MIG, is slower wire speed worse?

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I just started using my 210MVP today and its so different from using the little autoarc 130.On the AA130 I was constrained to probably #30/100 on the wire speed at most. The 210MVP on 220v has no problem providing the heat to go almost all the way up.As an amateur I still start by looking at the door chart. But the suggested speeds are now 20-30 higher than the AA130 and I find its very fast to keep pace with and not make big slugs of a weld. Is it going to result in less penetration if I lower the wire speed as long as I don't burn back into the tip?
Reply:Mig is a process that takes a second to get yer head around- slower doesn't always mean less, faster doesn't always mean more The good thing is that the HH210 is a tapped machine so you don't have to worry too much about fiddling with that knob. You can certainly adjust the wire speed and you can do it while welding- DON'T CHANGE THE VOLTAGE while welding on the HH210.This thread may help understanding what is going onhttp://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtal...ire-Feed-SpeedEd Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Each MIG model is unique.In 2012 I upgraded from a 90 to a 140 amp unit. HUGE differences!It took 1/2 a project to get used to the new "powerhouse". Just keep experimenting with your new welder until you discover it's sweet spot.My skills (hobbyist) leaves the wire speed in the middle and I have 4 settings for how thick the metal is.Then adjust, if needed.Be wary of The Numbers: Figures don't lie,. but liars can figure.Welders:2008 Lincoln 140 GMAW&FCAW2012 HF 165 'toy' GTAW&SMAW1970's Cobbled together O/A
Reply:The charts are rarely completely accurate; usually just a good starting point.  On my 252 I find some recommendations on the chart are too hot while others are too cold depending on the thickness.  Trial and error is pretty much required until you learn your machine.  Once you do find that "sweet spot" for a particular thickness, record it on the chart.Miller Dynasty 200DXMiller 252 Miller 250xMiller Syncrowave 250Miller AEAD200 LegendMiller 375 Xtreme plasmaLincoln WeldPak 100Victor O/A
Reply:So as long as the voltage is enough, the wire speed is really going to be preference as long as it's making a smooth bead?I know what a good wire speed is supposed to sound like, but how do I know I'm using enough amps? Would I have to cut some pieces in half to look at the beads anatomy?Last edited by BrooklynBravest; 03-26-2014 at 07:21 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by BrooklynBravestSo as long as the voltage is enough, the wire speed is really going to be preference as long as it's making a smooth bead?I know what a good wire speed is supposed to sound like, but how do I know I'm using enough amps? Would I have to cut some pieces in half to look at the beads anatomy?
Reply:1st do you really know how to read the puddle? I constantly have students tell me the machine is set "wrong". However it welds just fine for me. In fact on many occasions I'll alter the settings dramatically to show them I can make nice welds when the settings are way out of whack. The trick is I can read the puddle and note the subtle changes in the way the beads wets out, how the arc sounds and things like that and alter the way I weld to adjust for those settings. It might mean slowing down some, speeding way up, holding the gun in tighter to the work or backing off some. In some cases the issue isn't the machine settings, but the fact they have the new 15' migs guns all tied up in knots and the wire isn't feeding well. Other times I really do need to adjust the settings.A lot of this is much easier to explain in person while watching and listening to some one weld. I can usually tell when someone is having issues even from across the room, simply by the way the weld sounds. A choppy erratic sound says somethings wrong. Picts of the beads, along with the settings of the machine, push vs pull, wire size etc, are about the best way to help gain some knowledge as to how good the beads are. Someone with a lot of hood time can usually spot settings that are way off as well as the signs that there are issues like cold lap or toes that aren't wetted in well. I've marked up plenty of weld picts to point out areas where things need work..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:^ X2Part of being a Real Weldor is getting a feel for the process. And being able to adjust your technique as conditions change. Often in the middle of a pass. When the breeze shifts while you are hard-facing a bucket....Be wary of The Numbers: Figures don't lie,. but liars can figure.Welders:2008 Lincoln 140 GMAW&FCAW2012 HF 165 'toy' GTAW&SMAW1970's Cobbled together O/A
Reply:On my HH 190, I start with the door chart recommendations, then adjust the wire speed based on sound. Once I get the wire speed where it sounds right, if it is too hot, I go to a lower tap and readjust the wire speed, again based on sound. Likewise if too cold, go up a tap, and adjust. I find my door chart to be too hot at 1/8th in plate and below using .030 wire. Then again, it also says I can't weld 22 gauge sheet with .030 wire, which is not true either.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:@ BooklynBravest - relevant discussion on the topic @ http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...hich-to-Adjust.  Trick's dialing in the V -vs- WFS settings for your application."Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:For a material thickness, voltage and wire speed dial setting required are going to vary depending on joint design and the position of the weld. Input voltage is going to influence how hot of an output each tap produces too. For example, my input voltage is around 245 VAC,and my Dad's is around 238 VAC. Due to this, here at home, I run a tap lower then I do out at my Dad's. For 1/8" horizontal T joint or lap joints, with .030 solid wire,  I run tap 3 here at home, and tap 4 out at my Dad's.ESAB Migmaster 250 Hobart Ironman 230Multimatic 215TWECO Fabricator 181i & 211iHH125EZ - nice little fluxcore only unitMaxstar 150 STH - very nice