Editorial StaffAll welders with some experience can testify that the quality of wire used in the welding process usually affects the quality of the weld even though it doesn’t affect the experienced welders as much as the beginners. Having the best flux core wire is the most effective means to achieving great results and the ideal choice for outdoor welding. A high-quality flux core wire is the main factor welders consider when welding dirty or galvanized steel besides their skill level.
Many manufacturers have emerged and are claiming to produce high-quality flux core wires, which leaves you wondering who is honest. Not to worry because this article will explain in detail the best flux core wire to use in MIG or flux core welder and factors to consider when buying one. So, let’s begin.
So, What is a Flux Core Wire?
A flux core wire is a gasless welding wire that has a hollow center which is filled flux. Usually, flux is surrounded by mild steel welding material. So, you might be asking yourself what flux is? Well, it’s a group of compounds that forms a protective shield for a weld when melted in a flux core welding machine to prevent contamination by air particles.
Furthermore, a flux consists of compounds that help form the weld pool, increasing the metal deposit rate. Moreover, it uses deoxidizers to assist in forcing the impurities out of the weld and into the slag. There are two major types of flux core wires, including self-shielded and gas-shielded.
The difference between the two types of wires is that self-shielded doesn’t require external gas while gas-shielded requires it. As a result, you will find that gas-shielded wires are used in commercial processes while gasless MIG wires are used at home, in small commercial surroundings, and DIY.
1. YESWELDER E71TGS, .030 Flux Core Gasless MIG Wire
Another best flux core wire that’s intended for all position welding. This 0.030-inch mild steel wire is designed to be welded over in various passes and features easily removable slag, making it ideal for beginners and good in producing sheet metal work. One of the biggest issues when welding sheet metal is usually blowing through the metal. However, you can deal with the issue by running tack welds along the seam and then going back over and operating more tacks occasionally. This action allows the original welds to cool off before returning to that area of sheet metal.
Besides, the fact that you can easily weld over a previous pass allows you to overlap, creating a complete run step by stem then grind it down. However, some users complain that this flux core wire produces easily grindable beads, too, making it perfect for this work.
Pros
- Produces low splatter
- It’s easy to remove slag
- Formation of good beads
- Great for welding rusty, painted, or galvanized
Cons
- It’s only limited to 2lbs spools and no bigger than that
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2. Blue Demon E71TGS, .035, Flux Core Welding Wire
Are you looking for flux core wire that will work well with carbon and manganese steels? Well, look no further but the Blue Demon Flux Core Welding Wire (E71TGS). This flux core wire can do both single pass and multiple pass welding on carbon and manganese steel. It is also good for filling gaps on pieces with poor fitment or sheet metal stitch welding. Furthermore, with easy slog removal, it is perfect for multiple pass welding plus it does single pass welding with great penetration to about 5/16-inch plate thickness.
Some users report easy feeding and great bead appearance, while there are still frequent feeding issues on big-name welders such as Hobart, Lincoln, and Forney machines. However, this is because of the MIG-based solid wire feeder designs, which do not use the knurled feed rollers found on flux core devices. Besides, most users complain of high spatter amounts from Blue Demon E71T-GS wire.
Though this flux core wire model is of high quality, since it is manufactured in China, you cannot use it for government work in Europe or United States. Furthermore, with the unequal performance from machine to machine, we recommend you try it first before you purchase it if you can.
Pros
- It’s easy to remove and Covers slag very well
- Excellent gap coverage on sheet metals
- Ideal for welding dirty or painted steel
- A great choice for outdoor welding and produces low smoke
Cons
- Produces excessive splatter
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3. Forney 42300, E71TGS, .030, Flux Core MIG Wire
If you’re looking for the best flux core wire that’s self-shielding, count on the Forney Flux E71T-GS Core MIG Wire. This flux core wire has a diameter of 0.030-inch. It is a high tensile strength flux core wire with 79,000 PSI and is intended for welding in virtually all positions. Forney flux core wire produces low to moderate spatter. Therefore they recommend that you use CO2 or Argon gas mix on MIG welders to minimize splatter. Besides, higher amperage settings can help with this too.
Some users claim that this wire is easy to break and comes with a lot of manufacturing coating. Conversely, some users have already installed wire cleaners on their welding machines to deal with this issue. Again, some users complain of this wire not feeding smoothly when using Lincoln welders.
Like most welding flux core wires, it is easy to come across complaints of spools becoming tangled or even unwinding incorrectly. However, these issues can be traced to cheap or incorrectly adjusted feed mechanisms, a gun liner that requires replacing, or dirty wire. Generally, this flux core wire has many satisfied users, especially among Hobart and Forney owners. It offers great results in Harbor Freight machines as well.
Pros
- Multiple position wire
- Very hot welding wire
- Ideal in windy conditions
- Great choice for painted or rusty metals
Cons
- Works with single-pass applications only
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4. Lincoln Electric ED030584, NR-211-MP, .035, MIG Welding Wire
The NR-211-MP is a 0.035-inch diameter welding wire that can weld up to 5/16-inch thick plate with a better penetration. It is usually designed to use on galvanized, coated, rusty, or painted metal with great results. Like most flux welding wire, it is a great choice for outdoor welding since it is resistant to breezes. However, this wire is more expensive than the other models on this list since it comes in a 1-pound spool rather than 2 pounds.
Additionally, the manufacturer designed this welding wire for easy and quick slag removal. The Lincoln NR-211-MP flux core wire is great in vertical and overhead welding and when you want to weld joints with poor fitment. Also, this flux core wire is popular for easy feeding and has a great bead appearance. However, some users complain about the wire breakage, plus there are some complaints of wire splits or kinks, though these problems don’t seem to be common to every user.
Pros
- Deal It’s easy to remove slag
- Ideal for welding painted and rusty metals
- It has a fast freeze puddle
- Great choice for outdoor welding
Cons
- Its only 1-pound rather than 2 pounds
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5. Hobart H222106-R19, E71T-11, .030, Flux-Cored Welding Wire
Hobart Fabshield E71T-11 comes with a diameter of 0.030-inch and has high tensile strength. Therefore, this flux core wire is handy in welding in different positions and out of position welding compared to straight horizontal welds. Besides, even with a diameter of 0.030-inch, it requires more heat than other flux core wire brands to get the same penetration since it usually chooses to go with harder steel for the base metal in this flux core wire.
However, some users complain about excessive splatter. To deal with this problem, we recommend you use higher amperage in order to get better penetration. The deeper penetration usually burns away spattering droplets completely. Furthermore, some users complain that the spools either unwind when fed from the welding machine or arrive unspooled when the package is opened. However, this is a common issue with virtually all spools of the flux core wire.
Lastly, we can’t forget to mention that this wire is one of the most versatile self-shielded flux wires on the market. It’s also come with a high-quality design.
Pros
- An ideal choice for galvanized steel
- Availability of a small spool size
- Can work in both single pass and multiple pass use
Cons
- Produces little spatter when welding
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What Should You Consider When Buying the Best Flux Cored Wire?
The introduction of gas shielded flux core wire was in 1957, followed by self-shielded wires in 1961. The flux core wires we mentioned and reviewed are self-shielded wired, which don’t require external gas. These wires are excellent for use in a simple, cheap wire feed welding machine without gas hook-ups.
1. American Welding Society flux core wire classification system
The American welding society established the classification system for flux core wire. It looks like;
E – Denotes the electrode wire.
7 – This number denotes tensile strength x 10,000 PSI or 70K PSI
1 – Indicates all-position wire while 0 suggests flat and horizontal positions.
T – Indicates tubular or flux core wire.
1 – All the wires in this guide use 1 here. It denotes settings and methods.
1 –Suggests self-shielded wire. C denotesCO2, and M denotes gas mixture.
2. Flux core vs solid MIG wire
It’s very crucial to differentiate between the flux core wire and solid wire. Solid wire is the other type of wire used in welding. Basically, a flux-cored wire has a flux core meaning that when the wire melts, it creates a gas bubble over the welding pool to form a slag. Therefore, this is why the need for gas for shielding is eliminated, but it’s mandatory when working with solid wire. Nevertheless, you can use shielded gases when using particular flux-cored wires to form cleaner welds.
3. Application
What you will be welding and the location to weld determines which wire is most suitable. For example, you will find that some flux-cored wires are an excellent choice for welding dirt and coating, while others are better for clean welding steel. Before purchasing a wire, know the purpose of the wire in order to ensure you get what you are looking for.
If you are performing steel welding, then buy a steel wire, and when you are doing stainless steel welding, use stainless steel wire. It ensures a substantial difference in the quality of the weld, especially when it comes to stainless steel. We are sure no one wants a clean stainless project ruined by rusty weld all because you bought the wrong wire, right?
4. Spool size
Did you know that the ability of your welder’s spindle and the amount of welding you will do ultimately determines the size of the reel you will purchase?
When you compare the length of the wire you will obtain, a bigger spool will cost you less. Remember to buy a reel that will fit your welder to avoid regretting buying the wrong size of the reel later.
5. Diameter range
The size of the wire is determined by the size a welder can accommodate, including feed wheels and nozzle tips that are usually adjusted easily. You require specific wire sizes per the amperage your welder runs at and the plate your welding requires.
If your welder has low amperage, then you need a wire with a smaller diameter. Also, choose a small-sized wire when your plate is thinner. Before you determine the specifications we have mentioned, be aware of the specific wire’s specs as they differ amongst all types. Remember that not all wires are the same, and it’s not only dependent upon wire sizes.
Tips For Using Flux Cored Wire
- If you have a MIG welder, use it to swap between. Solid and flux core wires. When welding fusing flux core wires, it’s important to remember to use the right drive roll. Using the knurled drive grips the wires very effectively, thereby smoothly feeding the MIG gun.
- Check and change the machine’s polarity as you change the drive when changing the MIG welder between the flux-cored and solid wires.
- When you are gasless MIG welding, ensure that you reduce the tension in the welder when you are working with flux-cored wires.
- Ensure that you feed the right diameter of the wire info the correct drive rolls as you are changing different flux core wires.
- Ensure that the contact tip matches the diameter of the wire if you want a great flux core weld.
- Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation that the wire diameter should match the gauge of mild steel.
- Ensure that you choose the correct size of the spoil for the welder.
- Remove the wire after you have performed all welding jobs and properly store it.
- Ensure that you have DCEN(direct current electrode negative) support to work mild steel flux cored welding wires.
- Remember to change the polarity from DCEP to DCEN in order to work with a shielding gas
Advantages of Using Flux Cored Wire
- When you flux coat your weld with these welding wires, it hardens much faster than others. Besides, fast hardening is very good, especially when welding in awkward positions like vertical or overhead welding.
- When you use flux-cored wires, you don’t need an external shielding gas because as the wire burns, a gas is produced. That’s why there are ideal for outdoor welding jobs. In addition, flux-cored welders are compact and portable because they are specifically designed for welding flux core wires.
- Gas shielded flux-cored wires are mostly used for welding thicker metals in commercial industries. They are excellent for all awkward positions welding applications.
- Flux-cored welding wires are certainly very popular with many users online due to their benefits and mostly for being very effective during windy conditions. Certainly, it’s very durable and doesn’t rust, which is a common problem associated with outdoor metals.
- Due to its fair share of benefits, flux-cored wire is a very special type of welding wire. It simplifies the welding process along with arc welding.
Other benefits include;
- Great for outdoor use
- Very effective even if the metal is dirty, rusted, or cracked
- Ideal for welding over galvanized steel
- Excellent for welding thick metals
- It’s a very affordable, economic, and novice-friendly choice for effective welding.
- A great option for awkward positions like flat or horizontal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Best Flux Core Wires
1. What are the uses of flux core wire?
Gasless flux core wires generate their shielding gas for welds which is of actual benefit because it prevents air impurities from contaminating welds, for there is no need for gas. Flux core wires make portable welding solutions than standard welding could. This welding method is very effective in extreme outdoor conditions like windy environments where a shielding gas may be moved away from the weld.
2. Can one use flux core wire in a MIG welder?
Yes, one can use flux core wire in a MIG welder, so you don’t have to purchase a flux core welder for that. As we previously mentioned, this method makes tackling the jobs much easier because the welding machine is much easier in extreme weather conditions. When you use a flux core wire, you will realize that the degree of penetration is much greater
3. Is there flux-cored aluminum wires?
Is there flux-cored aluminum wire? No. However, you will find people online selling flux-cored aluminum wire, but when you read the small print, you will see that it says that they recommend argon shielding gas. Actually, this is not optional but very essential. Remember that you cannot use flux core welders to weld aluminum; however, you can use a MIG welding machine because it provides shielding gas to the nozzle since aluminum is very reactive when exposed to the air.
