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Rutile · the easy rod

GYS E6013 rutile Ø 3.2 mm, 70 rods

E6013 is the rod that lights easily and forgives — the one to learn on and the one most repairs want.

GYS E6013 rutile Ø 3.2 mm, 70 rods, product photograph

GYS E6013 rutile Ø 3.2 mm, 70 rods

E6013 is the rod that lights easily and forgives — the one to learn on and the one most repairs want.

Classification
E6013, rutile coating
Diameter
3.2 mm (0.13 in)
Quantity
70 rods
Material
Steel
Amazon reference
B00C7R7OMG
EAN
3154020085145
  • Rutile rods strike easily and re-strike after a pause, which basic rods do not
  • A smooth, tidy bead with slag that lifts cleanly
  • Lower strength and less crack resistance than a basic (low-hydrogen) rod

Best for: General repair welding in 4–8 mm (0.16 to 0.31 in) steel, and for anyone learning

Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Classification
E6013, rutile coating
Diameter
3.2 mm (0.13 in)
Quantity
70 rods
Material
Steel
Amazon reference
B00C7R7OMG
EAN
3154020085145

Why rutile is the beginner’s rod

The coating stabilizes the arc and produces a slag that covers the bead evenly and lifts off in one piece. It re-strikes after a pause without chipping the tip clean, which is where basic rods lose their reputation with newcomers.

Match the rod to the machine

3.2 mm (0.13 in) rods want 100 to 140 A. On a 160 A machine that is comfortable; on a small 90 A inverter it is beyond reach, and the result is a rod that sticks and a bead that sits on the surface. Buy 2.5 mm (0.10 in) for the smaller machines on this site.

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

What does E6013 actually tell me?

Three things. 60 is the tensile strength in thousands of pounds per square inch; 1 means it welds in all positions; 3 identifies the coating and current type — rutile, running on AC or DC. The practical translation: a forgiving, all-position rod of moderate strength, which is exactly what most repair work needs.

When should I use basic rods instead?

When the joint is thick, restrained, or safety-critical — a trailer hitch, a structural bracket, anything that will be loaded and cannot be allowed to crack. Basic low-hydrogen rods give stronger, tougher welds and demand more: higher current, a steadier hand, dry storage and a machine with the voltage to strike them.

Welders this fits

More stick electrodes

  • MTC AlSi5 aluminium electrodes Ø 2.5–3.2 × 350 mm, product photograph

    MTC AlSi5 aluminium electrodes Ø 2.5–3.2 × 350 mm

    Aluminum rods for a stick machine — a real technique with a narrow window and no room for hesitation.

    Alloy
    AlSi5
    Diameters
    2.5 and 3.2 mm (0.13 in)
    Length
    350 mm (13.8 in)
    Process
    MMA (stick)
    Amazon reference
    B08KG9DK1F
    EAN
    0670036746946
    • Aluminum repair without a TIG set or a spool gun
    • AlSi5 is the same alloy family as ER4043 MIG wire — forgiving and crack-resistant
    • Aluminum MMA is unforgiving: the pool forms suddenly and the rod burns fast

    Best for: Field repairs on cast or thick aluminum where no TIG machine is available

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  • STARK Rutile all-round Ø 3 × 350 mm, 5 kg, product photograph

    STARK Rutile all-round Ø 3 × 350 mm, 5 kg

    A hundred and eighty-five rods in a box — the format for a project rather than a repair.

    Type
    Rutile, all-round
    Dimensions
    Ø 3 mm (0.12 in) × 350 mm (13.8 in)
    Quantity
    5 kg (11 lb), approximately 185 rods
    Amazon reference
    B01N07QIID
    EAN
    4402300500550
    • 185 rods: enough for a gate, a trailer repair or a season of practice
    • Rutile all-round, so it strikes easily and works in most positions
    • Even rutile rods absorb moisture — a 5 kg (11 lb) box needs dry storage

    Best for: A project with a lot of welding in it, at 5 mm (0.20 in) and above

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  • Hobart 308L stainless steel stick electrodes

    Hobart H481930-RDP, 308L stainless, 3/32 in

    The only stainless rods in this hub — on a listing whose four bullets are a product type, a parcel size, a country and a weight to six decimal places.

    Amazon reference
    B002AKJ23Y
    EAN
    0715959249836
    • The only stainless electrodes in this hub, either half
    • Names the base metals it is for — 304 and 308 stainless — rather than saying "stainless"
    • The four bullets contain no welding specification at all — product type, parcel dimensions, country of origin and parcel weight

    Best for: Repairing 304 or 308 stainless with a stick machine, where no MIG gas is available

    ≈ $11
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Elsewhere in the workroom

  • HEUER Welding table adapter for 120/160 mm vices, product photograph

    HEUER Welding table adapter for 120/160 mm vices

    An adapter that puts a proper German bench vice onto a fixture table — keeping the vice you already own.

    For vices
    120 mm (4.72 in) and 160 mm (6.30 in) jaw width
    Outer diameter
    340 mm (13.4 in)
    Amazon reference
    B0FL7N7WXD
    EAN
    4010898000231
    • Keeps the vice you already own rather than buying a table-specific one
    • HEUER vices are a long-lived German standard, often inherited rather than bought
    • €105 for an adapter plate

    Best for: Anyone with a good bench vice and a new fixture table

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  • HOPSON TOOLS 16 mm carbide turning tool set, 10 pieces, product photograph

    HOPSON TOOLS 16 mm carbide turning tool set, 10 pieces

    Sixteen-millimeter shanks for a heavier lathe: five holders, five inserts, and rigidity where it counts.

    Shank
    16 mm (0.63 in)
    Contents
    5 holders and 5 indexable inserts
    Type
    Carbide indexable
    Amazon reference
    B0FCS779YW
    EAN
    0725650977556
    • 16 mm (0.63 in) shanks are far stiffer than 10 or 12 mm (0.47 in) — less chatter under load
    • Live on all six markets under one reference
    • €95, and only five inserts to start with

    Best for: Larger bench lathes with a 16 mm (0.63 in) tool post, cutting steel at depth

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  • Hyundai Welding MB25 set, 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 mm, product photograph

    Hyundai Welding MB25 set, 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 mm

    Three tip sizes in one box — the set to buy when you do not yet know which wire you will settle on.

    Torch
    MB25 / type 250
    Thread
    M6
    Tip sizes
    0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 mm (0.05 in)
    Contents
    Contact tips, gas nozzle, tip holder
    Amazon reference
    B0C3H3GQG1
    EAN
    0725844867205
    • Covers every wire diameter a 200 A machine is likely to run
    • One order instead of three when you change wire
    • You will use one size far more than the other two

    Best for: A new MIG owner who has not yet settled on a wire diameter

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All stick electrodes

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