Electrode comparison

E7014 vs E7018

Both deposit 70 ksi weld metal, but only E7018 is low hydrogen — which is what structural codes actually require.

E7014 vs E7018 at a glance

	E7014	E7018
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)	70 ksi	70 ksi
Yield strength (min)	58 ksi	58 ksi
Elongation (min)	17%	22%
Impact toughness	Not required by AWS A5.1 for this classification	20 ft·lb at -20 °F (27 J at -29 °C)
Polarity	AC, DCEP, DCEN	DCEP, AC
Positions	Flat, Horizontal, Vertical, Overhead	Flat, Horizontal, Vertical, Overhead
Penetration	Medium	Medium
Deposition rate	High — roughly 30% iron powder in the coating	High
Coating / core	Iron-powder titania	Low-hydrogen potassium with iron powder
Slag	Heavy, friable, usually self-releasing	Heavy, brown-glassy, releases cleanly when run correctly
Shielding gas	None — self-shielding	None — self-shielding
Storage	Dry room-temperature storage. No oven required, but keep it sealed.	Low-hydrogen rods must be kept dry. Hermetically sealed until opened, then held in a rod oven at 250–300 °F (120–150 °C).
Primary use	Production fillet welds where travel speed matters	Structural steel erection, bridges and buildings

Which should you use?

On a tensile test these two look the same: 70 ksi minimum, 58 ksi yield. The difference shows up in everything else. E7018's low-hydrogen coating produces weld metal with low diffusible hydrogen and 20 ft·lb toughness at -20 °F, which is what resists cold cracking in thick or restrained joints. E7014's rutile iron-powder coating carries no such requirement, but it runs easier, needs no rod oven and deposits at a comparable rate. For general fabrication E7014 is more convenient; for code work E7018 is usually mandatory.

Choose E7014 when

General fabrication with no code requirement
Situations where rod oven storage is impractical
Welders who want an easy drag technique

Choose E7018 when

Structural steel, pressure work and any coded joint
Thick sections or restrained joints at risk of cold cracking
Service requiring low-temperature notch toughness

Amperage compared

Diameter	E7014	E7018
3/32 in (2.4 mm)	80–125 A	70–120 A
1/8 in (3.2 mm)	110–160 A	110–165 A
5/32 in (4.0 mm)	150–210 A	150–220 A
3/16 in (4.8 mm)	200–275 A	200–275 A
7/32 in (5.6 mm)	260–340 A	260–340 A

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

E7014 vs E7018 — common questions

Can E7014 substitute for E7018?

Only where the procedure does not require a low-hydrogen electrode. The tensile strength matches, but E7014 carries no low-hydrogen or impact requirement, so most structural codes will not accept the substitution.

Which is easier to run, E7014 or E7018?

E7014. It drags easily, starts without sticking and tolerates a sloppier arc length. E7018 rewards good technique but punishes a cold start.

Do both need a rod oven?

Only E7018. E7014's rutile coating just needs to stay dry; E7018 must be held at 250–300 °F once opened, with a limited exposure time on code work.

Full specifications

E7014

AWS A5.1/A5.1M

E7014 is an iron-powder rutile rod that runs like E6013 but deposits faster and stronger — a fast-fill, all-position drag rod for production fillets.

E7018