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Solid wire · budget

DK-Parts SG2 Ø 0.8 mm, 5 kg D200

The cheapest branded 5 kg (11 lb) spool here, at €21 — six euros under the STAHLWERK equivalent.

DK-Parts SG2 Ø 0.8 mm, 5 kg D200, product photograph

DK-Parts SG2 Ø 0.8 mm, 5 kg D200

The cheapest branded 5 kg (11 lb) spool here, at €21 — six euros under the STAHLWERK equivalent.

Grade
SG2 (G3Si)
Diameter
0.8 mm (0.03 in)
Weight
5 kg (11 lb)
Spool
D200, 200 mm (7.87 in)
Amazon reference
B01AMONLYK
EAN
0705968739275
  • Same SG2 grade designation as the dearer spools
  • D200 fits most bench machines
  • Winding quality is what separates cheap wire from good wire, and it is not published

Best for: Practice, tacking and non-critical work where a few dollars a spool matter

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Specifications

Grade
SG2 (G3Si)
Diameter
0.8 mm (0.03 in)
Weight
5 kg (11 lb)
Spool
D200, 200 mm (7.87 in)
Amazon reference
B01AMONLYK
EAN
0705968739275

What is the same

The SG2 designation covers the alloy, and it is the same specification as the dearer spools here. For structural strength on mild steel there is no meaningful difference to find.

What is not published

Layer winding, copper coating consistency and diameter tolerance — the three things that decide whether wire feeds smoothly. Nobody publishes them at this price, which is why the practical test is the arc note on the first meter.

Sources

Every figure above comes from the manufacturer’s published specification for this reference. Fields the listing does not publish are left out rather than estimated. Market availability was verified per market on the EAN.

The questions welders ask

Is cheap MIG wire a false economy?

Sometimes, and the reason is winding rather than metallurgy. SG2 is a standard, so the alloy is comparable; what differs is how evenly the wire is layered on the spool and how consistent its diameter and copper coating are. Badly wound wire tangles and snatches at the drive rollers, which shows as an arc that surges. If a spool feeds well, it is fine wire.

How do I tell if a spool is bad?

Watch the arc rather than the weld. A wire that feeds evenly gives a steady crackle; one that binds gives a surging note and intermittent spatter, with occasional stops. If a new spool does that at settings that worked yesterday, suspect the wire before adjusting the machine.

Welders this fits

More mig wire

  • BIG RED ER70S-6 solid MIG welding wire on an eleven-pound spool

    BIG RED AER70S602R, ER70S-6, 0.035 in, 11 lb

    The same AWS classification as six other wires on this shelf, in the same diameter and the same spool weight, at less than half the price of the most expensive.

    Amazon reference
    B0DNLM27PC
    EAN
    0810151423296
    • ER70S-6 to the same AWS classification as every other solid wire on this shelf
    • Eleven pounds, the largest spool weight here
    • Publishes nothing beyond the classification — no tensile figure, no copper coating statement, no deoxidiser levels

    Best for: General steel fabrication from 2 mm (0.08 in) upwards, bought on price with the classification understood

    ≈ $18
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  • Blue Demon ER70S-6 MIG welding wire on an eleven-pound spool

    Blue Demon ER70S6-030-11, ER70S-6, 0.030 in, 11 lb

    The only wire on this shelf that claims X-ray quality welds and the highest as-welded tensile strength of any plain carbon steel wire — with no figure attached to either.

    Amazon reference
    B00F429W7G
    EAN
    0652426111251
    • Claims porosity-free, X-ray quality welds, which is a specific and testable standard of soundness
    • States that the shielding gas is required — CO2 or a CO2 mix — rather than leaving it implied
    • Claims "the highest tensile strength (as welded) of all the plain carbon steel wires" without a figure or a comparison

    Best for: Work that will be inspected, or castings and forging salvage where the deposit has to be sound

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  • PGN ER70S-6 solid MIG welding wire, 0.023 inch, on a ten-pound spool

    PGN Bearings WW-ER70S6-023-10LB, ER70S-6, 0.023 in, 10 lb

    The finest wire in this hub by a clear margin — the 0.6 mm (0.02 in) class this shelf's buying tip says car-body sheet needs, and the only one of its size here.

    Amazon reference
    B089LVH45M
    EAN
    0760655019337
    • A 0.023 in diameter — the 0.6 mm (0.02 in) class — which is what this hub’s buying tip says the thin end of the range needs
    • The only wire of this size anywhere in this hub, in either half
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    Best for: Car-body panel and thin sheet, where a 0.8 mm (0.03 in) wire blows holes

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    Check price on Amazon

Elsewhere in the workroom

  • Donken 10 mm indexable turning tool set, 21 pieces, product photograph

    Donken 10 mm indexable turning tool set, 21 pieces

    Indexable tooling for a small lathe: when an edge dulls you turn the insert rather than grind a tool.

    Shank
    10 mm (0.39 in)
    Quantity
    21 pieces
    Type
    Indexable holders with carbide inserts
    Amazon reference
    B09GKGCP6B
    EAN
    6226126800919
    • Indexable inserts: rotate to a fresh edge instead of regrinding a tool
    • 10 mm (0.39 in) shank suits small bench lathes and modelmaking machines
    • Verified on the German store only at the time of checking

    Best for: A first tooling set for a small lathe, bought with the machine

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  • Donken 12 mm indexable turning tool set, 21 pieces, product photograph

    Donken 12 mm indexable turning tool set, 21 pieces

    The same set in 12 mm — the shank size most bench lathes above the smallest actually take.

    Shank
    12 mm (0.47 in)
    Quantity
    21 pieces
    Includes
    Boring bar holder
    Type
    Indexable carbide
    Amazon reference
    B09GLFD1RL
    EAN
    6226126800957
    • 12 mm (0.47 in) is the common shank size on bench lathes of 180 mm (7.09 in) swing and up
    • A boring bar is included, which many sets omit
    • Verified on the German and French stores only at the time of checking

    Best for: The bench lathes on this site with 180 mm (7.09 in) swing or more

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  • APRW combination drill and tap bits with their storage case

    APRW AP-6 combination drill-tap set

    A combination drill-tap set whose contents bullet lists six imperial sizes and six metric ones, in a set the same sentence calls six pieces.

    Amazon reference
    B0FWQX4YL9
    EAN
    0780748644802
    • Surface nitriding rather than a coating, which hardens the steel itself rather than sitting on it
    • A back taper that extends beyond the tap, stated to prevent over-drilling damaging the thread
    • The contents bullet lists six imperial sizes and six metric sizes in a "6-Piece" set

    Best for: A range of small threads in soft metal and thin panel, once the contents are confirmed

    ≈ $15
    Check price on Amazon

All mig wire

Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.