MIG welding problem finally solved after years

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bbrroowwnn

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Just wanted to pass along some info....I have my Lincoln 180 MIG welder for about 2 years now....It has always welded OK but not great.....Always seemed to have burnback and spatter issues and welds just didn't seem to get good penetration and no matter where I set the settings or what my technique I had the same problems....I just kept thinking settings are not right or I am not welding correctly.....I have welded at work on Millers and on other peoples machines and the welds always looked great....So I finally got fed up and figured it must be the machine.....Was going to buy a miller...Then I was watching some welding videos online and they said about flux core wire using - electrode polarity and solid core must use + electrode polarity.....Well, a bell went off, when I bought my machine it had flux core and I immediately went to a gas/solid core wire as soon as I bought it.....So, I went to check the welder and sure enough it was electrode - polarity.....So I switched the wires and man, this Lincoln welds awesome now! .....I am so mad at myself for all the frustration over the past two years over something so simple.....Not too mention the shitty welds and grinding etc. etc.... So just wanted to pass this tip along as maybe you are having the same trouble.....
 
Thanks for the tip I'm going to be welding soon and will watch for that.
Sometimes it's the little things that trip us up!!
 
my welder started to weld bad, badder then baddest. I tracked it down to a little rust forming on the wire for some reason. I used one of those metal clothes pins and clipped on a piece of scotch brite to the wire just before it enters the pulling device and then all was good.
 
The manual will tell this info, guess you bought it used, without manual.
It may even say on the info sheet, on the backside of cover door?
My brother has a lincoln 220 machine that he says it just won`t weld right, I`ve used it myself and just does`nt seem to weld smooth. Later,
I recalled the polarity deal, asked if that was correct. He said it was and still welds funky?
I bet your a happy camper now:-D
 
Well, LOL, sometimes it does pay to RTFM

Read

The

F u u u u u aaaactory

Manual
 
Yeah, bought it used with no manual....won't forget to check that anymore.....live and learn
 
I bought a 2 month old Lincoln 180 mig off CL for cheap. The guy was a "shop foreman that welded all the time" and said he didn't need it anymore cause his buddy told him he had free reign of his Miller. I took it home and fixed the polarity. Thing welds great! I am pretty sure he just didn't know how to set it up and couldn't read/google....lol
 
Just discovered same issue on my Lincoln 140 when I switched from flux to mig, didn't know I needed to switch polarity. Luckily after watching some good YouTube videos I figured it out the same day. Welds are looking 10x better. And I bought mine new 2 yrs ago, and have the manual doh.
 
Ha! Same guilt here, and I had a manual.

"When all else fails, read directions!"

In my case(s) I need to read them two or three times.
 
Can you please post a pic of what you changed .... thanks

Inside ,where the wire spool goes , there are two lugs, bolts, or terminals, (whatever you want to call them).....they have nuts on them....one is marked positive and one is marked negative....For flux core wire, your electrode (gun you hold in hand) the end of the wire should go to the negative post....And the ground clamp you clamp on to the piece you are welding, that end should go to the positive post......BUT, when using solid wire with gas they are supposed to be reversed....your electrode end should go to the positive terminal inside the welder and the ground clamp end should go to the negative terminal.... Different brand welders may use different techniques to change polarity but you are just swapping around the positive and negative between electrode and ground
 
my miller 211 has a decal on the inside where the wire spools is and shows what polarity you need based on the flux or no flux....and yeah...a couple of times i forgot to change..and soon as you start welding you know it...**** flying all over the place
 
Thanks for the info. I am going to check mine. Can't remember what I did when I added the gas.
 
You would be surprised at how many I get in the shop that "need repaired" only to see that is the issue. Tehre should be a decal on the inside of the door that gives you general settings for different wires and material thickness. It also has the info on changing the polarity.
 
Yeah, bought it used with no manual....won't forget to check that anymore.....live and learn

The inside door should indicate the correct polarity. I forget which is which, but there DC+ and DC- (or whatever, I forget). Anyway, it depends whether you are flux core welding or gas welding.

I see that you did buy it used, but hopefully the sicker on the inside of the door is intact. The chart on there should tell you the polarity.

Just wanted to give you a heads up in case you missed it.

I have a Lincoln 180C welder. I've been trying to teach myself for years now. LOL I just never have the time to play with it. Welding is a time consuming art. With all the cutting, grinding, cleaning, welding....Ain't nobody got time fo' dat!
 
Well at least you caught your mistake before buying a new machine. Can't say I have ever done that but plenty of other stupid things to make up for it lol.
 
HF Dual-MIG 131 garage sale special. Italian, not Chinese: same deal. Mine has bayonet fitting sockets for the ground and lead wires, switch to do gas. If your welding with flux, use the best flux core wire you can afford. Miller/Hobart stuff is great, HF sux unless you dry it in an oven prior to use.
 
Have an older Miller Mig machine. Don't do much welding but got beyond fed up with the crappy welds. Have a buddy that owns a fab shop, he offered to try it out. He messed around with the settings for a while. Ended up ditching that goofy ground clamp in favor of

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Hobart-770031-400-Amp-T-Style-Ground/dp/B002ACOXM2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392576137&sr=8-1&keywords=welding+ground+clamp"]Hobart 770031 400-Amp T-Style Ground Clamp Brass - Amazon.com[/ame]

problem solved.....
 
Having the same problems with my welding. I know Im not the best welder but Im not that bad. Ive been looking at that crappy ground clamp for years. Thats now on my list.
 
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