Welding rods: what 6010, 6011, 6013, 7014 and 7018 mean, and which runs on your machine

Every stick rod carries a four-digit code, and the code answers most of what you need to know before buying. The part the box does not spell out is whether the rod will run on your machine, which depends on AC or DC.

Check your machine first. A DC inverter runs every common rod. An AC-only buzz box runs 6011, 6013 and 7014, and 7018 only if the maker lists AC; 6010 is DC only. Then choose by the metal: 6011 for rusty or painted steel, 6013 for thin sheet on small machines, 7018 for clean steel if you can keep it dry.

Reading the number

Using E7018 H4R as the example, as Lincoln and Hobart explain it:

Part	Meaning
E	Electrode
70	Minimum tensile strength in thousands of psi
1	Position: 1 is all positions, 2 is flat and horizontal only
8	Coating type and the current it runs on
-1	Extra low-temperature impact toughness (as in 7018-1)
H4	Diffusible hydrogen under 4 ml per 100 g of weld metal
R	Passed the AWS moisture pickup test (Hobart: 80 to 85 F at 80 to 85% humidity for at least nine hours)

The last digit matters most at the shelf, because it sets the current. Lincoln’s own position table has a third entry: 4 means flat, horizontal, vertical down and overhead.

Which rods run on AC

From each product’s data sheet, checked 2026-09-27:

Class	Products checked	AC?	Current as published
6010	Lincoln Fleetweld 5P+, Hobart 610, ESAB Sureweld 10P	No	DC+ (Lincoln also lists DC-)
6011	Lincoln Fleetweld 35 and 180, Hobart 335A, Forney 31205	Yes	AC and DC
6013	Lincoln Fleetweld 37, Hobart 447A, Forney 30405	Yes	AC, DC+ or DC-
7014	Lincoln Fleetweld 47, Hobart 14A	Yes	AC, DC+ or DC-
7018	Lincoln Excalibur 7018 MR, Hobart 718MC and 418, ESAB Atom Arc	Yes	DC+ or AC
7018 for AC	Lincoln 7018 AC, Hobart 18AC and retail 7018AC	Yes, made for it	Lincoln lists AC as preferred

Yes on AC does not mean yes on every AC machine. Hobart’s retail 7018 says it runs on AC or DCEP but is not for low-voltage AC welders, and Hobart sells a separate 7018AC for 208/230 volt AC welders. Lincoln’s 7018 AC lists low open circuit voltage operation. On a small buzz box, buy the AC version. The detail is in 7018 welding rods.

What each rod is for, in the makers’ words

• 6010 (DC only). Lincoln: pipe welding, steel with moderate surface contaminants, repair welding. Hobart adds vertical and overhead plate and maintenance welding.
• 6011. Lincoln Fleetweld 35: sheet metal, steel with moderate surface contaminants, galvanized and specially coated steels. Fleetweld 180 is built to run on low amperage and low open circuit voltage.
• 6013. Lincoln Fleetweld 37: sheet metal, irregular short welds that change position, maintenance and repair, and small AC welders with low open circuit voltage. Hobart 447A: general fabrication, machine parts, shaft build-up.
• 7014. Lincoln Fleetweld 47: maintenance and repair, sheet metal and fillet welds, heavy sections. Hobart 14A: frames, heavy sheet metal, machine bases.
• 7018. Lincoln 7018 AC: general fabrication, tack and skip welds, thin sections. Both Lincoln and Hobart list all positions except vertical down.

Coated steel such as galvanized adds its own fume; read the ventilation section below before welding it.

Storing each group

Rods fall into groups that want opposite treatment. Lincoln’s storage guide:

Group	Opened rods	Re-dry
6010, 6011	Heated cabinet at 100 to 120 F, no hotter	Not recommended
6013, 7014	Heated cabinet at 100 to 120 F	300 to 350 F for 20 to 30 minutes
7018	Cabinet at 250 to 300 F	650 to 750 F, one hour at temperature

Hobart’s 6011 sheet goes further: never store it in an oven above 130 F. Temperatures and times for each maker’s 7018 are on the 7018 page.

Source: Lincoln, storing and redrying electrodes; ESAB storage guidance.

Fume and ventilation

Lincoln’s welding guide says to keep your head out of the fume and use enough ventilation or exhaust at the arc. OSHA’s welding fact sheet warns that prolonged exposure to manganese fume can cause Parkinson’s-like symptoms, and that welding outdoors does not guarantee adequate ventilation. Respirators are compared in welding respirators.

Where to start

Check the amps each diameter needs in the welding amps chart against your welder’s rated output before choosing 3/32 or 1/8 inch. These listings matched the maker’s part number when checked:

Rod	Package	Listing
Hobart 6011, 1/8 in	10 lb	Hobart 770460
Hobart 6011, 1/8 in	5 lb	Hobart 770459
Lincoln 6013, 1/8 in	1 lb	Lincoln ED033500
Hobart 7018, 1/8 in	10 lb	Hobart 770479
Hobart 7018AC, 1/8 in	10 lb	Hobart 770475

What a stick machine needs to run these is in stick welders. Structural work, trailers, hitches and anything holding pressure belong to a certified welder, whatever the rod.