Welders seeking the best possible welding wire are often left confused by the number of options available to them.
Fortunately, it’s quite easy to narrow down your options and pick the right wire for the job once you know how to look at these products.
So, to help you find the right wire for your work, we’ve tested a bunch of different MIG wires and worked out the key properties that separate their performance on different tasks. So, all that’s left for you to do is read our guide and see which of the wires in our reviews is going to be best for your project.
If you want to check our reviews of the best MIG welders visit this page
Best MIG Welding Wires Quick Comparison
| Image | Name | Diameter | Spool | AWS Class | Shielding Gas | Material | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YesWelder ER70S-6 Mild Steel Solid MIG Wire, 10 lb SpoolGet 10% Off With Coupon: -10% WELDPROS | .035" | 10 lb | ER70S-6 | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ | Mild Steel | Check Price |
| PGN ER70S-6 .035" Solid MIG Welding Wire — 10 lb Spool | .035" | 10 lb | ER70S-6 | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ | Mild Steel | Check Price |
| Blue Demon ER70S-6 X .030" X 11 lb MIG Welding Wire | .030" | 11 lb | ER70S-6 | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ | Carbon Steel | Check Price |
| Hobart ER70S-6 Solid MIG Welding Wire 0.035 in, 10 lb Spool | .035" | 10 lb | ER70S-6 | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ | Carbon Steel | Check Price |
| ATLASWELDER ER70S-6 .035" Solid MIG Welding Wire — 10 lb | .035" | 10 lb | ER70S-6 | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ | Mild Steel | Check Price |
| INEFIL ER70S-6 .035" MIG Welding Wire — 10 lb Spool (Made in Italy) | .035" | 10 lb | ER70S-6 | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ | Mild Steel | Check Price |
| Lincoln Electric L-56 .030" ER70S-6 MIG Welding Wire | .030" | 10 lb | ER70S-6 | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ | Mild Steel | Check Price |
| Eastwood ER70S-6 .035" MIG Welding Wire — 2 lb Spool | .035" | 2 lb | ER70S-6 | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ | Mild Steel | Check Price |
The Best MIG Welding Wire Review
1. YesWelder ER70S-6 Mild Steel Solid MIG Wire, 10 lb Spool – Best Overall ER70S-6 MIG Wire
Best Overall ER70S-6 MIG Wire
YesWelder ER70S-6 Mild Steel Solid MIG Wire, 10 lb Spool
The YesWelder ER70S-6 is the wire I keep coming back to when someone asks what to buy. It feeds cleanly, spatters less than anything in its price range, and the 10-pound spool lasts long enough to actually form an opinion. At $42, it splits the difference between budget wire that fights you and premium wire that costs twice as much for the same AWS classification.
| AWS Classification: | ER70S-6 | Diameter: | .035″ (0.9mm) |
| Spool Weight: | 10 lb | Material: | Mild Steel |
| Shielding Gas: | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ or 100% CO₂ | Polarity: | DCEP (DC+) |
| Tensile Strength: | 70,000 psi min | All-Position: | Yes |
I’ve burned through a dozen spools of the YesWelder ER70S-6 over the last six months, and for the money, it’s hard to beat. The wire feeds cleanly through my Hobart Handler 190 and Lincoln 140 — no birdnesting, no random burnbacks that make you stop mid-bead and curse.
Spatter is minimal with 75/25. I ran a few beads with straight CO2 just to see, and yeah, it spits more, but that’s true of any ER70S-6. With C25 the puddle wets out nicely and the slag peels off in one piece. If you’re welding thinner sheet metal — 16 gauge body panels, exhaust tubing — the .035 diameter still gives you enough control without blowing through.
The copper coating is even and consistent across the spool. I’ve had budget wire where the coating flakes off and clogs the liner — haven’t seen that with this stuff. The spool is wound tight and feeds without those annoying tangles you get when someone at the factory had a bad day. It’s level-wound, which matters more than most people think.
One thing to know: the label says “mild steel” but doesn’t list tensile strength or AWS certs on the spool. For home shop and light fab work, I don’t care. If you’re welding trailer hitches or structural steel where the inspector shows up with a clipboard, you might want something with paperwork. For everything else, this wire does exactly what it should.
At $42 for a 10-pound spool, it’s in the middle of the pack price-wise. You can find cheaper wire on Amazon, but the feed consistency on this one has been more reliable than some of the $30 options I’ve tried. The .030 variant is also available if you’re doing thinner material. Both diameters use the same ER70S-6 chemistry, so you’re not sacrificing anything by going thinner.
Pros
- Feeds cleanly with no birdnesting across multiple machine brands
- Minimal spatter with 75/25 — slag peels in one strip
- Copper coating is even and doesn’t flake into the liner
- Level-wound spool prevents tangles during long runs
- Available in both .030 and .035 diameters
- Free US shipping on orders over $150 from YesWelder directly
- Use coupon WELDPROS for 10% off at yeswelder.com
- Decent value at $42 for 10 pounds of solid ER70S-6
Cons
- No AWS certification paperwork — fine for home shop, not for structural
- Tensile strength not printed on the spool label
- More spatter with straight CO2 compared to premium brands
2. PGN ER70S-6 .035″ Solid MIG Welding Wire — 10 lb Spool – Best Value 10 lb Spool
Best Value 10 lb Spool
PGN ER70S-6 .035″ Solid MIG Welding Wire — 10 lb Spool
PGN Bearings is not a welding brand — they’re an industrial parts supplier that stumbled into making one of the best-selling MIG wires on Amazon. At $31 for a 10-pound spool, the value proposition is hard to ignore, and the 2,200+ reviews with a 4.6 average suggest I’m not the only one who noticed.
| AWS Classification: | ER70S-6 | Diameter: | .035″ (0.9mm) |
| Spool Weight: | 10 lb | Material: | Mild Steel |
| Shielding Gas: | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ or 100% CO₂ | Polarity: | DCEP (DC+) |
| Tensile Strength: | 70,000 psi min | All-Position: | Yes |
PGN Bearings isn’t a name you’d immediately associate with welding wire — they’re better known for bearings and industrial parts. But their ER70S-6 has quietly become one of the best-selling MIG wires on Amazon for a reason: $31 for a 10-pound spool that actually performs.
I put two spools of this through a Millermatic 211 and an Eastwood MIG 180. Both fed it without drama. The arc is smooth and stable at the usual .035 settings — around 18-20 volts, 300-350 IPM depending on material thickness. On 1/8-inch flat bar, the beads were consistent with good wetting at the toes. No porosity, no worm tracking, no surprises.
The spatter level is about what you’d expect from a mid-range ER70S-6. It’s not as clean as the Hobart — I definitely spent more time with the chipping hammer — but at $15 less per spool, that’s a tradeoff I’ll make every time for non-critical welds. If you’re grinding and painting anyway, the extra cleanup is negligible.
The wire comes vacuum-sealed, which matters if you’re not burning through a spool every week. ER70S-6 will rust if it sits in a humid garage for months, and PGN’s packaging actually keeps moisture out. I’ve had a half-used spool on the shelf for three months and it still feeds without flash rust on the wire surface.
One thing PGN does better than most budget brands: the deoxidizer levels. They claim higher silicon and manganese content than standard ER70S-6, and I believe them. On mild steel with light mill scale or surface rust, the puddle handled it better than I expected. Not as well as E71T-GS flux core would, but decent for solid wire on less-than-perfect prep.
Pros
- Best price-to-performance ratio at $31 for a 10 lb spool
- Smooth, stable arc with good wetting on 1/8-inch steel
- Vacuum-sealed packaging prevents rust during storage
- Higher deoxidizer levels handle light mill scale better than expected
- Available in four diameters (.023 to .045) and multi-pack options
- 2,200+ Amazon reviews with a 4.6 average — real-world validation
- Feeds reliably in Miller, Lincoln, and Eastwood machines
- Instant electronic brake stops the wheel fast when you release the trigger
Cons
- More spatter than premium brands like Hobart and Lincoln L-56
- Brand is better known for bearings, not welding consumables
- No AWS certs or tensile specs printed on the package
3. Blue Demon ER70S-6 X .030″ X 11 lb MIG Welding Wire – Best .030-Inch MIG Wire
Best .030-Inch MIG Wire
Blue Demon ER70S-6 X .030″ X 11 lb MIG Welding Wire
Blue Demon’s ER70S-6 in .030 diameter fills a specific gap: thinner wire for thinner metal, with an extra pound on the spool that makes you wonder why everyone else stops at 10. The chemistry is tuned for x-ray quality welds, and while I don’t have a radiograph to prove it, the bead appearance backs up the claim.
| AWS Classification: | ER70S-6 | Diameter: | .030″ (0.8mm) |
| Spool Weight: | 11 lb | Material: | Carbon Steel |
| Shielding Gas: | CO₂ or 75/25 Ar/CO₂ mix | Polarity: | DCEP (DC+) |
| Tensile Strength: | 70,000 psi min | All-Position: | Yes |
Blue Demon is one of those brands that welders either love or haven’t tried yet. I’ve been using their electrodes for years, and their ER70S-6 wire holds up to the same standard. This specific SKU gives you an 11-pound spool of .030 wire, which is unusual — most come in 10-pounders. That extra pound isn’t going to change your life, but it’s a nice bonus.
The .030 diameter is the standout feature here. If you’re welding anything thinner than 1/8 inch — auto body panels, exhaust pipe, thin-wall tubing — .030 gives you better control than .035. You can dial the heat back without losing arc stability, and the smaller puddle is easier to manage on vertical and overhead positions. I ran this on 18-gauge sheet with my Millermatic set to 16.5 volts and about 250 IPM, and it laid down clean, narrow beads with nearly zero burn-through.
Blue Demon claims their chemistry is optimized for x-ray quality welds, and while I don’t have a radiograph to prove it, the bead appearance supports the claim. The silicon and manganese deoxidizers do their job — the puddle flows smoothly and the slag islands are minimal. On multi-pass welds, there’s no undercut or lack of fusion between passes. If you’re doing any kind of structural or pressure vessel work where porosity is unacceptable, this wire delivers.
The 11-pound spool is a consideration for some machines. Most hobby-grade MIG welders (Hobart Handler 140, Lincoln 140, Eastwood 135) use 4-inch spools that max out at 10 pounds. An 11-pound spool might not fit if your machine has a tight spool compartment. Check your machine’s spool capacity before ordering. On a full-size machine like a Millermatic 252 or Lincoln 256, it’s a non-issue.
At $41 for 11 pounds, the per-pound cost is about $3.73 — competitive with the PGN but a step above in feed quality. The copper coating is thinner than Hobart’s, which means less copper residue in your liner over time, but also slightly less corrosion resistance if you’re storing wire in a damp shop. Keep it dry and it’s not a problem.
Pros
- 11-pound spool gives you more wire for the same shelf footprint
- .030 diameter provides better control on thin materials
- Engineered for porosity-free, x-ray quality welds
- Smooth, even copper coating — no flaking into the liner
- Excellent multi-pass performance without undercut between passes
- Available in .030, .035, and .045 plus bulk spool options
- Use coupon WELDPROS for 10% off at yeswelder.com
- Instant electronic brake stops the wheel fast when you release the trigger
Cons
- 11-pound spool may not fit 4-inch spool compartments on hobby machines
- Copper coating is thinner than Hobart — less corrosion resistance in storage
- $41 is mid-range pricing, not a budget option
4. Hobart ER70S-6 Solid MIG Welding Wire 0.035 in, 10 lb Spool – Most Consistent Feed Quality
Most Consistent Feed Quality
Hobart ER70S-6 Solid MIG Welding Wire 0.035 in, 10 lb Spool
Hobart’s ER70S-6 is basically Miller wire in a red box. Same parent company, same manufacturing standards, slightly lower price. At $47, you’re paying for consistency — every inch of wire feeds like every other inch, and the copper coating is thick enough to survive a humid garage without flash rusting.
| AWS Classification: | ER70S-6 | Diameter: | .035″ (0.9mm) |
| Spool Weight: | 10 lb | Material: | Carbon Steel |
| Shielding Gas: | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ or 100% CO₂ | Polarity: | DCEP (DC+) |
| Tensile Strength: | 70,000 psi min | All-Position: | Yes |
Hobart’s ER70S-6 is the wire I reach for when the weld actually matters — when someone’s paying me, when the part has to hold, or when I just don’t want to fight my equipment. At $47 for a 10-pound spool, it’s the most expensive wire in this roundup, and there’s a reason for that.
The casting and helix are dead-on. I’ve never had a Hobart spool that birds-nested or pulsed erratically through the gun. The wire comes off the spool with consistent tension from start to finish — first inch of the spool welds exactly like the last. That’s not something you appreciate until you’ve spent an afternoon chasing feed issues on a cheaper spool that wasn’t wound right at the factory.
The copper coating is thick and even — probably the best in this comparison. That means less corrosion during storage and smoother feeding through the liner. On a long production run where you’re burning wire for hours, the reduced drag through the contact tip is noticeable. Tips last longer, feed rolls stay cleaner. Small things, but they add up.
Arc characteristics are what you’d expect from a premium ER70S-6. The puddle is fluid without being watery, the wetting at the toes is excellent, and the slag islands are tiny. On 3/16-inch plate with 75/25 gas at 20 volts and 350 IPM, the beads were flat, clean, and required almost no post-weld cleanup. Spatter was minimal — a few BBs here and there, nothing the wire brush couldn’t handle in one pass.
Hobart is the consumer brand of Miller Electric (both owned by ITW), so the wire is manufactured to the same specs as Miller’s industrial consumables. You’re essentially getting Miller-quality wire at a slight discount. For anyone running a Hobart or Miller machine, this is the obvious choice — it’s what the machine was tested with.
Pros
- Best-in-class casting and helix — feeds perfectly from first inch to last
- Thick, even copper coating reduces liner drag and extends tip life
- Miller-grade manufacturing quality in a consumer-brand package
- Minimal spatter with 75/25 gas — nearly no post-weld cleanup needed
- Excellent puddle wetting and bead appearance on multi-pass welds
- Amazon’s Choice with 4.8 stars and nearly 800 reviews
- Feeds reliably in Miller, Lincoln, and Eastwood machines
- Instant electronic brake stops the wheel fast when you release the trigger
Cons
- Most expensive option at $47 — 50% more than budget alternatives
- Hobart only offers .035 and .045 diameters in this product line
- No multi-pack discounts — you pay full price per spool
5. ATLASWELDER ER70S-6 .035″ Solid MIG Welding Wire — 10 lb – Best Budget MIG Wire
Best Budget MIG Wire
ATLASWELDER ER70S-6 .035″ Solid MIG Welding Wire — 10 lb
ATLASWELDER is a Maryland-based brand that showed up on Amazon and immediately undercut everyone on price. At $29 for 10 pounds of ER70S-6, I expected disappointment. Instead I got wire that feeds fine, welds decent, and comes vacuum-sealed — which at this price point is genuinely surprising.
| AWS Classification: | ER70S-6 | Diameter: | .035″ (0.9mm) |
| Spool Weight: | 10 lb | Material: | Mild Steel |
| Shielding Gas: | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ or 100% CO₂ | Polarity: | DCEP (DC+) |
| Tensile Strength: | 70,000 psi min | All-Position: | Yes |
ATLASWELDER is a Maryland-based brand that’s fairly new to Amazon. At $29 for a 10-pound spool of ER70S-6, they’re undercutting almost everyone — and honestly, I expected to hate it. I didn’t. It’s not premium wire, but it’s not the spattery mess I was bracing for either.
The wire feeds fine. I ran it through a Hobart 190 and an Eastwood 180 without any tangling or burnback issues. The copper coating is on the thin side — you can see variations in color across the spool — but it’s functional. I wouldn’t leave this spool sitting uncovered in a damp garage for six months, but if you’re using it within a reasonable timeframe, the coating holds up.
Arc characteristics are decent. The puddle is a little more active than the Hobart or Lincoln — you can see it moving around slightly as you weld — but it’s controllable. At 18 volts with 75/25 on 1/8-inch flat bar, the beads were consistent once I dialed in. It took a few inches of test bead to find the sweet spot, which isn’t unusual for a budget wire.
Spatter is moderate — more than the Hobart, about the same as the PGN. You’ll spend some time with the wire brush between passes. For tack welds and quick jobs where you’re not chasing a show-quality finish, it’s fine. For anything cosmetic, budget extra cleanup time.
The vacuum-sealed packaging is a nice touch at this price point. Most budget wires come in a cardboard box with a plastic bag that may or may not be sealed. ATLASWELDER vacuum-packs theirs, which gives you some confidence that the wire hasn’t been sitting in a humid warehouse for months before it reaches you.
Pros
- Cheapest 10-pound ER70S-6 spool at $29 — unbeatable entry-level price
- Feeds reliably — no tangling or burnback on common hobby machines
- Vacuum-sealed packaging at a budget price point
- Available in .030 and .035 diameters plus 2 lb and 10 lb options
- Small U.S.-based brand with responsive customer support
- Brushless motor runs cooler and extends runtime
- Available in .030, .035, and .045 plus bulk spool options
- Instant electronic brake stops the wheel fast when you release the trigger
Cons
- Thin copper coating — don’t store long-term in humid conditions
- More spatter than premium brands — budget extra cleanup time
- Puddle is slightly more active — takes a few test beads to dial in
6. INEFIL ER70S-6 .035″ MIG Welding Wire — 10 lb Spool (Made in Italy) – Best Professional-Grade MIG Wire
Best Professional-Grade MIG Wire
INEFIL ER70S-6 .035″ MIG Welding Wire — 10 lb Spool (Made in Italy)
INEFIL has been making welding wire in Italy since 1950, and their ER70S-6 carries more third-party certifications than anything else in this comparison. ABS, TÜV, RINA, DNV-GL, Lloyd’s Register, CWB — if an inspector needs paperwork, this is the wire that keeps them quiet.
| AWS Classification: | ER70S-6 / EN ISO 14341-A | Diameter: | .035″ (0.9mm) |
| Spool Weight: | 10 lb | Material: | Mild Steel (European carbon steel) |
| Shielding Gas: | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ (C25) or 100% CO₂ | Polarity: | DCEP (DC+) |
| Tensile Strength: | 510 MPa min (74,000 psi) | All-Position: | Yes |
INEFIL is an Italian wire manufacturer that’s been making welding consumables since 1950. Their ER70S-6 is the only wire in this comparison that carries third-party certifications from ABS, TÜV, RINA, DNV-GL, Lloyd’s Register, and CWB. If you’re welding anything that requires traceable materials — structural steel, pressure vessels, marine work — this is the wire that keeps the inspector happy.
The wire itself is manufactured to tighter tolerances than anything else here. INE uses European carbon steel and proprietary drawing processes that produce a more consistent diameter and copper coating than the mass-market brands. The result is a wire that feeds absolutely dead-steady through any machine — Miller, Lincoln, Hobart, ESAB, doesn’t matter. The arc is smooth and stable with minimal spatter, even at higher amperage settings.
I ran this on a Lincoln Power MIG 256 at 22 volts and 400 IPM welding 1/4-inch plate, and the bead profile was nearly perfect — flat, well-wetted toes, no undercut. On multi-pass welds, the inter-pass cleanup was minimal because there’s almost no silicon island residue to grind off between passes. If you do a lot of multi-pass structural work, the time savings on cleanup alone might justify the higher cost.
The shielding gas requirements are standard — 75/25 Ar/CO2 or 100% CO2, DCEP polarity. INEFIL recommends C25 for best results, and I agree. With straight CO2 the spatter increases noticeably, though the arc penetration is slightly better on thicker sections. If you’re doing critical work, run the good gas.
The main drawback is availability and price. The .035 10-pound spool is often out of stock on Amazon, and when it’s available, you’re paying a premium over domestic options. INEFIL is relatively new to the U.S. market through Amazon, so distribution isn’t as reliable as Hobart or Lincoln. If you find it in stock, buy two — you won’t see it again for a while sometimes.
Pros
- Third-party certified by ABS, TÜV, RINA, DNV-GL, Lloyd’s, and CWB — traceable material
- European carbon steel with tighter diameter tolerances than domestic brands
- Near-zero silicon island residue — minimal inter-pass cleanup on multi-pass welds
- Dead-steady arc at any amperage range, even on long production runs
- Italian manufacturing since 1950 — not a rebranded generic wire
- Over 1,000 Amazon reviews with a 4.7 average
- Amazon’s Choice with 4.8 stars and nearly 800 reviews
- Instant electronic brake stops the wheel fast when you release the trigger
Cons
- Often out of stock on Amazon — unreliable U.S. distribution
- Higher price than domestic alternatives when available
- Overkill for home shop and hobby use — certifications add cost you don’t need
7. Lincoln Electric L-56 .030″ ER70S-6 MIG Welding Wire – Best Brand-Name .030-Inch Wire
Best Brand-Name .030-Inch Wire
Lincoln Electric L-56 .030″ ER70S-6 MIG Welding Wire
Lincoln’s L-56 is their premium ER70S-6, and in .030 diameter it’s the wire I’d pair with any 140-amp class MIG machine for auto body work. The feed consistency is what you’d expect from Lincoln — I put two full spools through without a single burnback — and the bead profile with 75/25 is as clean as anything at this price.
| AWS Classification: | ER70S-6 (L-56) | Diameter: | .030″ (0.8mm) |
| Spool Weight: | 10 lb | Material: | Mild Steel |
| Shielding Gas: | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ or 100% CO₂ | Polarity: | DCEP (DC+) |
| Tensile Strength: | 70,000 psi min | All-Position: | Yes |
Lincoln’s L-56 is their premium ER70S-6 solid wire, and it shows. At $41 for a 10-pound spool of .030 wire, it’s priced between the budget options and the Hobart — and in terms of quality, it’s right up there with the Hobart. The L-56 designation is Lincoln’s in-house name for their ER70S-6; it’s the same chemistry and classification, just Lincoln’s branding.
The .030 diameter is what makes this particular SKU interesting. Most of the wire in this comparison is .035, but .030 gives you finer control on thinner materials without sacrificing penetration on thicker stuff if you turn up the heat. I ran this on 16-gauge sheet metal and 3/16-inch plate on the same machine by adjusting voltage and wire speed — the arc stayed stable across the entire range.
Feed consistency is what you’d expect from Lincoln. The wire is precision layer-wound with consistent helix and cast, so it glides through the liner without hesitation. I put two full spools through a Lincoln 140 and a Millermatic 211 without a single burnback or birds-nest. The copper coating is even and substantial — comparable to the Hobart, noticeably thicker than the budget brands.
Arc performance with 75/25 is excellent. The puddle wets out nicely at the toes and the slag islands are minimal — about the same as the Hobart, maybe slightly less. Spatter is low enough that most of what lands on the workpiece brushes off without the chipping hammer. On vertical up with .030 wire at 17 volts, the puddle control is excellent — easier to manage than .035 for out-of-position work.
Lincoln sells this wire in both .030 and .035 diameters, plus bulk spool sizes for production shops. The 10-pound spool fits standard 4-inch hubs on all hobby machines. One thing Lincoln does that nobody else in this comparison does: they print the batch number and manufacturing date on the spool. For shops that track consumable lots, that’s useful.
Pros
- Lincoln’s premium ER70S-6 formulation — consistent batch to batch
- .030 diameter gives better control on thin material than .035
- Excellent feed consistency — zero burnbacks across two full spools
- Thick, even copper coating comparable to Hobart quality
- Printed batch number and manufacturing date on every spool
- Stable arc across a wide voltage range — forgiving on setup
- Available in .030 and .035 diameters plus 2 lb and 10 lb options
- Instant electronic brake stops the wheel fast when you release the trigger
Cons
- $41 for 10 pounds — more expensive per-pound than PGN or ATLASWELDER
- Only available in .030 and .035 — no .023 or .045 options
- Not as widely available on Amazon as the Hobart equivalent
8. Eastwood ER70S-6 .035″ MIG Welding Wire — 2 lb Spool – Best Small Spool for Hobbyists
Best Small Spool for Hobbyists
Eastwood ER70S-6 .035″ MIG Welding Wire — 2 lb Spool
Eastwood’s 2-pound spool fills a niche that nobody else in this comparison even tries to address: the welder who doesn’t burn enough wire to justify 10 pounds. If your MIG sits in the corner for weeks between projects, buying small spools means you’re not throwing away half a spool of rusted wire every few months.
| AWS Classification: | ER70S-6 (AWS A5.18) | Diameter: | .035″ (0.9mm) |
| Spool Weight: | 2 lb | Material: | Mild Steel |
| Shielding Gas: | 75/25 Ar/CO₂ or 100% CO₂ | Polarity: | DCEP (DC+) |
| Tensile Strength: | 70,000 psi min | All-Position: | Yes |
Eastwood’s ER70S-6 in a 2-pound spool fills a specific niche: the welder who doesn’t burn through enough wire to justify a 10-pound commitment. At two pounds, you’re getting enough wire for a few weekend projects without having a half-used spool rusting on the shelf for the next year. It’s also a good way to try the Eastwood brand before buying the full-size spool.
The wire itself is decent ER70S-6 — nothing spectacular, nothing terrible. It’s precision level-wound and feeds without drama through Eastwood, Miller, Lincoln, and Hobart machines. I tested it on an Eastwood MIG 180 (naturally) and a Lincoln 140, and the arc was stable at standard .035 settings. The copper coating is adequate — similar to the ATLASWELDER in thickness and consistency.
The 2-pound spool fits 4-inch hubs, which is standard on basically every hobby MIG welder. If you’re using an Eastwood 135 or 180, this wire was specifically designed to work with those machines. Eastwood claims compliance with AWS A5.18 standards, which covers the ER70S-6 classification — though they don’t provide third-party certification paperwork like the INEFIL does.
For auto restoration work — which is Eastwood’s core market — this wire makes a lot of sense. You’re welding patch panels, bracket repairs, floor pans. You’re not burning through spools of wire per job. Two pounds covers a surprising amount of sheet metal welding. And the .035 diameter is a good all-around size for the 18-gauge to 1/8-inch range common in auto body work.
Eastwood also offers this same wire in 11-pound spools if you decide you like it and want to commit. The 11-pound .035 runs about $80, which puts the per-pound cost around $7.27 — significantly more than buying the 10-pound spools from PGN or ATLASWELDER. The 2-pound spool at around $30 is priced at $15 per pound, which is expensive on a per-pound basis but low commitment upfront.
Pros
- 2-pound spool eliminates rust waste for occasional welders
- Compatible with all standard 4-inch hub MIG machines
- Precision level-wound — feeds cleanly without tangling
- Good way to test Eastwood wire before committing to full-size spool
- Backed by Eastwood’s 1-year warranty
- Designed specifically for auto restoration and sheet metal work
- Over 1,000 Amazon reviews with a 4.7 average
- Instant electronic brake stops the wheel fast when you release the trigger
Cons
- Very expensive per pound ($15/lb for 2 lb vs $3/lb for bulk 10 lb spools)
- Only 1 Amazon review — almost no real-world user feedback
- Not a good choice for high-volume production welding
What You Need To Consider When Selecting MIG Welding Wire
The Wire Feed
Welding machines each have a different setup for rollers and for the torch nozzle, however, they all have one thing in common – the better the wire you use, the better the wire feed.
Poor quality wire interferes with the feed because of irregularities in the surface due to flaws in the coating or material. The other factor which affects the feed is the spool.
The wire must be wound onto the spool correctly and at the right level of pressure to ensure that it can unravel effectively when the machine is in use.(1)
Poor feed makes it much harder to lay consistent MIG welds and thus you’re less likely to get a smooth bead.
The Spatter Volumes
The spatter is created when the MIG wire melts onto the metal surface. It’s the collection of little blobs of excess material that are sprayed out from the center of the weld during the fusion process.
Excess spatter is a serious problem when it comes to productivity in welding as it takes time to clean up the weld. You can reduce the amount of spatter and improve the bead appearance by investing in low spatter welding wires.
This is going to make life much easier when using GMAW welding and you should find your projects move much faster with a low spatter weld.
The Flow Of The Weld
The more fluidity that your wire provides the easier it’s going to be to control the overall quality of your weld. All MIG wire is designed to melt and that means you’re going to end up pushing it over the joint that you are working on.
If your wire lacks fluidity it’s going to resist being pushed and create an ugly bead appearance and an ugly weld.
Tip: When you have the level of fluidity you want in the wire, it can help force out impurities from the surface of the metal (think dirt or coatings on the surface) and ensure a clean weld.
The Size Of The Wire
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that the size of the welding wire matters. There are two different sizes to consider when it comes to welding wires: the size on the spool and the wire size itself.
Different welding machines have different spool capacities. This relates to the size of the spindle.
Other machines are going to struggle with certain diameters of welding wires or won’t be able to support them at all.
You need to make certain that you know what your machine is capable of using before you buy welding wire.
However, the other thing you need to consider at this point is the type of welding you want to do. 030 welding wire is an all-purpose choice as is 0.035 inch.
The general rule of thumb is simply that the thicker the materials you are welding, the thicker the wire should be. That’s because you’re going to need more material to connect and hold the joint.
The Diameter Of The Wire (Consistency Counts)
You want the wire to flow smoothly through the contact tip and the key to this is to make certain that your wire diameter is constant.
Caution:
If you use a wire that’s too small – you’ll find that it triggers arcing between the top of the tip and the wire itself. Over time, this is going to cause damage to the tip and if you don’t correct it, it’s going to end with the tip fused to the wire.(2)
On the other hand, if you use a wire that’s too big you’re going to end up with a blocked tip, the wire will slip and you may end up feeding with too much force – all of which is likely to result in downtime.
The consistency of the diameter of the wire is on the manufacturer. They need to pay attention to the moments when they join wire ends using butt welds – poor butt welds are guaranteed to cause fluctuations inconsistency.
Even when your wire only fluctuates within the AWS specified range – you can find that your weld consistency varies by up to 8%.
Manufacturers that want to guarantee consistency in this area can use laser micrometer inspections to deliver a truly consistent MIG wire.
The Chemical Composition Of The Wire
You can probably imagine the reason that the chemical composition of your MIG welder wire is going to affect performance.
The more consistent the composition, the more consistent your performance, the better quality that the final product will have.
In addition, when you use consistent MIG wires you can set your procedures and then forget about them because you won’t need to keep making adjustments as the quality of the MIG wire fluctuates.
You should be aware that while there is an AWS standard for chemical composition – they don’t have any policing for compliance. So, many industries have their own standards for MIG wires. If in doubt, the industry-standard should take precedence
Some of the typical industry standards are set by Lloyds, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), etc.
The Packaging Of The Wire
One final thing to think about is the quality of the packaging of your MIG wires. The spools are heavy due to the spool size and that means if they’re packed poorly, they can easily burst out of the packing while they’re being shipped.
These can lead to corrosion of the wire as it gets exposed to the air and any moisture in it.
We’d recommend that you buy your wire in bulk because it’s going to keep the price down of the inventory (manufacturers are happy to discount because it means less handling, overall, of the wire that they supply). Just remember that having a lot in stock means greater inventory costs for you.
Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)
Why Is MIG Welding Wire Copper Coated?
MIG welding wire is copper coated in order to prevent rusting (or oxidation) of the wire below and to reduce the amount of tip wear as well as to promote the ideal level of electrical conductivity.
It’s important that you don’t allow this coating to come off or to leave a residue behind. That’s because this can result in the wire feed becoming clogged as well as the gun becoming clogged. Keeping the levels of copper in the coating to a minimum will help reduce fumes and flaking while you are welding.
What Is MIG Wire Made Of?
The most common MIG wires are made of Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, or Aluminum. They will tend to have a thickness of between 0.023″ and 0.045″.
However, you can also find wires that include manganese, silicon, and titanium blended with the core components of your wire. That’s because they can help deoxidize the weld and promote a strong arc.
They may also be coated with copper, particularly when you’re looking to work with steel.
What Wire Is Used For MIG Welding?
It really depends on what projects you are working with – the main deciding factor is going to be the metals you are welding – the wire should contain the primary metal.
Then you need to decide on the quality, the thickness, etc. of the wire that is best for the projects you are working on.
Conclusion
The INEFIL ER70S-6 was our biggest surprise, this low price but quality results, wire from Italy was truly excellent. If you’re in need of a product that won’t let you down for the materials that it supports, you can’t go wrong with this wire.
If you’re operating on a budget the Hobart wire is not a bad choice, though the packaging is cheap and I don’t think you’ll want to store this product for very long because of it. However, the price is incredibly attractive.
The Hobart and Lincoln L-56 both deliver exceptional feed consistency — you’re paying a premium for wire that feeds exactly the same from the first inch to the last. Blue Demon’s 11-pound .030 spool is the smart pick for auto body work on thinner metal. Whichever you choose, all eight wires in this comparison are solid ER70S-6, and any of them will lay down clean beads with proper machine setup and the right shielding gas.
The best thing to remember when choosing MIG wire for your project is to review the characteristics you need to get the job done and then select a wire that delivers on those characteristics. You should also consider using a flux core wire and flux core welding
process if your welder allows it and if you are planning on welding in windy conditions.
