E7018 Welding Rods 3/32" 5lb with 14.5" Storage Tube | Low Hydrogen Carbon Steel Stick Electrodes, Airproof Waterproof Canister for Ac/dc All-position Smaw

For the price ($34.99 at time of review) these are an absolute bargain. My first photo shows how the rods arrived, well-sealed inside a interior pack to keep the flux from being damaged and well-labelled. The photo has some glare, the production date on my rods was 2025-12-19, so they were only 2.5 months old at time of purchase. This is way better than what I've seen on rods available at home stores or lumber yards, where often they aren't even labelled. This is super important with 7018, the flux on the rods absorbs moisture and will degrade if left sitting unprotected on the shelf. The rod holder alone is equivalent quality to what I've seen locally sold for ~$20 by itself and is basically required for 7018 rod. My photo shows my test weld on some 1/8" steel. I'm certainly no pipeline welder, but I was satisfied with how clean this turned out. This welded exactly like 7018 I've used previously, about the expected amount of spatter and good penetration. I'm more practiced with TIG, but I need to do some modification to a trailer and after burning 4 rods I'm pretty confident this rod will do just great. My only minor complaint is that there isn't any desiccant included, this rod should be stored either in a rod oven or with desiccant. That said, since this will likely be purchased by hobby welders instead of professionals: this rod won't work great on AC only welders like a typical buzz box. You can weld this AC, but the results won't be great. I used this with on a Titanium TIG200 set to 85A DCEP. For good results, you want to make sure your machine can do DC stick welding, run this rod electrode positive. This rod is higher strength than 60 series rod, but also requires you to be welding to much cleaner metal. It's a bit more fussy, and has the disadvantage of needing to be stored dry. You will want to be careful with storage on these, if they get exposed to moisture they're basically useless unless you have a rod oven that can dry them at 700*F from what I've seen. Just throw a desiccant pack in the storage tube and don't let them sit on the shelf for years and unless you are welding a bridge you should be golden though. For general repair use this isn't what you want, look for 6011 rod. That said, if you need the strength this rod is definitely a good value, the storage holder alone is nearly worth it by itself.

I do hobby and simple home welding and like to have some rod on hand for small repairs. I liked that this came in a nice container with an o-ring seal. That really helps keep moisture away from the flux. I was curious how 7018 would run, because I only have a simple AC welder and normally use 6011. I had a little trouble striking the arc unless going to the high side of the amperage, and I would sometimes struggle to restart the arc by striking or tapping techniques. The slag did lay nicely and was easy to remove with a chipping hammer. This isn’t a great assessment, because as I read more, I now understand that 7018 isn’t necessarily the best with AC, unless it’s a modified 7018AC. I have used 7018 in a shop where DC settings were the norm, and it worked well. I suspect with the good packaging (which actually included the rod being in a plastic sleeve sealed with tape, inside the o-ring sealed container), this rod would do well for someone with more capability. I just give it 4 stars based on the premise of its use as an AC first choice. DC+ is probably much better for this rod.

This set of 7018 welding rods is a solid option, especially for a beginner or hobbyist. One of the standout features is the storage case. It comes with an O-ring sealed container, and the rods are also packed inside a sealed plastic sleeve, which does a great job keeping moisture out. If you live in a humid area, that added protection is a big plus and helps keep the rods in usable condition longer. Performance-wise, it does what you would expect from 7018, but there are some limitations depending on your setup. The quality feels decent overall. While they may not be top-tier compared to premium rods, they are still capable in the right hands and get the job done for general repairs and light projects. The only real downside is the listing confusion. The listing is labeled in a way that suggests a two-pack, but that actually refers to the rods and the container being counted separately, which is misleading. This is the reason for my lower rated review. Overall, this is a good set for hobby use, especially if you have proper equipment to run 7018 effectively. The moisture-resistant packaging is a strong advantage, just be aware of what you are purchasing.

Rods are working well for this beginner hobbyist. The water-tight case is a bonus. I am loving that as well. I live in the PNW so soggy air is a constant thing around here for most of the year. The case is very nice for combating that. Just throw in a desiccant pack and I'm sure it will stay dry for at least a month on the inside. I am very happy with this purchase.

While not as good as a "excalibur" type rod, this 7018 will do the job in skilled hands. A nice touch that it comes in a good quality storage tube, but it is unfortunate that the dedicated carrying strap is not included. I have these tubes with the strap, and they are much more versatile so equipped. I guess they got a deal on a lot that had no straps, otherwise I can not think of any valid reason for supplying then as such.