Electrode comparison

E6010 vs E7014

E6010 digs through poor roots and dirty steel on DC; E7014 fills faster and smoother at 70 ksi on any polarity, but needs clean, fitted joints.

E6010 vs E7014 at a glance

	E6010	E7014
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	70 ksi
Yield strength (min)	48 ksi	58 ksi
Elongation (min)	22%	17%
Impact toughness	20 ft·lb at -20 °F (27 J at -29 °C)	Not required by AWS A5.1 for this classification
Polarity	DCEP	AC, DCEP, DCEN
Positions	Flat, Horizontal, Vertical, Overhead	Flat, Horizontal, Vertical, Overhead
Penetration	Deep	Medium
Deposition rate	Low	High — roughly 30% iron powder in the coating
Coating / core	High-cellulose sodium	Iron-powder titania
Slag	Thin, light, easy to remove	Heavy, friable, usually self-releasing
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.	Dry room-temperature storage. No oven required, but keep it sealed.
Primary use	Open-root passes on pipe, both shop and field	Production fillet welds where travel speed matters

Which should you use?

E6010 is a penetration rod and E7014 is a fill rod. E6010 requires DCEP, produces a forceful arc that reaches through an open root, and tolerates rust and scale, but deposits slowly at 60 ksi. E7014 runs on AC or DC, deposits considerably faster thanks to its iron-powder coating, and gives a 70 ksi deposit with a smooth appearance — but its medium penetration and rutile chemistry need a joint that is clean and properly fitted.

Choose E6010 when

Open roots and joints with gaps
Contaminated or weathered steel
Pipe work on DC machines

Choose E7014 when

Fill and cover passes on prepared joints
Production fillets needing speed and 70 ksi
AC machines

Amperage compared

Diameter	E6010	E7014
3/32 in (2.4 mm)	40–80 A	80–125 A
1/8 in (3.2 mm)	70–130 A	110–160 A
5/32 in (4.0 mm)	110–165 A	150–210 A
3/16 in (4.8 mm)	140–215 A	200–275 A
7/32 in (5.6 mm)	170–250 A	260–340 A

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

E6010 vs E7014 — common questions

Can you cap an E6010 root with E7014?

On non-code work, yes — it is a common combination. Clean the root and remove all slag first. On coded joints the procedure dictates the filler, and E7018 is the usual choice.

Which is stronger?

E7014 at 70 ksi minimum tensile, against 60 ksi for E6010. E6010 has the higher minimum elongation, so it is more ductile.

Does E7014 penetrate as deeply as E6010?

No. E7014 is medium penetration; E6010 is the deepest-penetrating common stick electrode.

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.

E7014