Wire Feed Speed Tracking?

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Can someone give me the skinny on how this works.  I was looking at a MM175 and one of my friend warned me about the tracking.  So what the deal from someone that has used one of these machines.  How does it work?  TIAGreat site BTW
Reply:Well no one else has popped in here with the expert answer so I'll throw in a few cents worth. I have a MM 175. First, I assume you are aware that the adjustments, both voltage and wire speed, are what is called infinite adjustment rather than tapped settings. That means instead of hard stop clicking from one voltage range or wire speed range that the knobs are variable in nature just like a volume knob and such. Fine tweaks make fine adjustments. The wire speed tracking feature that is so controversial has to do with subtle adjustments being made to the wire speed while turning only the voltage knob. Yes, when you turn the voltage adjustment up or down you are going to also vary the wire speed a small scale amount depending on where you have the wire speed adjustment already set.On the surface it would appear as the wire speed control adjusts the overall wire speed in coarse amounts and the voltage control adjusts the voltage from lowest to highest as well as the wire speed a reduced amount. It doesn't seem to be a love hate thing. It seems to be that either you are aware of it but never really notice it OR that it drives you nuts.  I believe that someone who has or does a lot of welding with several comparable machines can probably pick out differences like that and develope a like or a dislike for it real quick.  A novice like me doesn't know enough to know the difference. They sure sold a lot of 'em. I'm plenty happy enough with mine. Other than it isn't big enough. I've choked it down a few times. Not enough power is sort of status quo for a lot of us. Always pushing what we have beyond limits.Last edited by Sandy; 12-16-2005 at 11:49 PM.
Reply:That is it in a nutshell. I have a MM135 and it has WST on it as well. Never noticed it at all until I started doing aluminum with it. Liked to drove me nuts.  I finally got to the point where I started treating it like a tapped machine and leaving it set on volts and only adjusted the WS, like you are supposed to do in the first place. Works like a champ like that. Never had another WST issue after that.