Does your 110v Welder suck?

burrellsjeep

burrellsjeep

Breaking Stuff...
Joined
Nov 19, 2008
Location
Morganton NC
I can't get mine to lay a decent weld, It could be me (still learning the ropes of welding).

Its a Lincoln 175 Mig

lincoln-sp-175-plus-mig-welders.gif


Braxton has his 220v here and it welds, Mine hardly burns in.

I am using .030 wire with 100% argon gas, I think that may be the issue, the gas.

Suggestions,

Other than get a 220v welder, which I would love to do if I had the cash. This welder is a hand me down from family, the tank in a buddys that didn't need it at the moment and already was full of gas.
 
With smaller welders it's very important that your metal is very clean. I used a $90 harbor frieght welder for years. It did everything I needed, just took longer. I think the gas I use is 75/25
 
I would consider trading you tank for a 75% argon - 25% CO2 or even a 90-10. 100% argon is good for TIG. Never used 100% argon on MIG. Make sure you have it plugged directly to the wall and not an extension cord, You will lose needed amps through the distance of the extension cord. Just move real slow. I personally like Miller's better and have found Lincoln's to be difficult to get dialed in. IMO.
 
CO2 will help with penetration but a 110 machine is a 110 machine.

I like my 220 lincoln over a 110 on both thicker stuff and sheet, it just seems to do better overall.

I only use straight argon for MIG when doing aluminum, as others had said I'd switch to a c25 (75% argon 25% co2) mix.

IMHO prepping metal is mandatory for all MIG work.


To be completely honest, you'll be able to weld the thickest stuff with your 110 machine with flux core, it'll burn a little hotter than with gas.
 
Try usuing a smaller diameter wire.
 
That should be a fine welder for what you're trying to do. How did you wind up with 100% argon, though? The gas you're looking for is 75% CO2, 25% Ar. AKA Uni-mix or Cargon. You're not gonna get crap with argon on the wire. .030 should be fine, too. Switch your gas and see what happens.
 
I used a sp125 for a while and switched to flux core wire and it welded like crap until I switched the positive and negative connections. There should be clear instructions inside at the wire feed. I would check that and change the gas from 100% the the argon / co2 mix.
 
idk if this will help or not but check the rollers that push the wire out. mine was not getting any wire out the end so welds sucked. come to find out the rollers were .024 and wire was.030. so the rollers were just slipping around the wire. hope this helps
 
Hobart handler 135 here. Welds great up to 1/8th inch stuff with .030 wire. I switch to .023 for sheet. And use 75/25 mix.
 
I don't think it's the macine. I have used several different 110 machines over the years and rarely use my 220 machine jsut due to the convenience of 110. Like others have said, gas mixture would be what I would try first, possibly smaller wire but IMO .30 should work fine. I regularly weld 1/4" witih my Hobart 140 with great results!
 
I've got an SP125, works well, but welds like ass if I use it on an extension cord. If you have to use a cord, use short as possible, and 10gauge ( not cheap ) a short run on a 12ga cord will work, but you still get current drop.

Also, the wiring to the outlet you are using, 12ga or 14ga ? 15 or 20amp outlet ? all plays a factor.

mine is set up on a dedicated 20 amp outlet w/ 10ga wiring from the panel. I have even made an extension cord out of 10/4 cord with an outlet box ( 2 separate circuts in one box) I am also using flux core as most welding I've done is outside in the breeze.

DO check the polarity of your leads, Flux welds DCneg, ground cable on + terminal, where Gas welds DCpos ground cable on - terminal.

http://content.lincolnelectric.com/pdfs/products/navigator/obso_ims/Im536.pdf

page A4
 
Thanks for the comments,

I think its more me than the welder. I have had decent luck with it at times, But sometime it just seems to bubble up on the metal, I clean the steel and bevel the joint before welding.

catfishblues said:
That should be a fine welder for what you're trying to do. How did you wind up with 100% argon, though? The gas you're looking for is 75% CO2, 25% Ar. AKA Uni-mix or Cargon. You're not gonna get crap with argon on the wire. .030 should be fine, too. Switch your gas and see what happens.
Click to expand...

Friend of mine had the bottle on his tig and needed someone to store it while he moved and I needed a bottle so it worked out, it was almost full of gas when i got it.
 
as said get a mix gas bottle and make sure you switched the leads...if you leave it set up for flux core (as it most likely came out of the box) and hook gas up it will weld like shat
 
I have that same welder, got it from CatFish actually. I love it.
As mentioned teh gas is probabl ya big part of it, but also (as mentioned) be SURE teh circuit you are running off of is actually 12 ga wire and 20A. W/ tehse boxes it's easy to not think about it and just plug into any ole outlet.
If it is only 14Ga and you try to do anything teh least big heavy at all, it will sputter andn ot give you good floe for more than baout 2 secs at a time. Learned thsi one the hard way.
 
RatLabGuy said:
I have that same welder, got it from CatFish actually. I love it.
As mentioned teh gas is probabl ya big part of it, but also (as mentioned) be SURE teh circuit you are running off of is actually 12 ga wire and 20A. W/ tehse boxes it's easy to not think about it and just plug into any ole outlet.
If it is only 14Ga and you try to do anything teh least big heavy at all, it will sputter andn ot give you good floe for more than baout 2 secs at a time. Learned thsi one the hard way.
Click to expand...

This may be part of the issue, Thanks.
 
i use the same exact welder and i can penetrate 3/16 and 1/4 no prob. i use 75 25 mix and .030 wire, make sure if using a drop cord that it is a thick high amp cord, not a k mart special, it will kill your penetration, also as w/ any 110 of course the thicker the metal the slower you will go, bumping up to a 220 will cut your weld time in half, here are a couple pics of an airbag suspension/ 4 link setup i did on my buddies lowrider w/ my little 175 lincoln, note the blue marks on the opposite side of the plate, keep in mind it is 1/4 inch plate too.
 

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Ive got a lincoln promig 135 110V welder and It works really well. I use the 75-25% gas too and .030 wire. I noticed the harbor freight wire doesnt weld as good as name brand stuff, so I ususally get lincoln wire from lowes or hobart wire from northern tool. That makes a big difference also.
 
I do all my welding with a lincoln 110v 175 and I have no issues at all, I do gas and flux welding with .35 wire on flux and .25 on solid. I get good penitration everytime, some issues to look for are.

-Check your polarity settings when using flux or sollid

-Check your gas pressure and that you have the right type of gas.

-It is best to use a 20 amp recepticle right near your service entrance but if you have to use a drop cord make sure it is a 12 gauge good quality cord

-Your wire speed and heat setting are crucial you will not be able to weld as fast as 220 welder. Turn your heat up and slow your wire down. Also slow your self down give the welder a chance to work.

As a previous poster said with the proper settings and technique you can get a 1/4" to a 3/8 of inch of pentitration. And worst comes to worse if you still hate it and want to get rid of it, get a hold of me I'll take it off your hands.
 
I used a Hobart 110 welder a few years ago. It did the job but I'd make sure to go slow and get the proper penitration rather than a good looking weld. Prettier welds will come over time. I love my Hobart 187.
 
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