They seem to work the same as any other wand I've purchased. I bought Menards brand rods, Lowes Lincoln rods or electrodes, and a few other brands I could get locally in town. They seem to work just as well as any others I've used. They seem to hold a stable connection or not lose the arc, which contributes to a better weld. I even melted them down and was able to weld them more or less without distortion, not quite, but almost. I've used them to weld stainless steel to 1/4 steel and they worked fine. Tried this before, had a hard time, wasn't sure which rods I used, although they seem to work fine once the amps are set correctly.