Electrode comparison

E6011 vs E6013

E6011 digs through rust and handles poor fit-up; E6013 runs softer and lays a prettier bead on thin, clean steel.

E6011 vs E6013 at a glance

	E6011	E6013
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%	17%
Impact toughness	20 ft·lb at -20 °F (27 J at -29 °C)	Not required by AWS A5.1 for this classification
Polarity	AC, DCEP	AC, DCEP, DCEN
Positions	Flat, Horizontal, Vertical, Overhead	Flat, Horizontal, Vertical, Overhead
Penetration	Deep	Shallow to medium
Deposition rate	Low	Medium
Coating / core	High-cellulose potassium	High-titania (rutile) potassium
Slag	Thin, light, easy to remove	Heavy, self-lifting, leaves a smooth bead face
Shielding gas	None — self-shielding	None — self-shielding
Storage	Room-temperature storage in a dry place. Never bake E6011.	Keep dry at room temperature. A sealed container or a warm cabinet is enough — no rod oven required.
Primary use	Farm and ranch repair on small AC transformer welders	Sheet metal and thin-wall tubing where burn-through is the risk

Which should you use?

Both are 60 ksi all-position rods that run on AC, which is why they end up next to each other in every hardware store. They behave very differently. E6011's cellulose coating produces a forceful, spattery, deep-penetrating arc that burns through rust, paint and gaps. E6013's rutile coating produces a soft, quiet arc with shallow penetration, a heavy self-lifting slag and a noticeably smoother bead. On clean thin material E6013 wins easily; on rusty or badly fitted work E6011 is the one that will actually make a sound weld.

Choose E6011 when

Rusty, painted or galvanized steel
Poor joint fit-up with gaps to bridge
Work needing deeper penetration on thicker sections

Choose E6013 when

Sheet metal and thin-wall tube where burn-through is the risk
Ornamental work where bead appearance matters
Learning to stick weld — it is the most forgiving rod to strike

Amperage compared

Diameter	E6011	E6013
1/16 in (1.6 mm)	20–40 A	20–45 A
3/32 in (2.4 mm)	40–85 A	45–90 A
1/8 in (3.2 mm)	75–125 A	80–130 A
5/32 in (4.0 mm)	110–160 A	105–180 A
3/16 in (4.8 mm)	140–190 A	150–230 A
5/64 in (2.0 mm)	—	25–60 A

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

E6011 vs E6013 — common questions

Which is better for a beginner, E6011 or E6013?

E6013. It strikes easily, restarts reliably and runs with a soft, quiet arc. E6011 spatters, digs and demands more arc length control.

Can E6013 weld through rust?

Not well. Its shallow rutile arc leaves porosity in contaminated metal. E6011 is the rod for dirty steel.

Which penetrates deeper, E6011 or E6013?

E6011, by a wide margin. That is the fundamental difference between a cellulosic and a rutile coating.

Full specifications

E6011

AWS A5.1/A5.1M

E6011 is the AC-capable version of E6010 — deep penetration and a fast-freeze puddle that works on small transformer welders and dirty steel.

E6013