- Thread starter scotb
- Start date
if you have to use cheap wire at some point use it when you already know how to weld
when you are learning you want to make everything as simple as possible and poor wire is just another barrier
when you have leanrt you may be able to deal with bad wire better but i will bet that if you use good wire you wont go back
i'd agree with that. it's best to get to know what you can do without working with crap materials.
but i don't mind having a bit of cheapo wire and rods on hand so that i don't get too mean about what to waste weld on if you know what i mean? if i have cheap consumables on hand i'll happily weld anything but when it's expensive wire/rods i sometimes think twice...
but i don't mind having a bit of cheapo wire and rods on hand so that i don't get too mean about what to waste weld on if you know what i mean? if i have cheap consumables on hand i'll happily weld anything but when it's expensive wire/rods i sometimes think twice...
i bought a ton of esab OK Autrod 12.64 1.2mm last feb 2011 and i paid £19.50 per 18kg reel just before we ran out in november i rang for a quote for a ton of the same wire and was told it had gone up to £27.90 a reel.i rang round and the best price i could get was £25.00 per reel so i thought the best thing i can do here is bulk buy so ordered 6 ton.
but with our line of work we need an approved wire with mill certs for every batch.
but with our line of work we need an approved wire with mill certs for every batch.
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If you are buying that sort of quantities, have you considered Marathon packs?, we use 250kg on our manual welders and 475kg (lasts about 4-5 weeks
) on the robot welders, I think it's priced by the kg.If you are buying that sort of quantities, have you considered Marathon packs?, we use 250kg on our manual welders and 475kg (lasts about 4-5 weeks
Do you know they are more expensive than spools?
Where you gain is the downtime changing spools
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No I didn't, I assumed (wrongly
) buying in bulk would be cheaper. We would be changing spools twice a shift on some machines!.No I didn't, I assumed (wrongly
Usually the drums are dearer because one drum costs more than the equivalent number of spools (17 if its 15Kg). Thats where you save 17 stoppages. If it takes 5 mins (probably more like 10) you save 85 mins downtime. In that time you can make x number of components more than you would.
The bigger 500Kg are even more expensive (per kg) and represent less of a saving as you only gain one changeover (2 x 250kgs) but beacuse they are bigger the wire feeds out better and is less likley to twist. This gives you more accurate and repeatable placement. This can save money by reducing the need to overweld. If you want a 4mm fillet some will go for 5 just in case they have a glitch on the wire feed. That can save a lot of wire.
a 15 kg roll will last most hobby welders a year or more so a few extra pounds is nothing
