Any other welders here?

[oldred]

If there are any welders here I have got a question about a brand of welding wire, anyone used Blue Demon brand MIG wire?

I know this might seem like an odd place to ask this type of question but searching the 'Net gets me confusing reviews as to quality and I know there is a diverse group of folks here who do about everything so I thought someone might know. I understand about different types of welding and different types of consumables since I am a retired welder with 41 years of welding behind me almost all of which was heavy Earth moving equipment, it's just that I don't know anything about this BRAND. I ask because I came across a pretty good stock of this stuff dirt cheap in a couple of sizes (.035 and .045) and in a couple of different types both MIG and flux core.

[Boerrancher]

I mostly stick weld but have run a wire feed from time to time and I don’t ever recall seeing that brand of wire myself. I wonder where it is made? My concern would be two fold; why do they have so much of it and why is it dirt cheap if it is of good quality? I was burned on some hardsurface rods several years back. I was wanting 388 hardsurface, and the farm and home store had something else, I don’t even remember the name or number, and they sold it to me as the best hardsurface on the market. It was considerably less expensive than the 388 and I was desperate so I bought 20 lbs. It went on almost like spray paint. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to put down layer after layer, no slag intrusions anywhere. I was wowed until I went to use the 500 lb, 12” drill bit I had just built up. With in 20 feet I could tell something wasn’t right, so I tripped out of the hole and found that all that fancy hardsurface has broken off my bit the minute I hit the Dolomite with it. It was beautiful but wouldn’t hold up to the impact like the 388 did. From then on I stuck with what I knew no mater the cost. I sold the remaining rods to a family friend who owned a cable laying company who could use them on his cable plows and such.

[bob208]

I was a welder for 40 years. had certs in mig .035 all position. if they have the specs. on the label then that wire was tested to meet those specs. I did some of that test welding. I would give it a try.

[Winger Ed.]

I'd buy a small amount, give it a try, and test it out.

If its good stuff-- stock up.
If its junk- save it for low stress/strength projects.

[Mal Paso]

Some of the flux core on the market is so bad it's not usable. The worst I ever had was .035 Lincoln from Home Depot. Could not maintain an arc, could snap it with your fingers. I would pass on a large quantity if you can't try it first.

I buy from the local welders supply where they get feedback from welders. They do a good job vetting supplies and the prices are good.

[john.k]

Not all cheap consumable is rubbish.....I used to do all the auctions,and often get a whole container load of weld wire that was surplus from a big project....never pay more than scrap price,and often buy the container ,get the contents free........ ,what companies like CBI toss into scrap bins is incredible.....once got several thousand feet of orange 400amp cable ,used once as earth s,and then binned in the site clean up.

[oldred]

Not all cheap consumable is rubbish.....I used to do all the auctions,and often get a whole container load of weld wire that was surplus from a big project....never pay more than scrap price,and often buy the container ,get the contents free........ ,what companies like CBI toss into scrap bins is incredible.....once got several thousand feet of orange 400amp cable ,used once as earth s,and then binned in the site clean up.

I picked up slightly over a ton of steel bar that way, rounds from 3/4" to 3-1/4", rectangular from 2"x2" to 4"x6" with none of these being less than 4' in length and most over 6'. The rectangular stuff was all 4140 and the rounds were mostly 4150 with a few pieces of 1018 mixed in, paid U.S. $6 per hundred lbs!

I decided to pass on the wire and told a friend about it (who bought it) because almost all of the welding I do is heavy equipment rebuilding/repair and I simply didn't want to chance a failure due to a bad weld caused by cheap wire, just one failure could easily cost me way more than what I would have saved. Still this stuff was brand new, even the boxes weren't torn or scuffed, and was less than 1/4 the price of the ESAB wire I normally use so at 200 lbs of wire the savings would have been substantial.

[JM7.7x58]

I’ve never run this brand of wire.

I have run spools and spools of ESAB and Lincoln. I have run a bunch of FCAW 71-T1 and 81-T1. These “flux core” or “dual shield” wires can and will absorb moisture into their cores. I would never buy this type of wire used. It’s not worth my time to remove all the porosity that moist wire will give you. Storage is important. Are the bags still sealed? Are there holes in the bags? You couldn’t give me this type of wire if it had been stored in a shed for five years out of it’s original sealed bag.

Now GMAW wire like 70S-6 I might consider buying used. As long as there was minimal to no oxidation on the wire.

Good Luck,
JM

[oldred]

I’ve never run this brand of wire.

I have run spools and spools of ESAB and Lincoln. I have run a bunch of FCAW 71-T1 and 81-T1. These “flux core” or “dual shield” wires can and will absorb moisture into their cores. I would never buy this type of wire used. It’s not worth my time to remove all the porosity that moist wire will give you. Storage is important. Are the bags still sealed? Are there holes in the bags? You couldn’t give me this type of wire if it had been stored in a shed for five years out of it’s original sealed bag.

Now GMAW wire like 70S-6 I might consider buying used. As long as there was minimal to no oxidation on the wire.

Good Luck,
JM

Yes I am all too aware of the moisture concerns but this wire was properly stored and was not all that old, as I mentioned in the previous reply I decided to just pass on the stuff anyway and let a friend of mine take it. It very well may be good wire but the problem is I just don't know and reviews seem to be all over the place and most of what I found was from amateur welders anyway, I thought it best not to take the chance.

I have a 60 lb roll of .045 Dual Shield wire that is at least 15 years old and was not properly stored, it had not gotten wet or been exposed to excessive moisture but it was left in the open on a warehouse shelf all that time. It was not at all rusted and showed no signs of deterioration so I stored it in my rod oven until I needed it, even after being stored at 180 deg. for over 4 months the stuff still would not weld without leaving porosity when I eventually got around to loading it onto my wire feeder.

[JM7.7x58]

Sorry, I missed your reply.

You made the right choice. As you are well aware, when we are working on load and or pressure bearing items, very often people lives are at stake. It’s not worth it to save a little bit of money.

Now, if I was building yard art, or scrap plate anvils, who cares if there’s a bit of wormhole dual shield porosity. There used to be a joke on the ASW Forum about when it was appropriate to use the “Farm Code 2000”. They would often abbreviate it to FC2000, sort of an inside joke. Yard Art and fabricated plate anvils are covered by paragraph 5.7.9 .

Also, I hate grinding out bad welds.

JM

[abunaitoo]

We don't have much choices here.
Could order, but price comes out close with the shipping charge.
I've tried different brands. What ever is cheapest.
Never noticed any difference.
I use solid core only.
Never had good welds with flux core.