Trouble with Mig Welder

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A few years ago I had a need for a new AC/DC cracker box. I also wanted to get a Mig Welder for the little jobs I usually had to drag out the Oxy/Aceytelene torch for. I had rat holed enough money to buy both I thought until I got to the welding supply. I had enough money to purchase a good Miller AC/DC cracker box, but was short on being able to buy a Miller Mig. I guess that is where my trouble started.Determined I was going to get a Mig welder with the balance of my rat holed money, I went by Lowes because I knew they had welding gear. I found a Cambell Hausfeld rig I don't know the exact model #, but it has Mig/Flux 105 on the front. A little 110v job. Has never worked right for me, so most of the time it sits collecting dust until I run across something that I am willing to take a chance on.I mainly used it with flux core wire and once or twice tried Mig. I hadn't given it a thought until the other day my son wanted to try and use it doing some body work on an old truck he has acquired. I told him it wouldn't do the job for him, but he was persistant until I gave in. I told him I would show him how to load the wire and get stared and he could try it til his heart's content. I showed him the basics and left it with him and wished him good luck.A little while later he came in and informed me that that Mig welder was a piece of junk. I think I had tried to tell him it wouldn't work right, but in his young ignorance, he ignored me as usual (the old man doesn't know anything).For you young guys and gals when your kids reach 14-21 years of age they know everything and you know nothing.Anyway, I told my son that I would see if any of you guys could help us. I told him I had run across the website last year.What my machine does with Fux Core and Mig is it will weld for an inch maybe and start sputtering and the weld a little bit more and start sputtering again. Almost like the wire is loosing its electrical contact. My son did tell me that he noticed that when he held the hose out straight and taught that it seemed to work better.Do any of you guys have any suggestions? I have just more or less written the thing off as one of those bad purchases, but I know Campell Hausfeld makes quality compressed air product and I'm sure the welders they market are good also. It must just be my machine.Any Suggestions? Sorry I wrote a book.
Reply:These are not high quality units, but many folks use them for simple stuff all the time.Sounds like a problem with the feed rate.  Here is something to try.  Often folks with these units turn to the highest setting and then try to adjust the feed rate....instead of that, turn it to maybe the second or third highest heat settings and slow down the feed rate down a bit (if there is only two settings, try the lower one).  I have a millermatic 130 for a kick-around mig that will sometimes give similar problems when I am close to maxing it out....so, my advice is to back off a bit on both the heat and the speed...get the business end of the gun close to the metal surface and allow the welder time to establish a puddle before moving.  Once the puddle is liquid, move slowly, but stay in the leading edge of the liquid puddle...don't move to the unmelted metal.  Also, try a different angle of attack.  If you are at 90 degrees (perpendicular) now, move to 120 degrees and drag the gun end a little.  You will not get the full penetration that the welder is rated at, but it might keep you from sputtering.  If you feed rate seems too slow...the wire burns back without getting to the metal's surface, gradually increase the speed until you get it welding consistently.  Your son can do this as long as he is not facing the weld (remember safety).Mig is probably best for car sheetmetal work, not fluxcore.  Also, another thought.  When I use fluxcore, I remove the gas nozzle on mine to keep it from getting spatter all over it.  It also helps to see what's going on down there.  FC is really smokey and it's hard to see the puddle sometimes.  But, at the same time, it increases the amount of UV exposure...so, use that advice wisely.Good luck and tell us how things work.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Do you change the polarity when swapping from FCAW to GMAW?  What size wire are you running in each?  What shielding gas did you use in GMAW?I would hope that the machine should at least perform within its abilities well.
Reply:Forgot all about polarity .  Mac is right.  Check that first.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:just a thought could be the liner needs blowing out or replacing?some might say its imposible
Reply:When I first got my mig I had the same problem when I used an extension cord.  I cured the sputtering by omitting the extension, or by using one with larger wire.
Reply:Excellent point, Weldordie.  Those 120V MIGs are very picky about being on a dedicated circuit.
Reply:Thanks for all your suggestions. I will try them and see if I can get this thing working until I can get a good Lincoln or Miller.Weldordie and MAC702. I will look into the circuit problem first. I do have a dedicated 20a circuit, but I have been using an extension cord.Thanks again for the tips. When I get it straightened out i'll let you know what it was.
Reply:I know I'm new, but the other day my mig did what sounds like the same thing! I opened the door and watched the spool, It was getting caught on it self(hanging up).  I ran a bit out,  adjusted my tension and was good to go!   Just a thought!"Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine"However "lack of planning on my part may constitute an emergency on yours"
Reply:Originally Posted by stumpsterI know I'm new, but the other day my mig did what sounds like the same thing! I opened the door and watched the spool, It was getting caught on it self(hanging up).  I ran a bit out,  adjusted my tension and was good to go!   Just a thought!