Cord,,,I want you to take this the right way,,,its the welder,,not the rod,,if somebody else can do it....
A 7010 rod is about same as 6010 maybe a few more snaps/sparkes,,,,,it is an all postion rod,,I have welded over head with it,[alot],like 6010 better,like 6010 plus a lot better[6010+],,but ,,,,,what kinda rods have you run??Why have you been using 7010 rods,,they are called hipy rods,,[high yield point],,hippy rods ///high yield point rods,,,get it???,well,,they are pipeline rods,,why are you using 7010 rods???
You need to get you some 6010 + rods,lincoln,,good rods,,
You turn your machine up,not down to make arc more stable[if you are having trouble sticking or maintaining arc],,,wish I could show you,but I can't.
I'm using quality rods from a welding store. Can't tell you the brand. Tried the local farm store crap and returned them immediately. I like the 7010 rods because I tend to rush (always fearing a burn through) and they're more forgiving than the 6010 (which I also have). The 7010's are a semi drag which I love. Wish I could find some 7040's. Used some 1/4"x16" 7040 rods in high school and they were incredible. The problem is that I'm welding at the very bottom of the welders scale. If I recall correctly, around 130 amps. Yes, it's a hot machine. The issue is that turned down all the way, I'm still throwing too much heat into the rod so my puddle tries to drop out. Turning the welder up does help, but I run the risk of burn through and have turned the rods red hot. I've compensated by switching from 1/8" to 5/32" rods, but the machine really wants a 1/4" rod.
This is not my welder, but it's a very similar model. Mine doesn't have the reverse polarity switch. Welder I scored mine 10 years ago for $35.