FCAW · Carbon steel
E71T-GS
The gasless wire that ships with small hobby machines, made for single-pass welds on thin steel where no code requirement or multipass buildup is involved.
What the designation means
- E
- Electrode carrying the welding current.
- 7
- 70,000 psi minimum tensile strength of the weld metal.
- 1
- All position capability.
- T
- Tubular flux cored construction.
- -G
- A general classification, meaning the detailed requirements are not fixed by the classification and are agreed between supplier and purchaser.
- S
- Single-pass use only, so the wire is not classified for multipass welds.
At a glance
| Process | FCAW |
|---|---|
| Family | Carbon steel |
| Positions | All positions |
| Polarity | DCEN |
| Shielding | None required; the flux core provides its own shielding |
| Minimum tensile strength | 70 ksi |
Typical uses
- Single-pass welds on thin steel with small portable machines
- Light repair work, brackets, and garden or shop projects
- Outdoor tacking where a gas shield would be blown away
How it runs
- Runs at low current on small single phase machines
- Classified for single-pass work only, so it is unsuitable for multipass joints
- Properties are not fully fixed by the classification, so products vary
- Noticeable spatter and smoke compared with a gas shielded wire
Storage and handling
Keep the spool bagged with desiccant between uses; small gasless spools sitting open in a damp garage will spit and cause porosity.
Compare with
FCAWE71T-11A general purpose gasless wire with a smooth spray-type arc, common on small machines and light fabrication where no impact toughness requirement applies.FCAWE71T-8A self-shielded flux cored wire that needs no gas bottle, combining all position capability with the low temperature impact toughness structural codes ask for.FCAWE71T-1The dominant gas shielded flux cored wire for structural work, giving high deposition with a fast freezing slag that holds the puddle for vertical up welding.