Electrode comparison

E6010 vs E6011

E6010 and E6011 deposit nearly identical weld metal. The difference is the machine: E6010 needs DCEP, E6011 runs on AC.

E6010 vs E6011 at a glance

	E6010	E6011
AWS specification	AWS A5.1/A5.1M	AWS A5.1/A5.1M
Process	Stick (SMAW)	Stick (SMAW)
Form	Covered electrode	Covered electrode
Tensile strength (min)	60 ksi	60 ksi
Yield strength (min)	48 ksi	48 ksi
Elongation (min)	22%	22%
Impact toughness	20 ft·lb at -20 °F (27 J at -29 °C)	20 ft·lb at -20 °F (27 J at -29 °C)
Polarity	DCEP	AC, DCEP
Positions	Flat, Horizontal, Vertical, Overhead	Flat, Horizontal, Vertical, Overhead
Penetration	Deep	Deep
Deposition rate	Low	Low
Coating / core	High-cellulose sodium	High-cellulose potassium
Slag	Thin, light, easy to remove	Thin, light, easy to remove
Shielding gas	None — self-shielding	None — self-shielding
Storage	Store at room temperature. Do not bake E6010 — the cellulose coating needs its moisture to work.	Room-temperature storage in a dry place. Never bake E6011.
Primary use	Open-root passes on pipe, both shop and field	Farm and ranch repair on small AC transformer welders

Which should you use?

These two rods are close cousins. Both use a high-cellulose coating, both dig deep, both freeze fast enough for vertical and overhead work, and both meet the same 60 ksi mechanical requirements. The coating binder is the whole story: E6010 uses sodium and will only sustain an arc on DCEP, while E6011 uses potassium, which keeps the arc alive through the zero-crossing of alternating current. If you have a DC machine, E6010's arc is slightly crisper and its slag lifts a little cleaner. If you have an AC buzzbox, E6011 is your only option of the two.

Choose E6010 when

You have a DC machine and want the crispest cellulosic arc
You are running open-root pipe passes, where E6010 is the industry standard
You want slightly easier slag removal

Choose E6011 when

Your welder is AC-only, which covers most inexpensive transformer machines
You want one rod that works on either AC or DC
You are doing general farm and maintenance repair

Amperage compared

Diameter	E6010	E6011
3/32 in (2.4 mm)	40–80 A	40–85 A
1/8 in (3.2 mm)	70–130 A	75–125 A
5/32 in (4.0 mm)	110–165 A	110–160 A
3/16 in (4.8 mm)	140–215 A	140–190 A
7/32 in (5.6 mm)	170–250 A	—
1/16 in (1.6 mm)	—	20–40 A

Ranges are typical starting points. Diameters listed for only one electrode are shown as — for the other.

E6010 vs E6011 — common questions

Can I substitute E6011 for E6010?

For general repair, yes — the deposited weld metal meets the same requirements. On pipeline work with a qualified procedure calling for E6010, no: the procedure specifies the classification and substituting it voids the qualification.

Which has deeper penetration, E6010 or E6011?

E6010 is generally credited with slightly deeper penetration and a more forceful arc, though the difference is small. Both dig far deeper than E6013 or E7018.

Is E6011 easier to run than E6010?

On an AC machine, E6011 is the only one that will run at all. On DC, most welders find E6010 slightly crisper and E6011 a little softer and more forgiving.

Full specifications

E6010

AWS A5.1/A5.1M

E6010 is a DC-only cellulosic stick electrode with the deepest penetration of any common rod, used for open-root pipe passes and dirty or rusty steel.

E6011