FLUX CORE AND MIG WELDING WIRE COMPARISON TIPS AND TRICKS ADVICE

In this video Bruce will go over the differences between MIG wire and Flux Core wire.
Flux-Cored Wire versus Solid Wire
flux core wireWhat are the differences between flux-cored electrode wire and solid electrode wire? Is one type of electrode better than the other for welding? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of wire?
Flux-Cored Wire Electrodes
There are two types of flux-cored wire electrodes: gas-shielded and self-shielded. As its name implies, the gas-shielded type of flux-cored wire requires an external shielding gas. The self-shielded variety does not.
The flux coating on gas shielded flux-cored wires solidifies faster than the molten weld material. Consequently, a sort of shelf is created which holds the molten pool when welding overhead or vertically up. Gas-shielded flux wires work well when welding thicker metals. They also work well for welding out-of-position applications. Slag removal is easy with this type of wire.
Self-shielding flux-cored wires do not require an external shielding gas. With this type of electrode, the weld pool is protected as gas is generated when the flux from the wire is burned. Because the self-shielding wire produces its own protective shield and doesn’t require an external gas tank, it is more easily carried about.
Advantages of Flux-Cored Wire Electrodes
There are several advantages of using flux-cored wire electrodes. These advantages include but are not limited to:
They allow for a high deposition rate.
They work well outdoors and in windy conditions.
With the right filler materials, these electrodes can make FCAW an “all-position” process.
Typically, flux-cored wires create clean, strong welds.
Disadvantages of Flux-Cored Wire Electrodes
There are concerns with any type of welding method. Regardless of the process and type of electrode used, there is the possibility of creating an incomplete fusion between the base metals. Slag inclusion or cracks in the welds may also result.
Additional problems that may arise when using flux-cored electrode wires include:
A melted contact tip may occur if the electrode contacts the base metal and fuses the two together.
If gases do not escape the welded area before the metal hardens, the weld may develop holes and become porous.
Solid Wire Electrodes
Solid wire electrodes are used in Metal Inert Gas Welding. Such electrodes require a shielding gas, which is delivered from a pressurized gas bottle. The shielding gas protects the molten weld pool from atmospheric contaminants.
Solid wire electrodes are often made of mild steel which is plated with copper to prevent oxidation and to aid in electrical conductivity. The copper plating also helps to increase the life of the welding contact tip.
Solid wires are the best choice when working on thin materials, such as sheet metal. They should produce nice, clean welds.
Solid wire electrodes do not work well in wind. Exposing the shielding gas to the wind can compromise the integrity of the weld.
Which Wire is the Best Choice?
When comparing the flux-cored wires to the solid wires, it would be wise to note that the best choice is dependent upon the welding job and location. Both types of wires can produce sound welds with good weld bead appearances, when done correctly.
For thicker metals and outdoor jobs, the flux-cored wire electrodes work best. For thinner metals and jobs performed out of the wind, solid wire electrodes can work quite well.
Solid wire electrodes used in MIG welding are not as portable as flux-cored wires. This is due to the necessity of a shielding gas in MIGW.
Both solid wire electrodes and flux-cored wire electrodes are relatively easy to use. However, flux-cored wire electrodes are more costly.

[@garychesser4769]

thank you for that nice and short qualified comparison!

[@MultiAug]

We use flux cored wire in construction welding big constructions, we use gas for it aswell, there isnt that much splatter, if you weld it right you just need a light tap and the whole flux just jumps off ! :D

[@budfox1861]

That was a great video - thanks for putting it up

[@Brad1237202]

Great video! Thanks for sharing!!

[@TerriHeyder]

When using flux core wire, always run a wire wheel over the weld or grind to clean it up before running another bead. What he doesn't tell you is that the flux core weld is dirty and you want to use enough "heat" to get good flow/penetration and minimize pin holes. Proper heat and wire speed are critical using flux core wire.

[@noelmelo3460]

SO WHAT IS THE BEST SEETING ON VOLTAGE/AMPHERAGE AND SPEED WHEN YOU ARE USING A FLUX CORE WIRE TO ATTAIN SUCH GOOD FLOW PENETRATION ....THAKN FOR YOUR ANSWERE

[@CraftyLittleMaker]

3... 2... 1... GO!! HA. great video. Thanks, looking to get into some flux core welding! very helpful.

[@williamm9415]

This is basically a commercial for Longevity. All of the tools on the set are new and unused. I am a welder/fabricator with nearly 50 years experience. I have been certified under AWS D1.1 standards, ASME, Navsea and many others. I have certified for welding on power plant steam turbine generators, US military surface craft, bridges, buildings and many others by bend, ultrasound, mag particle, red dye, and x-ray with most carbon steel low hydrogen, various stainless steels, brass, bronze, aluminum. I was an American Welding Society (AWS) member for years and also taught, inspected, certified and demonstrated all types of welding procedures such as stick, MIG flux cored and solid also with inner-shield, TIG, subarc, gas wire, and others. These little MIG welders are good for light welding like sheet metal. I have a Lincoln SP-125 myself. The penetration is not good on anything heavier than 1/4 inch thickness unless you preheat the base metal. No brag, just fact.

[@gabsmit]

Great informative video. Only one thing on the "MIG" welding proces. If you weld steel and use a gas mix (lets say 85% Argon 15% Co2)Like most people use for welding steel its Not MIG welding but MAG welding. (Metal Active Gas) Only when using pure (100%) Argon and welding aluminum you technicaly call it MIG ( Metal Inert Gas) So all of you weekend builders working on their boat, car or rv. When you weld steel, you actualy never MIG weld, you MAG.

[@kmccurdy21]

gabsmit nobody I know actually uses that term

[@gunchief0811]

Very well explained...

[@rmcmunoz2]

I did learn something today! Thanks!

[@OFFROADSLuTZ]

Yeah how not to do it.

[@MRJAYDAWG828]

Always make sure your work area is fairly clean before starting to weld..this ensures proper penetration..

[@connolly3000]

Is it possible to Mig weld stainless using a flux core wire? if so have you any videos of this?

[@abdulazezalmgren3599]

what about the power source and current types is there any different in the two process

[@DerekGraham777]

i have a century 100 fluxcore 120v and its a good welder iv done steel thickness of 1/2 inch to 5/16 but i just got a convertion kit so i can run gas

[@alambiquemejico8800]

Can you Make a video on how to Mig weld copper with copper wire

[@seemorebutts3257]

i always push my mig gun that weld looks cold too much wire not enough heat i came here to learn more about flux core but idk about method

[@OFFROADSLuTZ]

I questioned that too, I was taught to push as long as space confinements allow you to.

[@mrmidnight32]

Yea no shit I thought the same thing. I can’t trust anyone’s advice who can’t even do a proper bead on a flat plate. Thought I might learn something new but I gusss not

[@rodlrfilmmakercreator1460]

I got my Easy FLUX/ MIG 100T/1 from Ebay. This is my first time using welding machine and I have a question. I put the flux core wire included and the motor pulled the wire fine but when I try to start soldering nothing happened. The ground cable is on my metal part and moved the switches to differents position from 1 to 2 and from Min to Max andnothing happened. Can you tell me what is the problem? I hear the motor running. Maybe the ground cable is not conected inside the machine. What I need to do? Thank you in advantage.

[@longevitywelding]

is that a longevity brand machine? if it is feel free to contact out tech support at 5108877090

[@longevitywelding]

is that a longevity brand machine? if it is feel free to contact out tech support at 5108877090

[@sptrader6316]

Try to use a 20 amp outlet with nothing else plugged in and if you have to use an extension cord, make it a short 12gauge cord. These welders take lots of power or they won't work.

[@XFBO]

Does one type make stronger welds than the other or are they the same?

[@TheOneAndOnlySame]

Self Shielded Flux core (FCAW-S) can only do short circuit process (no globular, no spray/pulse spray). FCAW-S is comparable to short circuit MAG (metal active gas) in terms of penetration , a bit better than MIG (metal inert gas) . Welds are similar in strength to other short circuit processes.

[@joearrue6819]

Can you use flux core wire while using gas?

[@noahmorris7940]

depends on the classification.

[@andrewkrajcsik9429]

I have a welder that's flux core only what's da best helmet shade is best I'm new to welding and I have the standard helmet provided also just bought a shade 9. Will this shade 9 be safe for anyone??

[@longevitywelding]

9 shade is not safe for MIG. We recommend 10-13 depending on the amps used

[@DerekGraham777]

geez fluxcore is way to hot and wire speed to slow for your heat my welds never look like that thats a rookie mistake

[@felixdemers7498]

FCAW will not spatter (or almost) when your volts and WFS are correctly set.

[@lmsubman243]

Felix Demers ....and the slag will peel off as it cools if your temp and speed is correct

[@kenfrost969]

How to make a dolls house front door

[@jhitt79]

How many times will you say how the weld is protected? How about witch is better for different applications besides wind.

[@ryanvanormer6230]

Metalcore is better suited for flat welding and Fluxcore is better for vertical, overhead and horizontal welding. You can use metalcore for those positions, but it's a lot harder to do.

[@Viswa2118]

You r power settings is good 💜 but too much spedars . After weld not gud any way nice information ...tqq

[@longevitywelding]

Ok thank you

[@JontoDickens]

Is it really ok to weld in the rain with flux core? I thought it was not a good idea because of electrocution risk not because there's no gas shielding. I'm just starting out teaching myself through online vids so confirmation from someone would be helpful......

[@NevadanHunter]

don't weld in the rain

[@jonahboice6480]

Jonto Dickens most of the time you won’t get shocked but keep in mind that’s dc current, ac is another story, now it also depends how hard the rain is if your standing in a puddle of water then you’ll most likely get shocked but if it’s a light drizzle you most likely won’t

[@davidgreen2442]

you are talking about gasless flux core, not a good comparison

[@Lanninglongarmmowing]

Which method is better for burning thru dirty metal?

[@patw52pb1]

Neither.

[@Lanninglongarmmowing]

Ok. I was just wondering. Thanks!

[@longevitywelding]

For dirty metal, stick welding is better.

[@Lanninglongarmmowing]

longevitywelding What about flux core?

[@DerekGraham777]

Or u dont weld dirty metal use a grinder dude clean that shit up

[@ferguson20diesel49]

I hope u know that u can clean off the flux on the gasless weld By using a chiping hammer or a grinder with a wire brush disc it's not hard to clean off!

[@james30k]

Yup your right I use mig but if I have to use flux whith a chip hammer a air grinder and a wire brush cleaning takes a few seconds and your good too go at least someone nos's !!! I should say I don't know y he said it's hard to clean .. Cause it's not again I'll say this if u have the right tools and no the weard no how to use your tools your good too go but ya u made the right point

[@Bet-vx3fg]

You must change polarity

[@avinda_jigsawdiecastcustom]

Can the flux core welding be used on vehicles?

[@CHixon]

Yes. Plenty of you tube videos showing flux core welding on vehicles.

[@mrmidnight32]

Frames and solid parts yea, bolt panels and thin sheet I wouldn’t recommend. Especially to newer welders. Use a cleaner process like TiG or MiG, not flux or gasless for thin sheet.

[@ChipLogicRO]

with the fluxed cored , it sounded like the polarity was all wrong...maybe its just me... i`m no pro...

[@Chilllybob]

I've been fluxcore Welding ( getting tired of the mess) want to go with gas but what size bottle should I get. Im a newbie. And how much am I looking at? I guess in the long run gas welding is cheaper than flux core being flux core wire cost twice as much as solid wire..

[@AHill-oi9ct]

Did you ever get a gas bottle? I'm just trying to get a cost comparison. Some rough math shows me solid wire and gas is cheaper.

[@Chilllybob]

@@AHill-oi9ct not yet but I've noticed solid wire is a lot cheaper . I'm going to soon I have to get a regulator /hose/solid wire I can get .030 solid wire 2lb spool for 6.00 at Fazzios where flux core wire cost anywhere from 15 to 20 dollars for the same spool.. I will definitely let you know. I plan on leasing the gas bottle in long run it's cheaper because you swap it out with another & you never have to worry about certifing it. They do that.

[@AHill-oi9ct]

The wire is definitely cheaper if you're buying solid. Cheaper overall will depend on which gas and how much you're buying. My local Lowe's has Lincoln L-56 wire priced about $40 for 12.5 pounds. An 80³ft bottle of 75/25 is about $40. That would be $80 for 2.5 more pounds of wire than a 10 pound spool of flux core a at the same price. If the math is anywhere close to right, an 80³ft bottle could last through a whole 12.5 pound spool. I have seen a post on a welding forum where someone said they could get about 20 pounds of wire to 80³ft of gas. So even if I figure 3 12.5 pound spools to 2 cylinders it comes out better. That's only $200. Three 10 pound spools of flux core comes out to $240. All of the above is based on me using 75/25 as a shielding gas. If I start out using 100% CO2, the cost goes even lower due to CO2 being a liquid in the tank. A 20 pound tank equals about 150³ft of gas. That almost double the wire than I can run per tank fill. CO2 is also cheaper. The weld supposedly doesn't look as good, and there is a little more spatter. If I could get used to looking at flux core and cleaning it, none of that will be a problem. I still don't mind flux core other than the fact that it costs me more to run it. If I need to weld outside in windy conditions, I'll still use it or stick.

[@Chilllybob]

@@AHill-oi9ct what I don't like about flux core welding is the fact it's hard to see the puddle with all the smoke in the way..I tried gas what a difference you could see the puddle clear as day and definitely you could weld better( for me anyway) because you could see it easier and learn faster ...

[@AHill-oi9ct]

I'm on my 3rd year. Plenty of time to get used to it

[@dannyrexknight]

cold welds.....

[@lmsubman243]

Fair dinkum That's the first thing I thought, too. "Where's the HeaT"

[@OFFROADSLuTZ]

I'm not a licensed welder by any means so correct me if I'm wrong. I was taught not to drag the weld as he does at the beginning of the video but to push it if space allows you to do so. Is this true or was it just one welder teaching me his own technique?

[@OFFROADSLuTZ]

I knew about with stick, never to push. I mostly use mig at work. Which I most always push. But at home I started out with a flux core mig so I always dragged it as you said. When I started welding more at work a licensed welder said to try to push it, mind you it wasn't flux core, it was gas shielded. Ever since that day I began pushing the puddle. I kinda had to relearn all over again. I also weld a ton of aluminum using a spool gun. All self taught using as much info. I could gather from any licensed welder that would give me the time of day. So, I guess even though I may have misunderstood his reason why . I do believe it may have come from the fact that i find it to be a bit quicker? Not sure if that's true or not but I did find once I got the hang of it, it seemed a bit faster. Maybe it was also due to the fact I became a far more proficient welder myself as he deemed me the only welder good enough other than himself to do certain welding tasks around the shop I was in at the time. I will admit I'm definitely not the best and I'm not licensed but I still do many jobs even the licensed welders are not given due to my track record and experience in certain situations. I work in the transportation industry as a Licensed Heavy Equipment Technician. Most tech's haven't got a clue how to weld, but I also have a background in machining and metallurgy which certainly comes in handy. Thank you for answering my question.

[@user-mt9tn1ni4g]

@SHERMAN YOUNG so if I'm running stick making a vertical weld I'm supposed to drag it??? I'm not trying to be sarcastic or judgemental. And I don't know everything.. but after 40 years.. under the right circumstances any welding electrode .. can be pushed

[@ScarryMarian2012]

Stickweld is a whole different animal,not ok to to compare with fluxcore,stickweld CAN be also pushed,but only in some circumstance that i cannot find words to display as example.

[@jonny-b4954]

Why would I be having like my wire not disintergrate? It looks like its welding and I cant break the weld but like surely the wire is supposed to burn up and go into the weld or at least disintegrate? Obviously cant weld more than an inch like that haha. Am I getting too low voltage or something?

[@longevitywelding]

Possible that voltage is lower.

[@jonny-b4954]

@@longevitywelding I think I figured it out. I was moving too far away and not syncing my button presses properly with when I was starting and stopping the weld. I'm super amateur but this is working way better than stick welding. I couldn't get my sticks to stop sticking so made learning really hard.

[@2012isRonPaul]

so the flux wire is silver and gas wire is like copper?

[@longevitywelding]

Flux has the gas coating

[@SoEpicreviews]

It's not copper coverage it's silicone coverage

[@TheOneAndOnlySame]

That tasty Thorium electrode , yummy yummies in my lungies

[@esqueue]

Editing mishap 4:21 - 4:28 LOL

[@The.Home.Cinema.Engineer]

I always hated flux core welding it just looks like garbage leaves to much slag and residue

[@lmsubman243]

Flux core is smoky as hell. But it will leave a smooth rainbow sheen if it's run hot with minimal weaving. That Hugh hump he displayed is too cold

[@delerious186]

It was painful watching the terrible technique and wishing he’d fix his wire speed 🤦🏻‍♂️. Shouldn’t a welding machine company hire a demonstrator that can actually weld?

[@justinw523]

He has a lot of learning to do if he want to make more videos m. His explaining sucks!!! But I understood what he means about the difference between Mig welding & Flux Cord welding

[@KeeleDesign]

is he seriously out of breath.....

[@thephantom1492]

I'm quite a newbie in welding, but your welds look terrible! The fluxcore I use ended up way cleaner than your, and looked way better. And it is obivious that your MIG settings wasn't right as it was too cold... The side of the bead shouln't turn inward, should spread on the side... Bad advices...

[@MyBlackRifle]

As a hobby metal fabricator, I have 25 years of wire welding experience and agree with your assessment. Settings is likely an issue here. But @ 4:33 he states he was using flux core E 71T GS. I was surprised at this, the GS part. I figured a higher standard flux core wire would have been used for this type of side by side comparison. Any flux core wire designated with GS usually means it is "general" "single" pass only wire. In other words, GS can be okay wire, but it can also be very poor quality wire because it does not need to meet a specific standard. In short, it is manufactured to what ever spec the supplier, or distributor requests as long as it meets minimum criteria, in this case 71 or "Minimum tensile strength" and "position" . The biggest loss in GS is normally "usability", but there are others. I've used GS wires from time to time and my welds sometimes look like the one in this video. I have a Hobart 135 and for all of MY personal projects I will only use either .030 Hobart E71T-11 or .030 Lincoln NR-211-MP. I have been able to weld 14 gauge sheet to 1/2" plate, with the right wire and proper settings of course. My welds look very nice using either wire, and both produce little spatter.

[@codydayton3573]

Anyone that is a hobby welder and use's off brand machines is far from professional. They just know how to throw dog shit down a plate . I 've fixed plenty of welds from hobbies and handmen . I have a suite case I run my flux core off of . no splatter and the flux comes right off with a wire wheel . not to be a know it all because I don't know everything but I know what a sound and quality weld looks like . I am a mobile welder and I run lincoln .

[@LAshotts]

Why do you keep referring to mig as if it’s a different weld. Mig is the welder as in it’s not an ark welder. And this guys is giving advice on KZbin. Flux and solid weld both come from a mig welder.

[@jmartin_og]

Yawn

[@longevitywelding]

Wake up Foo

[@chaseallen76]

terrible products, great videos. avoid the Longevity plasma torch! You've been warned. You get what you pay for.

[@longevitywelding]

Hello Chase, sad to see you feel that way about the torch. Would like to know what happened that led you to the point you are at now. If you have the time, please email your experience to [e-mail]

[@getyourkicksagain]

No tips, tricks or advice were provided by this video. Your 7 minutes and 16 seconds will not be refunded.