The best flux-cored wires, compared.
Top pick: haxiaoer 0.8 mm Best value: SSIMDER 0.8 mm – Lowest shelf price at about £12.34, with 81 ratings that are not shared with a twin listing. Updated October 2026.
You buy this self-shielded wire for outdoor or windy single-pass work on carbon steel and galvanised sheet, not for stainless, aluminium or a coded structural weld. Lincoln’s usability note says GS is the general single-pass class, so a multi-pass title is seller copy. Match 0.8 mm or 1.0 mm to the contact tip, check the reel fits the door, and treat stainless wording next to as a contradiction. The Health and Safety Executive treats mild-steel welding fume as able to cause lung cancer, and flux-cored arc welding is a higher-fume process. Shared star lines on the YESWELDER, FEIFANKE and haxiaoer pairs are not added together. The [flux-cored wire buying guide](/hub/soldering-and-welding/flux-cored-wire/sub/flux-cored-wire-buying-guide) sets the order: class, then diameter, then mass. Flux-cored wire means a self-shielded, gasless tubular mild-steel electrode. Self-shielded flux-cored arc welding makes its own shield from the core and leaves slag.
You buy this self-shielded wire for outdoor or windy single-pass work on carbon steel and galvanised sheet, not for stainless, aluminium or a coded structural weld.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What contact tip do you already have?
The haxiaoer 0.8 mm listing asks £12.99 for a nominal 1 kg E71T-GS spool and shows 4.7 stars from 649 ratings. That star line, and much of the review text, also appears on the 3 kg haxiaoer listing, and the first review in the file is about a nozzle set rather than the wire. Where buyers do discuss wire, they mention cleaner flux-core welds, outdoor use in wind, and a result slightly below Inetub 0.9 mm gasless. The title says stainless steel wire while the bullets say mild steel E71T-GS, and the seller claims single and multi-pass even though GS means a general single-pass class. The item weight is 970 g against a 1 kg title and included line, and polarity is not stated. Treat the low price as a top-up only after you ignore the stainless wording, and do not count the 649 ratings as evidence that belongs only to this spool.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A cheap 0.8 mm refill when you already discount the shared star count and the stainless wording.
Less suitable: Anyone choosing on the 4.7-star line, or anyone who needs stainless filler.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this stainless filler?
The title says stainless steel wire. The bullets and the material line say mild steel, class E71T-GS.
What diameter and mass are stated?
0.8 mm. The title and included line say 1 kg. The item weight is 970 g.
Are the 649 reviews only about this spool?
The star line is 4.7 from 649. The same count and overlapping review text appear on the 3 kg haxiaoer listing, and the first review is about nozzles.
The haxiaoer three-pack is £24.99 for a title that says 1.0 mm and 3.0 kg, which is a low price per kilogram if you receive three full spools and your machine takes 1.0 mm. The included line says three 1 kg spools and the item weight is 2.96 kg. The 4.7 from 649 ratings match the 0.8 mm haxiaoer file, the first review is about a nozzle pack, and one wire review says a spool was not a full kilogram. The title claims better corrosion resistance, while the bullets only describe mild-steel E71T-GS, and there is no corrosion test in the file. The seller also claims single and multi-pass use, which a GS class does not support. Where the overlapping reviews discuss wire, buyers mention outdoor wind and less spatter than a previous spool, so this is a bulk buy for a known 1.0 mm tip rather than a proven three-pack of its own.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Several sessions on a machine that already runs 1.0 mm gasless wire.
Less suitable: A 0.8 mm tip, a first trial spool, or a job that needs proven corrosion performance.
Specifications
Common questions
What is in the pack?
The title says 1.0 mm and 3.0 kg as a 3-pack. The included line says three 1 kg spools. The item weight is 2.96 kg.
Does the listing prove better corrosion resistance?
That phrase is in the title. The bullets say mild steel E71T-GS. There is no corrosion test in the file.
Why is the review count the same as the 0.8 mm haxiaoer spool?
Both files show 4.7 from 649, and the reviews overlap. The first review is about a nozzle set. One wire review says the spool was not a full kilogram.
At £14.99, the HITBOX 0.8 mm E71T-GS is a stated 1 kg self-shielded spool, and its amazon.co.uk file shows 4.6 stars from 2,580 ratings that are not copied from a twin listing in this set. The seller names single-pass carbon and mild steel from about 0.8 mm to 4.8 mm and states DCEN, which is the polarity this class normally needs. A UK buyer used it on car bodywork and another weighed the spool at over 1 kg. The same file records brown smoke and spatter balls that had to be ground off, plus buyers who went back to 0.6 mm for exhaust and thin sheet. One review treats the wire as if it needed gas, which the listing contradicts. It is the top pick here when you want a separate review record on a normal 0.8 mm gasless MIG, though it still leaves slag and is the wrong diameter for the thinnest panels.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Occasional 0.8 mm gasless work on mild steel when you want the largest independent review file in this set.
Less suitable: Very thin exhaust or body sheet that needs 0.6 mm, and any multi-pass structural joint.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this HITBOX spool need gas?
The listing says it is self-shielded and does not need external gas. It also says DCEN, straight polarity.
What thickness does the seller name?
Single-pass thin carbon steel from 22 gauge (0.8 mm) to 3/16 inch (4.8 mm). Stated mass is 1 kg at 0.8 mm.
What do the UK reviews argue about?
The star line is 4.6 from 2,580. Reviews include car-body use and a buyer who weighed over 1 kg, plus brown smoke, spatter, and people who wanted 0.6 mm.
The FEIFANKE 0.8 mm listing is £17.99 and shows 4.6 stars from 1,818 ratings that are duplicated, with the same review wording, on the 1.0 mm FEIFANKE file. The specification bullet says 0.8 mm and 1 kg, the included line says 2 lb and 0.030 inch, and the item weight is 960 g. The title calls it stainless steel wire while the bullets say mild steel and no gas cylinder. Shared reviews mention solid joints and a better result than SIP wire on a rusty Land Rover, alongside heavy spatter and a buyer who ruled it out indoors because of fumes and constant shield cleaning. Polarity is not stated, and the seller does not limit the wire to a single pass. You pay more than the HITBOX 1 kg spool for a listing that disagrees with itself and does not have review text of its own.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only if you specifically want this 0.8 mm FEIFANKE style and you ignore the shared star count.
Less suitable: Indoor work without extraction, stainless repairs, or a buyer comparing price with the £14.99 HITBOX spool.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this the 0.8 mm or the 1.0 mm FEIFANKE spool?
This ASIN is the 0.8 mm listing. The specification bullet says 0.8 mm and 1 kg. The included line says 2 lb and 0.030 inch. Item weight is 960 g.
Why does the title mention stainless?
The title says stainless steel wire. The bullets say mild steel and no gas cylinder.
Can the 1,818 reviews be split from the 1.0 mm spool?
No. This file and B0CZKQQJ14 both show 4.6 from 1,818 and the same review wording.
The FEIFANKE 1.0 mm spool is the single-reel 1.0 mm option at £17.99, with the same 4.6 from 1,818 and the same review wording as the 0.8 mm FEIFANKE listing. The title and the specification bullet say 1 kg, the included line says 0.9 kg, and the item weight is 900 g. The seller says the wire runs without a gas cylinder on mild steel, while the title still says stainless. Shared comments cover spatter, grinding and indoor fumes, so they do not show whether 1.0 mm feeds differently from the 0.8 mm twin. Polarity is not stated. Buy it only if your contact tip is already 1.0 mm, because the star count is not separate evidence for this diameter and a GS class is still single-pass mild steel rather than a stainless or structural filler.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A 1.0 mm tip on a gasless MIG, if you accept that the reviews do not distinguish this diameter.
Less suitable: A 0.8 mm machine, stainless work, or anyone treating 1,818 ratings as unique to 1.0 mm.
Specifications
Common questions
What diameter is this FEIFANKE spool?
1.0 mm. The title says 1 kg. The included line says 0.9 kg. The item weight is 900 g.
Is a gas bottle required?
The seller says the wire is used without a gas cylinder. Polarity is not stated. The power-source line says dc.
Do the reviews describe this 1.0 mm wire specifically?
The star line is 4.6 from 1,818, but the review text matches the 0.8 mm FEIFANKE file. Spatter and indoor fumes are in that shared text.
The YESWELDER 0.8 mm spool titled 0.9 kg costs £13.99 and shows 4.6 stars from 750 ratings, the same star line and review wording as the 4.5 kg YESWELDER file. Buyers in that shared text report a usable hobby finish and a diameter that fitted tips they already had, with less spatter than a previous wire. Others still report spatter, including heavy clean-up on a Clarke gas MIG run with the gas turned off, and one buyer said it welded more nicely with the gas left on. The title and style say 0.9 kg while the item weight and the package line say 1 kg. The seller claims single and multi-pass work on carbon and low-alloy structural steel, which goes beyond what an E71T-GS class supports, and polarity is not stated. Use the shared reviews as a brand signal, not as proof that this 0.9 kg reel was judged on its own.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A mid-price 0.8 mm spool when you treat the 750 ratings as shared brand feedback.
Less suitable: A structural multi-pass job, or a buyer who reads the star count as unique to this reel.
Specifications
Common questions
How much wire does the listing claim?
The title and style say 0.9 kg. The item weight and the package line say 1 kg.
Does the seller limit it to one pass?
No. The bullets say single and multi-pass, all-position, on carbon steel and low-alloy structural steel. Polarity is not stated.
Do the 750 reviews belong only to this spool?
The file shows 4.6 from 750, and the same review wording is in the 4.5 kg YESWELDER file.
The YESWELDER listing titled 4.5 kg costs £35.99 for 0.8 mm E71T-GS, which is a low price per kilogram if the reel matches the title and fits the welder. The package line is 31.6 x 26.5 x 13 cm and 5.14 kg, and the file does not say whether that reel clears a mini door. The 4.6 from 750 ratings and the review wording are the same as the 0.9 kg YESWELDER spool, so they are not separate evidence for this large reel. Shared comments mention a usable hobby finish and remaining spatter, including a gas MIG run with the gas off. The seller claims all-position single and multi-pass work on carbon and low-alloy structural steel, which an E71T-GS class does not support, and polarity is not stated. Check the door and the bore before you buy the lower price per kilogram.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A welder you have already measured for a large 0.8 mm reel, after a successful scrap test on a smaller spool.
Less suitable: A mini MIG with a small door, or a structural multi-pass weld.
Specifications
Common questions
Will the mass match the title?
The title says 4.5 kg of 0.8 mm wire. The package line says 31.6 x 26.5 x 13 cm and 5.14 kg.
What job does the seller claim?
Self-shielding E71T-GS, no external gas, all-position, single and multi-pass, carbon steel and low-alloy structural steel. Polarity is not stated.
Are the 750 reviews about this large spool?
The star line matches the 0.9 kg YESWELDER file, and the review wording is the same. The file does not state whether the reel fits a mini welder.
The AIXZGLOBAL 0.8 mm spool costs £18.99, the highest price here for a nominal 1 kg reel, with 4.6 stars from 38 amazon.co.uk ratings. Those 38 are not copied from a twin in this set, and the amazon.co.uk file holds 21 UK reviews, including smooth feeding on a Parkside MIG and little spatter on clean metal. One buyer said they had never had wire this bad, and another saw bursts and spatter once the metal was rusty. The title says 1 kg while the item weight is 1.1 kg. The seller names carbon steel, galvanised plate and low-alloy structural steel, but does not state polarity, and E71T-GS is not a structural class. Reviews mention a vacuum-sealed pouch, which helps if the wire arrives dry, yet the small sample and the price do not justify choosing it over a cheaper 0.8 mm spool with a larger independent file.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who wants a sealed 0.8 mm pouch and can check the wire before a small job.
Less suitable: Structural steel, or anyone paying £18.99 mainly for a 4.6-star average from 38 ratings.
Specifications
Common questions
Which metals does the seller name?
Carbon steel, galvanised plate, and low-alloy structural steel. The class printed is E71T-GS, 0.8 mm, gasless.
Do the title and the weight agree?
The title says 1 kg. The item weight is 1.1 kg.
How many reviews are in the file?
The star line is 4.6 from 38. The listing has 21 UK reviews, including smooth feeding and one buyer who called the wire the worst they had used.
The Reboot spool is the only 0.45 kg reel in this set, at £14.15 for 0.8 mm E71T-GS, with 4.4 stars from 337 amazon.co.uk ratings. The stated mass, the 450 g item weight and the 9 x 9 x 2 cm package agree, which is rare among these listings. Some buyers report little slag and easier feeding of the lighter reel on cheaper gasless machines, including thinner metal for a first-time user. Others report spatter, and one buyer found the wire corroded and unusable. The listing does not say whether shielding gas is required, does not name a metal, and does not state polarity. At this price you pay a much higher rate per kilogram than for a nominal 1 kg spool, so it makes sense only when the welder door will not take a larger reel and the wire arrives clean.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A mini-reel machine that cannot take a 1 kg spool, if the wire arrives clean.
Less suitable: Anyone who can fit a 1 kg reel and wants more wire for the money.
Specifications
Common questions
How big is this spool?
0.8 mm E71T-GS, stated 0.45 kg, item weight 450 g, package 9 x 9 x 2 cm.
Does the listing say it is gasless?
The included line says MIG flux-cored welding wire. It does not state whether a shielding gas is required. The power-source line says ac.
What did UK reviews say about condition?
Some buyers report little spatter and easy feeding on cheaper machines. One buyer found the wire corroded and unusable. The star line is 4.4 from 337.
The SSIMDER 0.8 mm spool is the lowest shelf price in this set at £12.34, with 4.4 stars from 81 amazon.co.uk ratings in a file that is not copied from another ASIN. The seller calls it gasless wire for outdoor DIY and names auto body, exhaust and furniture, with a suggested 80-100 A on 1.5 mm steel. Reviewers describe hobby use with less rust than an old motorspares reel, though one buyer had to turn the dial near the top and then found the arc too hot for thin material. Thick spots jammed a 0.035 inch nozzle for another buyer, who switched to Lincoln wire bought locally. The title says 1 kg, the item weight is 980 g, and one UK review weighed 986 g including the reel. Polarity is not stated. It is the best value top-up if your machine already runs 0.8 mm gasless wire, and a weak choice if you need a weighed kilogram or a calm arc on thin sheet.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A low-cost 0.8 mm top-up for a gasless MIG you already know how to set.
Less suitable: Buyers who need a confirmed kilogram of wire, or a first spool for thin sheet.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing say this wire needs gas?
No. The title calls it gasless MIG wire for outdoor DIY. Polarity is not stated.
Is the spool a full kilogram of wire?
The title says 1 kg. The item weight is 980 g. One UK review weighed 986 g including the reel.
What current does the seller suggest?
The listing recommends 80-100 A for 1.5 mm steel. That is a seller line, not a measured test.
We compared 10 flux-cored wire listings on amazon.co.uk. Scores use the recorded listing and review notes, not a laboratory weld. The weighting is 30% star rating and credible review volume, 25% classification clarity, 20% review sentiment, 15% value at the recorded GBP price, and 10% whether the diameter and stated mass agree. Shared star lines are discounted and are not added together. A high average from a small sample does not outrank a larger independent file. Further points come off when a title says stainless beside an E71T-GS mild-steel class, when a seller promises multi-pass or structural work on a general single-pass class, when polarity or gas is unstated, when gram lines disagree, and when reviews report rust, jams or heavy spatter. The weights below sum to 100.
Star rating and review volume
30%The amazon.co.uk star line and how many ratings sit behind it. Shared counts on the YESWELDER, FEIFANKE and haxiaoer pairs are discounted and are not added together.
Classification clarity
25%Whether the listing stays with E71T-GS as single-pass mild steel, or adds stainless, multi-pass or structural wording the class does not support.
Review sentiment
20%What buyers in that listing’s review text say about feeding, spatter, rust and smoke, once shared text is not counted twice.
Value at the GBP price
15%The shelf price in the amazon.co.uk file. A lower price per kilogram only helps if the reel is a size the machine can take.
Diameter and stated mass
10%Whether 0.8 mm or 1.0 mm is clear, and whether the title, included line and item weight agree on the grams.
Match the class and the contact tip before you compare star ratings. E71T-GS is single-pass mild steel for a gasless hobby MIG. A stainless title, a multi-pass bullet or a shared review count does not change that.
Flux-cored wire in this comparison means a self-shielded, gasless tubular mild-steel electrode. Almost every spool here is sold as AWS-style E71T-GS, for a hobby MIG that can run without a bottle. You buy it for outdoor or windy single-pass work on carbon steel and galvanised sheet. It is not stainless filler, not aluminium wire, and not a coded structural weld. Self-shielded flux-cored arc welding makes its own shield from the core and leaves slag.
This class normally runs DCEN, torch negative, with a knurled roll and light tension. Solid-wire DCEP and a smooth V-roll are the usual reason a new spool spatters or birdnests. Only the HITBOX listing in this set states DCEN.
GS means general single-pass. A title that says stainless beside E71T-GS, or a bullet that promises multi-pass and structural steel, is seller copy. None of these spools prints E71T-8 or UKCA to EN 13479.
1.0 mm is only useful if the contact tip is already 1.0 mm. The YESWELDER listing titled 4.5 kg has a package of 31.6 x 26.5 x 13 cm, and the file does not say it clears a mini door. Run a scrap test on a reel that fits first.
Classification comes first. E71T-GS is single-pass carbon steel. XTR and Lincoln cap it at thin plate, about 0.8 mm to 4.8 mm, or about 5 mm on Lincoln Steelcore, and they say it is not the structural class. Structural self-shielded wire looks like ESAB UK Coreshield 8: E71T-8, EN ISO 17632-A, UKCA to EN 13479. None of the amazon.co.uk spools here print that. A stainless title next to E71T-GS is a contradiction, and a multi-pass bullet does not change the class. Diameter comes next.
Stated mass has to survive the small print. Nominal 1 kg spools on these files are about £12.34 to £18.99. The Reboot 0.45 kg reel is £14.15, a high price per kilogram, and it is the reel for a door that will not take 1 kg. The YESWELDER listing titled 4.5 kg is £35.99, and the package is 31.6 x 26.5 x 13 cm, so the lower price per kilogram only helps if the reel fits. The haxiaoer three-pack is £24.99 for a titled 3 kg of 1.0 mm.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You need 0.8 mm, a reel that fits a normal door, and a scrap test before a 4.5 kg drum. The HITBOX spool at about £14.99 states DCEN, a single-pass limit and 1 kg, with 4.6 from 2,580 ratings in its own file. It still smokes and spatters, and it is the wrong wire for a coded joint.
You already run 0.8 mm gasless wire and want the lowest shelf price. SSIMDER is about £12.34, with 4.4 from 81 ratings that are not shared. The title says 1 kg while one review weighed 986 g including the reel, and polarity is not stated. Skip it as a first spool for thin sheet.
Buy 1.0 mm only when the contact tip is already that size. The FEIFANKE single spool is about £17.99, and its 4.6 from 1,818 ratings match the 0.8 mm FEIFANKE file. The title says 1 kg, the included line says 0.9 kg, and the item weight is 900 g. It is still single-pass mild steel.
For occasional 0.8 mm gasless work on mild steel, the top pick is the HITBOX spool at about £14.99. The seller states self-shielded use, DCEN and a single-pass limit, the stated mass is 1 kg, and 4.6 from 2,580 ratings are not copied from a twin listing here. It still leaves smoke and spatter, and it is the wrong diameter for buyers who wanted 0.6 mm. For a machine you already know how to set, the best value is SSIMDER at about £12.34, with 4.4 from 81 ratings of its own. The title mass and a weighed review do not agree, and polarity is not stated. None of these scores is a weld test, and none of these spools prints a structural E71T-8 class.
SSIMDER 0.8 mm
Lowest shelf price at about £12.34, with 81 ratings that are not shared with a twin listing.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this set. Shelf prices are the figures in those files, not a fresh scrape on 16 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and review counts are from amazon.co.uk listings. We did not lab-test these wires.
