Walk into any welding supply store and you’ll find shelves of electrodes organized by number codes that mean nothing to a beginner and everything to an experienced welder. That four-digit number stamped on every stick electrode tells you the rod’s tensile strength, welding position capability, and flux coating type — all the information you need to match the right rod to the right job.
Choosing the wrong rod doesn’t just affect bead appearance. It affects penetration, slag removal, mechanical strength, and whether your weld holds up under load or cracks six months later. A structural weld done with the wrong electrode is a liability. A pipe weld done with an incompatible rod is a failure waiting to happen.
This guide breaks down the electrode numbering system, covers the most commonly used rods in production and field welding, and gives you the practical knowledge to pick the right electrode for your application every time.
How to Read a Welding Rod Number
Every AWS-classified stick electrode follows a standardized numbering system. Take the 7018 rod as an example:
70 — Tensile strength in thousands of pounds per square inch. A 7018 rod produces a weld with a minimum tensile strength of 70,000 PSI. A 6013 produces 60,000 PSI minimum.
1 — Welding position. The digit 1 means the rod can weld in all positions — flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead. The digit 2 means flat and horizontal only. A rod ending in 2 is not suitable for vertical or overhead work.
8 — The last one or two digits describe the flux coating type and recommended current. On a 7018, the 8 indicates a low-hydrogen iron powder coating, usable on DC or AC current.
Once you understand this system, every rod number tells you a story before you even open the box.
The Most Common Welding Rod Types and Their Uses
6010 — Deep Penetration, DC Only
The 6010 is the pipeline welder’s rod. It runs on DC electrode positive only, produces a forceful, digging arc that penetrates deeply through rust, mill scale, paint, and contamination that would stop other rods cold. The flux coating is cellulosic, which means it produces a high-cellulose sodium coating that burns away quickly and generates a shielding gas cloud rather than a heavy slag blanket.
The 6010 is the rod of choice for root passes on pipe because it can be run with a keyhole technique — burning a deliberate hole through the root opening and filling it as you travel. This ensures full penetration on the root, which is the most critical pass in any pipe weld.
The downside is that 6010 is difficult to run. The arc is aggressive, the puddle is fast, and slag removal requires a chipping hammer. The bead appearance is rougher than low-hydrogen rods. It rewards experienced welders and punishes beginners who don’t have arc control developed yet.
Best for: Pipeline root passes, structural steel with surface contamination, maintenance welding on dirty or rusty metal, any application requiring deep penetration on DC machines.
6011 — The All-Position Workhorse
The 6011 is the 6010’s more forgiving cousin. It shares the cellulosic coating and deep penetration characteristics but adds AC compatibility, making it usable on older buzzbox transformer welders and farm machines that don’t produce DC output. If you own an old Lincoln AC225 or any AC-only machine, 6011 is your go-to penetrating rod.
Like the 6010, it cuts through rust and contamination and works in all positions. It’s the rod farmers, ranchers, and maintenance welders reach for when the metal is questionable and the machine is basic. The arc is slightly softer than 6010, making it a better entry point for beginners who want to learn a penetrating rod before moving to the more demanding 6010.
Best for: AC machines, dirty or rusty base metal, field repairs where surface prep is limited, all-position work on mild steel, farm and maintenance welding.
6013 — Smooth Arc, Easy Slag, Beginner Friendly
The 6013 runs on AC or DC, produces a soft, stable arc, and deposits a bead with smooth appearance and easy slag removal. The flux coating is high-titania potassium, which produces a fluid slag that floats to the surface and peels off cleanly. For beginners learning to run a bead, the 6013 is often the first rod introduced because it’s forgiving, consistent, and tolerant of minor technique errors.
The trade-off is penetration. The 6013 is a shallow-penetrating rod by design. On thick material or joints with any gap, this becomes a problem — the weld sits on top of the base metal rather than fusing deeply into it. On dirty or rusty metal, it lacks the arc force to cut through contamination.
The 6013 is well-suited for sheet metal, light fabrication, and applications where appearance matters and the base metal is clean and properly fitted. It is not appropriate for structural applications where full penetration is required.
Best for: Sheet metal, light fabrication, beginner practice, clean base metal, non-structural welds where bead appearance matters, AC or DC machines.
7018 — The Structural Standard
The 7018 is the most widely used rod in structural steel fabrication, construction, and any application where weld quality and mechanical properties are critical. The low-hydrogen iron powder flux coating produces a weld with excellent ductility, high tensile strength, and resistance to cracking — particularly important on high-carbon and alloy steels that are susceptible to hydrogen-induced cracking.
The arc is smooth and easy to control. The slag is heavy but peels off cleanly with a chipping hammer. Bead appearance is excellent — smooth, uniform, and professional-looking. The 7018 runs on AC or DC electrode positive and works in all positions, though vertical and overhead require slightly higher amperage settings than the flat position.
The critical requirement with 7018 is moisture control. Low-hydrogen electrodes absorb moisture from the atmosphere, and moisture in the flux reintroduces hydrogen into the weld — exactly what the low-hydrogen coating is designed to prevent. 7018 rods must be stored in a rod oven at 250–300°F or used fresh from a sealed container. Rods left open overnight in humid conditions should be reconditioned in an oven before use. For critical structural welds, this is non-negotiable.
Best for: Structural steel fabrication, bridges, buildings, pressure vessels, high-strength and alloy steels, any application requiring AWS D1.1 structural compliance, multi-pass welds on thick material.
7024 — High Deposition, Flat Only
The 7024 is a high-iron-powder rod designed for maximum deposition rate in flat and horizontal positions. It’s a production rod — built for laying down large amounts of weld metal quickly on flat plate or horizontal fillet welds. The heavy iron powder coating produces a large, fluid puddle that self-levels into a smooth bead with minimal effort.
The 7024 cannot be used in vertical or overhead positions. The puddle is too fluid to control against gravity. It is strictly a flat and horizontal rod, limited to the digit 2 position designation in its classification.
Best for: High-volume flat plate welding, large horizontal fillet welds, shipbuilding, heavy fabrication where deposition rate matters more than positional flexibility.
7014 — The Middle Ground Rod
The 7014 sits between the 6013 and 7018 in terms of strength and usability. It runs on AC or DC, produces a smooth arc with good bead appearance, and is more forgiving of technique than the 7018 while offering higher strength than the 6013. It’s an all-position rod that handles both light and medium fabrication.
Best for: General fabrication, AC machines where 7018 performance is desired but moisture control is difficult, medium-strength applications.
Specialty Rods
308L and 309L stainless rods are used for welding stainless steel. 308L matches 304 stainless base metal. 309L is used for joining stainless to mild steel — a common situation in food service equipment and industrial fabrication.
Nickel rods (ENi-CI) are the standard for welding cast iron. Cast iron is brittle and prone to cracking from thermal stress. Nickel rods deposit a soft, ductile weld metal that accommodates the expansion and contraction of cast iron without cracking. Preheat and slow cooling are still required, but the nickel electrode is the correct choice for most cast iron repair.
Hardfacing rods deposit an extremely hard surface layer over mild steel to resist abrasion and impact wear. Used on bucket teeth, plow blades, hammer mill parts, and other wear surfaces. Not structural welding — purely surface protection.
Final Thoughts
Matching the right rod to the job is a skill that pays dividends every time you weld. The 6010 and 6011 are your penetrating rods for dirty metal and root passes. The 6013 is your beginner and sheet metal rod. The 7018 is your structural standard. Everything else is a specialty tool for a specific situation.
Buy a box of each of the core rods, run beads with all of them on clean scrap, and learn how each arc feels and sounds. That hands-on familiarity is what makes the difference when you’re on a job and need to pick the right rod without second-guessing yourself.
Know your rods. Know your metal. Make the right call before you ever strike an arc.
FAQ
Is 6011 or 7018 easier to weld?
6011 is easier for beginners using basic AC machines, but the arc is aggressive and the puddle is fast. 7018 produces a smoother, more controllable arc that most welders find easier to run on DC machines. On a quality DC welder, 7018 is the more forgiving rod overall.
What are the different types of welding rod?
The main types are cellulosic rods (6010, 6011) for deep penetration on dirty metal, rutile rods (6013, 7014) for smooth arcs and easy slag removal, and low-hydrogen rods (7018, 7016) for structural strength and crack resistance. Specialty rods include stainless (308L, 309L), cast iron (nickel rods), and hardfacing electrodes.
Is 6013 or 7018 stronger?
7018 is significantly stronger. A 7018 rod produces a minimum tensile strength of 70,000 PSI with excellent ductility and low-hydrogen weld metal. A 6013 produces 60,000 PSI minimum with shallower penetration. For any structural or load-bearing application, 7018 is the correct choice.
What is a 7018 rod used for?
7018 is used for structural steel fabrication, construction, bridges, pressure vessels, and any application requiring high-strength, crack-resistant welds. It’s the standard rod for AWS D1.1 structural welding code work and is commonly specified for multi-pass welds on thick mild steel and low-alloy steel.
Do you push or pull 7018?
You drag (pull) a 7018 rod. Stick welding uses a drag technique — the electrode is angled back in the direction of travel, trailing the arc. This gives better control of the heavy slag produced by the iron powder flux coating and ensures proper fusion at the leading edge of the puddle.