain in the ass it will be.

Mild steel wire can be bare (for ER70S-2 spec) or coated with a thin electro plated layer of Copper or bronze. This helps current pickup at contact tip, and also allows smooth feeding, and a more stable arc with less contact tip wear and better arc density. Bronze is the superior coating.
Premium Aluminium wire alloys have additional manufacturing steps to shave the wire to a uniform dimension.

6012 and 6013 are both all positional 'GP' general purpose rods. Choose your poison- 6012 is rutile flux, the 6013 is cellulose base IIRC. Only difference being the ability to also run on AC current, which unless you are rocking a lincoln tombstone from the 60's, probably not something you need to worry about.

Inverter machines are superior - more adjust ability and better current control. Also allows waveform control for things like pulse and hot start etc... (in basic terms). Also for a 200A inverter Stick welder, you can throw it over your shoulder with a strap - for a transformer machine you would need a forklift.

[Lionelgee]

Hello Mitch, Toxic Avenger,

Is it just me or has it been a long time since you have posted on AULRO? I hope everything has been okay with you and yours. Anyway, it is great to read your post. Thank you for providing all the comparisons and specifications. I decided to stay with the 'name' brands because I wish to avoid bird-nesting that some people attribute to cheaper wire. I can fly through enough wire from my own novice mistakes without needing to contribute to the amount of sacrifice any further.

How did the Land Rover that was stuck in a precarious position up a hill work out? I have not been to Tamworth since November 2019. Isuzu Rover is another once very frequent poster who seems to have been absent for a long time too.

Kind regards
Lionel