Which Aluminum Welding Rod Brand Wins?

not perfectly round; widest point 1/8 inch, narrowest 13/128 inch; weighs 21.56 g

wide, 13/128 inch narrow point, weighs 11.65 g

wide, weighs 22.94 g

thick, weighs 1.49 g

wide, 13/128 inch narrow point, weighs 12.34 g

narrow point, 1/8 inch wide, weighs 22.19 g

weighs 3.5 g

melted in about 10 seconds at approximately 736F, close to advertised temperature

melted in about 10 seconds; described as flowing easily and less viscous than Blue Demon

took a little longer to melt than the Bernzomatic

did not melt at its advertised temperature; after a minute of heat on 760F aluminum it made no progress, so actual melting point is higher than advertised

melted in 10 seconds, same as Blue Demon and Bernzomatic, at an advertised working temperature of 728F

melting at approximately 740F

took more heat to melt than all other brands except IC, due to the flux core

in the plug-weld pull test (moved into the lead over IC at that point), notable given a smaller 5/16 inch weld area

third highest in the plug-weld pull test; did not detach from the bolt head but tore away from itself, the failure mode narrator was hoping to see

fourth highest in the plug-weld pull test; did not detach from the bolt, tore away from itself (a desired failure mode)

in the plug-weld pull test, but narrator had a lot of trouble getting the metal hot enough and the aluminum bolt itself failed rather than the weld; in the earlier plug-weld demo the bolt head reached at least 1131F (aluminum's own melting point) before this rod finally melted

in the plug-weld pull test, moved into the lead over Bernzomatic at that point; the aluminum bolt broke rather than the weld, so narrator says the weld itself is capable of even more than the number shown

first sample only 88 lb because it did not stick well to the aluminum bolt; retested on a second sample at 348 lb, both described as 'nowhere close to the competition'

first sample 186 lb; narrator had trouble getting the metal hot enough and overheated/failed the bolt rather than the weld; retested on a second sample at 316 lb, still described as not as good as the competition

weld broke instead of peeling away (the desired outcome)

weld broke instead of peeling away (the desired outcome)

did a great job, weld broke instead of peeling

weld was not as thick as some other brands so it failed at a lower load, but stuck well to the aluminum

performed well, weld broke instead of peeling

took longer than other brands to melt; poor result, narrator says 'the weld just did not stick to the test piece,' partly attributed to his own technique

amazing job; aluminum bent at 127 lb and the weld held, though some cracking began along the main part of the weld

very impressive; formed a good weld and proved stronger than the aluminum itself

very impressive; aluminum bent instead of breaking, a crack formed in the weld but it still held up

only 24 lb, did not perform well; narrator attributes some of this to his own application technique and notes the weld did not stick to the test piece as well as other products

only 20 lb, did not do nearly as well as some other brands

skipped entirely: 'Reaching melting point with Sacred is pretty tough and filling in this large V weld is going to be very difficult with Sacred, so I'm going to go ahead and skip it.'

USA

USA

China

USA

USA

named the least expensive of the five compared brands by price per gram

second least expensive of the five compared brands by price per gram

fourth of five in the price-per-gram comparison (cheaper than Hobart, more expensive than Blue Demon, Alumiweld, and Master Weld)

third least expensive of the five compared brands by price per gram

stronger than aluminum, harder than mild steel, excellent corrosion resistance, no flux required, welds zinc base metals, brazes aluminum

tensile strength claim of 33,000 psi, working temperature 720 to 750F

stronger than aluminum, harder than mild steel, low working temperature, no flux or fumes, excellent corrosion resistance, low cost, Rockwell B hardness 55 to 60, ultimate tensile strength claim up to 40,000 psi, working temperature 730F

working temperature 716 to 752F

comes with detailed instructions; melting temperature listed as 385 to 410 C; has a flux core, unlike the other brands tested