"Easy Grind" Mig wire?

Does anyone here have any expereince with a mig wire called "Easy Grind"? It's from ESAB (ESAB Spoolarc Easy Grind or ESAB AllState Easy Grind). I am just wondering if it's any "easier" to work with than a typical mig wire for autobody sheet metal welding? (like an E70-S6 wire, I have E70-S6 .023 wire now) It comes in .025" and .030" dia. What's the best dia for 18 ga sheet metal? Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks, Ken

Ken, I just switched over to the easy grind .030 (Acklands / Granger) and have only used it a little but I would say that it is easier to grind, not a whole bunch but anything helps.

Do not undo the paper wrap and the wire on the spool until it’s firmly installed in the machine (man I’m old ……..and dumb)!

Thanks Ray. Were you able to get 2 lb spools from Acklands-Granger or did you have to buy the 11 lb spool?. Two welding supply places here in Calgary said it's special order and only avialable in 11 lb spools, which one would last me 3 lifetimes I think!

You'll find other stuff to weld, just to burn wire...
...like, the cat.
Really. Who HASN'T wanted to fix the cat on occasion?
Welding just might do it for ya...

Ken, with all the repair work you are doing buy the 11 lbs. Nothing worse than running out on a Sunday when you are in the shop working and no body is open.

ditto buy the bigger ones I hate runnin out half way through a project!!

I have used Easy Grind wire it does grind easier and makes any metal work around a patch a little easier because its softer. Don,t forget to switch wire back for structural repairs though easy grind is not good for that.

I also use the easy grind wire, I find it a lot faster to grind. I bought the 11 lb 0.023 roll from Praxair.

I just ordered an 11 lb spool of .023. By the time it arrives in calgary it will almost be 2x the cost of regular E70-S6 wire so I hope it's at least 2x easier to work with!. I will make sure I only use it on body repair work and no structural stuff.

Falcenac said:

I have used Easy Grind wire it does grind easier and makes any metal work around a patch a little easier because its softer. Don,t forget to switch wire back for structural repairs though easy grind is not good for that.

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Just reading all this and it makes me wonder if it is softer, then does that mean it is less britle? More suitable for hammer/dolly work without cracking? Hmmm?

Below is some information from ESAB web site relating to ER70S-6 Mig wire and Easy Grind. There is some information relating to the composition of the ER70S-6 wire but nothing about easy grind. So there must be something in the Easy Grind wire composition that makes it easier to grind. Other than that it sure looks like similar wire. Anyway I have bought some so I'll see next week!


Spoolarc 86 (ER70S-6) is a copper-coated solid wire containing high levels of manganese and silicon. Spoolarc 86 is suitable for many carbon steel welding applications using the MIG/Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) process. The high levels of deoxidizers in Spoolarc 86 provide excellent tolerance of rust and mill scale. The high levels of manganese and silicon also provide excellent wetting action and a highly fluid weld puddle. Shielding gas choices for Spoolarc 86 in the GMAW mode are 100% carbon dioxide, argon/carbon dioxide mixtures, argon/oxygen mixtures, and other argon based mixed gas blends. Spoolarc 86 excels in HVAC duct work, heavy equipment fabrication, structural, and other general steel fabrication.
Certified by CWB to CSA W48
ABS/AWS A5.18; ER70S-6 H4
CAN/CSA-ISO14341,B-G 49A 3C G6 (ER49S-6)
As Welded GMAW 75% Ar / 25% CO2
Yield Strength 70 ksi, 483 MPa
Tensile Strength 84 ksi, 583 MPa
Elongation in 2" 26 %

Spoolarc Easy Grind is a fully deoxidized wire designed to weld over moderate levels of rust and paint as are commonly encountered in auto body repair work. Easy Grind produces welds that easily exceed the tensile requirements of ER70S class wires.
Easy Grind is produced in small diameters and are appropriate for the low current welding machines commonly used in body shops (No CSA or CWB certification)
As Welded GMAW 75% Ar / 25% CO2
Yield Strength 72 ksi, 495 MPa
Tensile Strength 80 ksi, 550 MPa
Elongation in 2" 24 %

b-bob said:

Just reading all this and it makes me wonder if it is softer, then does that mean it is less britle? More suitable for hammer/dolly work without cracking? Hmmm?

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No it's still brittle and cracks. If I can get at the back of the panel with a dolly I use the MIG to tack and TIG weld the rest. If I run the TIG torch over the MIG welds I can work the welds with out cracking. I have heard of running a oxygen acetylene torch over a MIG weld then be able to work the weld joint, I have not tried that myself.

57sportscoupe said:

No it's still brittle and cracks. If I can get at the back of the panel with a dolly I use the MIG to tack and TIG weld the rest. If I run the TIG torch over the MIG welds I can work the welds with out cracking. I have heard of running a oxygen acetylene torch over a MIG weld then be able to work the weld joint, I have not tried that myself.

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Thanks for the info.