Hobart H381806-R18 1-Pound ER4043 Aluminum Welding Wire, 0.030-Inch

I've recently been working with the Hobart H381806-R18 1-Pound ER4043 Aluminum Welding Wire, and it has been a game changer for my aluminum welding projects. The 0.030-inch diameter is perfect for the kind of work I do, providing a good balance between precision and strength.One thing I immediately liked was how smoothly this wire feeds through my MIG welder. It’s consistent and doesn’t snag, which makes the welding process so much more efficient. The welds themselves come out clean with minimal spatter, which means less time spent on cleanup.The penetration is impressive, creating strong welds that hold up well under stress. I used this wire on a couple of different projects, including patching an aluminum boat and fabricating a custom bracket for an engine mount. In both cases, the wire performed flawlessly, producing solid, durable welds.There’s a bit of a learning curve if you’re not used to welding aluminum, particularly with getting the settings just right on your welder. However, once dialed in, this wire makes the process much more manageable.In terms of dislikes, there really isn’t much to complain about. It might be slightly more expensive than some other brands, but the quality is worth it. Plus, the spool is well-made, preventing any tangling or issues during the feed.This Hobart aluminum welding wire has definitely earned its place in my welding kit, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for reliable performance in their aluminum welding projects.

I used this H381806-R18 aluminum wire along with my Hobart handler 140 to make a few tack welds and a couple small stitch welds to repair some broken 1/8" aluminum plate and angle stock parts. The wire chart for my welder lists only .030" as the size aluminum welding wire it can use, so that is why I went with this instead of the heavier .035" aluminum wire. This wire needs to be used with Argon shielding gas and the MIG gun liner and contact tip in my H-10 gun also needed to be replaced to prevent carbon contamination from the steel flux core wire I normally use. I purchased a new Welding City 194T-011 Teflon liner here on Amazon that worked fine for my use. I don't need to make welds in aluminum all that often, so for only limited use maybe a couple of times a year, I really couldn't justify the cost of a spool gun and since this welding wire worked well enough for my application, considering what it cost I think it was a good economical choice.

So this is what I purchased for the first time ever welding aluminum. My welds were nice and sturdy. Unfortunately I have nothing to compare it to as far as other brands or 5xxx series wires. But for what it’s worth I would definitely buy it again and recommend it

Envio rapido y en perfecto estado. Aun no lo he ensayado, una vez lo haga escribir.

Great Product!

I needed to repair an aluminum foor frame. Bought this wire for my spoolgun and made my repairs. The frame of motorhome door has been broken for years and I am glad to have finally repaired it.

I am not sure how many thousands of inches of this welding wire I have used, but I do love the smaller od and the puddle control. The centerl hole is slightly smaller than the Vulcan welding wire I have been using.

I use hobart ER4043 with a spool gun for the majority of my boat repairs. It bonds well with older aluminum. Just remember clean, clean, clean your aluminum good.