Hi all, Picked up a 150A SIP mig welder cheap but it has a problem. the wire feed is very weak and irratic. If the "cable" is straight it is "ok" but not if it is looped.
I have changed the tip and liner but no change, just does not seem to "grip" the wire at the feed point, I have tried both grooves on the feed wheel but no real change.
Does anyone have any hints or know someone in the North West who can service the machine for me......or I may have to just go and blow £200 on a Clarke 150 from Machine mart
Have you tried new wire ?
If the old wire had been stored in a damp environment then slight surface rust can form and can cause the problem you describe.
I've thrown away several almost full 5 kg rolls for this reason.
Sometime you can unwind half of the wire and find the rest is clear of the rust.
I tend to store the wire in the house during winter if I'm not welding regularly.
You say that a new liner has been fitted. I suspect you will have installed it the same way as the old one but are you sure that was correct ? If the end where it enters the actual welder isn't a clear line with the path of the wire from the rollers then again that could be the source of the problem.
Cheers Paul
I'm afraid, new wire and the liner is setup inline. the motor feed sounds like its on its last legs so may just be a dead duck. Any tips on where to buy??
Cheers
Mark
For obviously safety reasons I don't advise you try this but just in case you've done it already -
Remove wire completley from machine.
Wear a heavy pair of leather gloves.
Set wire feed speed to low
Gently apply pressure to the roller with fingers and press the trigger with other hand.
See if the roller "stalls" or is jerky - it should easilly have enough power to turn smoothly against the pressure from fingers.
The Clarke TE range are good welders. The 160 TE has a lot of power, should make for a nice stable arc and good penetration on the lower/medium settings needed for car body work. I have the older version the 150TE.
I generally find 2 Min good for thinner stuff (panels etc) and chassis/sills on 2 Max.
Thats a space helmet not a welding helmet! ;-) no, seriously you can get cheaper (but still very effective) more basic auto dim helmets from under £100 these days. Go for one with a variable shade.
I have to agree. For the 10 minutes in my life I have welded, I really liked that sort of helmet.
Onne van der S. MMOCno 60520 Moderator
2dr 1971 White DAF 55 (with hopefully a 1600cc engine soon)
2dr 1973 Bergina (DAF 44)
2dr Estate 1975 DAF 46 in red
2dr saloon 1972 DAF 44 in Mimosa
It is a good thing that before you start with a new wire to blast the "flexible pipe"through with air from the compressor.It will remove the dirt that accumalates inside and that can also give troubles.
I hope you understand my rather primitive English.
Regards Jan
