Busted MIG??

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I have a Mastercraft MIG that does not heat up the wire enough to melt it. It is relatively new.  I ran out of wire and feed in a new spool.  It was working fine with the old spool.  The wire is 035 flux just like the old wire.  Now it barely heat up the wire enough to melt it.  It certainly won't weld.I have good ground and 20 amps at the plug and no extension cord.  The problem is the same on all 4 heat settings and all wire speeds.  After a few feet of wire, it did start to weld for a few seconds and then went back to this mess.  I have attached 2 pictures.  Is there something I am doing wrong?  What should I try before throwing it out? Attached Images
Reply:Not an expert, but since you said it was fine, you changed wire, and now this, I would look at your MIG torch and make sure it is seated fully and all connections are tight. I doubt a different spool of wire would be that different.Are you certain this is flux core wire and not solid? Polarity did not change?Burt _____________________Miller Syncrowave 250Millermatic 211Miller 375 Plasma Cutter Hobart Handler 12010FtDrillBit.com
Reply:Did your ground come loose?
Reply:Thank you all for your responses.  To answer all the questions....The wire is the same - in fact the store gave me another spool just in case it was bad wire.  To replace the wire on the Mastercraft, you just pull out the old wire, mount the spool and run it through.  I may have adjusted the tension too tight but aside from that no changes.  I didn't need to change polarity or pull out the torch either.  As for ground; I replace the flimsy clamp with a strong clamp so I get really good ground.Look at the pictures. I can see (under the glass), that the wire gets red hot and then just bends out of the way - it is like spaghetti.
Reply:Take it back and get a stick welder. More reliable and not as irritating. I thought that looked pretty good for some of the wire welding I have seen. I detest wire, or did you already figure that out.
Reply:Can you at least measure the output voltage across the cable connections?XMT304 (school)SP125+ (home)HF 4x6 BandsawGood judgement comes from experience and much of that comes from bad judgement.
Reply:Is the metal good and clean?  Try sanding/grinding a spot for the ground cable.  Where are you in Nova Scotia, fellow blunoser?
Reply:I too had a masterscrap wire welder 115v piece of carp. The best it would ever do sounds like what your welder did at it's best, so stop wasting your time...even if you did get it working properly now, would you trust it? If it's under warranty take it back and get a real welder in red, yellow or blue. If it's out of warranty, offer it to your nemesis sit back with a beer and enjoy the show. I kicked mine to the curb (literally) and got a black and blue toe for my trouble.  When a welder tells you to "stick it", what do they really mean?"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell
Reply:Originally Posted by AndyButlerThank you all for your responses.  To answer all the questions....The wire is the same - in fact the store gave me another spool just in case it was bad wire.  To replace the wire on the Mastercraft, you just pull out the old wire, mount the spool and run it through.  I may have adjusted the tension too tight but aside from that no changes.  I didn't need to change polarity or pull out the torch either.  As for ground; I replace the flimsy clamp with a strong clamp so I get really good ground.Look at the pictures. I can see (under the glass), that the wire gets red hot and then just bends out of the way - it is like spaghetti.
Reply:looks like low output voltage to me. I would suspect a bad rectifier. If that's it, get a cheap Chinese module off ebay and replace it. Or scrap it and get a real welder.
Reply:I seen this before, did you try replacing the tipwww.georgesplasmacuttershop.comPlasma Cutter and Welder Sales and Repairs--Ebay storeTec.Mo. Dealer Consumables for the PT and IPT torch's
Reply:Originally Posted by bearstonI kicked mine to the curb (literally) and got a black and blue toe for my trouble.
Reply:The voltages are 23.8V at lowest setting & 29v at highest setting.   Mastercraft is the branded product set of Canadian Tire.  It would be equal to a Sears Craftsman product.
Reply:For the Chester Grant, NS, Canada member.... I'm in Enfield - just outside of Halifax.  For US folks.... Halifax is were most of the Titanic bodies are buried... just north of Maine.Also I should comment.... this Mig is a bitch to take apart 25+ screws and counting.  I usually recommend Mastercraft.... I don't anymore.
Reply:Originally Posted by AndyButlerThe voltages are 23.8V at lowest setting & 29v at highest setting.
Reply:The voltage measurements are from the tip and the clamp. And I took your suggestion and replaced the tip as well.  I don't know a lot about how they work internally but the wires on the transformers look in good shape.  It seems that the "amperage" is gone - in other words the volts are there when there is no load but I'll bet the volts bottom out when a load is applied to it.  I just don't know how to measure that without "melting" my voltmeter.  Ordinarily I would hook up the voltmeter in the circuit but since the wires on the voltmeter are itty-bitty compared to the clamp????
Reply:I believe, after much research, that my welder is a re-labelled Campbell Hausfeld WG2063.  Also I am starting to think that the rectifier is damaged.  I have done some research and "think" I can install a generic rectifier from EBAY.... any comments?
Reply:If you are like me, it's a personal challenge.Can you thro' an ammeter on the 120v side and see if it's pulling 15-20amps?
Reply:[QUOTE=AndyButler;2985811Also I am starting to think that the rectifier is damaged. I have done some research and "think" I can install a generic rectifier from EBAY.... any comments?[/QUOTE]Have you seen this thread ? http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...idekick&page=2