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AWS Welding Electrode Decoder

Type any filler-metal classification and read every digit and letter in plain English. Stick, flux cored, solid wire, and stainless.

A welding electrode classification packs the process, strength, position, and coating into a few characters, and the chart on the side of the rod can has tiny print. This decoder reads each segment for you. It covers carbon steel stick electrodes (AWS A5.1), low-alloy stick (A5.5), solid MIG and TIG wire (A5.18), flux cored wire (A5.20), and stainless covered and bare (A5.4 and A5.9). For each input it returns the tensile strength, welding position, current and polarity, coating or wire type, and whether the consumable is low-hydrogen, plus the field notes that the chart leaves out, like keeping a 7018 dry and matching stainless filler to the base alloy.

Pro Tip: The single most useful habit is reading the last two digits of a stick electrode as a pair. The first of the two is the welding position and both together set the coating and the current. That is why E7018 (all-position, low-hydrogen, AC or DCEP) and E7024 (flat and horizontal, iron powder, not low-hydrogen) behave so differently despite both being 70 ksi rods.

Once you know the rod, set the amperage and travel speed and check the heat-input window with the

Weld Heat Input Calculator →

Size a fillet from the deposited weld-metal strength with the

Fillet Weld Strength Calculator →

Lay out the groove the electrode will fill with the

Weld Joint Prep Calculator →

For stainless filler, look up the matching base alloy in the

Steel Grade Decoder →

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AWS Welding Electrode Decoder
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How It Works

  1. Type the classification

    Enter the code printed on the rod, spool, or carton (for example E7018, ER70S-6, E71T-1). Dashes and spaces are optional and lowercase is fine.

  2. Read the segment breakdown

    Each digit and letter is split into a row: prefix, tensile strength, position, coating or core, and any suffix. The meaning of each is shown next to it.

  3. Check the properties summary

    The summary gives the process, AWS specification, minimum tensile strength, welding position, current and polarity, and low-hydrogen status in one place.

  4. Read the field notes

    The field notes carry the practical cautions the chart does not print, such as low-hydrogen storage and the difference between self-shielded and gas-shielded flux cored wire.

  5. Confirm against the standard

    The classification decode is exact. For specific mechanical-property numbers, confirm against the purchased AWS A5.x standard or the manufacturer datasheet before a WPS or PQR.

Built For

  • A welder who finds an unlabeled rod and needs to know the position, current, and whether it is low-hydrogen before striking an arc.
  • A maintenance planner stocking filler metal who wants to confirm what E8018-B2 covers before ordering for chrome-moly piping.
  • An apprentice learning why E6010 and E6011 are not the same despite both being cellulosic 60 ksi rods.
  • A fabricator matching stainless filler (E308L-16, ER316L) to the base alloy on a food-grade or chemical job.
  • An inspector cross-checking that the filler on a WPS matches the classification called out on the drawing.

Features & Capabilities

Every common family

Carbon and low-alloy stick, solid MIG and TIG wire, flux cored, and stainless covered and bare, all in one decoder.

Digit-by-digit breakdown

Each character is broken out with its meaning, so you learn the system rather than just looking up one rod.

Low-hydrogen flagging

The decoder flags low-hydrogen consumables and surfaces the dry-storage caution that keeps diffusible hydrogen low.

Source-cited

Every classification is tied to its AWS A5.x specification, corroborated by the AWS User's Guide to Filler Metals and the Hobart catalog.

Comparison

Code Process Tensile Position Low-hydrogen Note
E6010 Stick (SMAW) 60 ksi All No Cellulosic, DCEP, deep dig for root passes
E7018 Stick (SMAW) 70 ksi All Yes Low-hydrogen iron powder, AC or DCEP, keep dry
E7024 Stick (SMAW) 70 ksi Flat / horizontal No Iron powder drag rod, high deposition
ER70S-6 Solid wire (MIG / TIG) 70 ksi All Inherently low High deoxidizer, tolerates mill scale
E71T-1 Flux cored 70 ksi All See H designator Gas-shielded, DCEP, smooth low-spatter
E308L-16 Stainless stick n/a All n/a Low-carbon 308 deposit, matches 304

References

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Frequently Asked Questions

For a stick electrode like E7018, the E means electrode, the first two digits (70) are the minimum tensile strength in ksi (70,000 psi), the next-to-last digit (1) is the welding position (1 is all positions), and the last two digits together (18) set the coating type and current. So E7018 is a 70 ksi, all-position, low-hydrogen iron-powder rod that runs on AC or DCEP.
Both are 60 ksi cellulosic rods with a deep, digging arc, but E6010 runs on DC electrode positive only, while E6011 has a potassium coating that also runs on AC. On a small AC-only buzz box you typically reach for 6011, which is the AC-capable equivalent of 6010.
The low-hydrogen stick coatings are the ones ending in 15, 16, 18, 28, and 48 (for example E7018). They produce a deposit low in diffusible hydrogen, which resists cracking in higher-strength and restrained joints. They only stay low-hydrogen if kept dry, so store them in a heated rod oven and rebake or discard if they get damp.
The L means low carbon, at or below 0.04 percent. Lower carbon resists weld sensitization and intergranular corrosion in the heat-affected zone, at a small cost in strength. Use the L grade for stainless that will see a corrosive service after welding.
ER70S-6 is a solid wire that makes no slag and relies entirely on shielding gas, which is clean and common in the shop. E71T-1 is a tubular flux cored wire; the flux adds shielding and deoxidizers for higher deposition and better tolerance of less-clean steel. Self-shielded flux cored wires (like E71T-8 and E71T-11) need no gas at all, which is why they are common outdoors.
Disclaimer: Electrode classifications, mechanical properties, and position and current notes returned by this decoder are reference values from AWS A5 filler-metal specifications and vary by class, diameter, and standard edition. Actual weld properties depend on base metal, joint design, procedure, preheat, and technique. Use this tool to read an electrode designation, not to qualify a weld; always follow a qualified Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) and the applicable code (such as AWS D1.1 or ASME IX). This tool is for educational and reference purposes only and is not a substitute for a qualified welding engineer or CWI.

Learn More

Shops & Outbuildings

How to Read AWS Welding Electrode Numbers

What the digits and letters on a welding rod or wire mean: tensile strength, welding position, the last two digits for coating and current, low-hydrogen status, and the difference between E7018, ER70S-6, and E71T-1.

Read Guide →

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