Sick and tired of my MIG

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First of all, this is a vent more than anything out of frustration so I do apologize - I bought a cheap MIG a year ago (no its not chinese and I didn't buy it on line), it was european made so I thought it would be OK (silly me, it was too cheap). Nevertheless, the wirefeed has become so erratic I just don't want to use it. So I decided that my one-man band (me) IT project management firm needed a MIG and it should be a good one because I don't want to go through any more dramas. I spoke to this older guy who does a lot of work on drag racers cars and he said that there are only two brands that even come in to it for him - Fronius for MIG and Kemppi for TIG. He wouldn't even consider anything else.So I started looking for the best that money can buy to see what they go for - Fronius. Of course, I could never justify a brand new machine like that but perhaps a decent second hand job.As it turn out, there aren't many of those in Australia and the ones there are around are still advertised for obscene amounts of money.I only found two - one VarioSynergic 5000 which was selling for AU$17,000 and a Time5000 which adverted for AU$9000. I would hate to see what they sell for new! Anyhow, those machines are obviously not meant for the hobby-man come garage-welder but for professional fabricators. Perhaps I will try and get that wirefeed fixed after all....
Reply:Maybe a new liner,is what it needs.Cheap to try and a bent or dirty liner is a common problem.
Reply:I thought about a new liner as well. The 'support helpline' reckons I should check the tensioner and all those basic things which I have of course done many times already. The liner seems a weird setup, a really fiddly job to replace. Especially at the torch end.
Reply:Can you get miller/hobart or lincoln/century machines in Australia? maybe Esab?I know that importing anything down there is stupid expensive
Reply:what machine do you have?  what problems are you having?  there are several areas that can be overlooked that will make top end machine troublesome.  what is going?
Reply:You don't have to use an original liner. Remove the old liner and examine it. Many liner "ends" are crimped on. You should be able to remove the old liner and replace it with a section from a longer quality liner.  I've done this several times for students who had cheap MIGs.Post PICS of the liner ends and torch. "Fiddling" is good experience.
Reply:Inspecting the drive roll tension bearing may not reveal anything from a visual standpoint. Best to spend a few dollars on a new bearing and groove roller. I caught my MIG becoming erratic and that's what was doing it.Is the wire feed erratic, or the arc itself? Could be ground clamp and/or the cable. Just a few things to think about before you trash the machine for a new one.PapaLincoln Idealarc 250 (circa 1962)Lincoln Weldpak 155 w/Mig KitLincoln Squarewave TIG 175
Reply:You dont need a Fronius or Kemppi to have a good machine.CIG welders are good (Thermadine).  I had a Transmig 210SE for about 10 years before i got my Kemppi.  Even now a friend owns it and is going strong.BOC line of welders used to be rebadged Kemppi machines without the price.  Also good machines.Unimig seem to be a not bad machine that a friend of mine has owned one for 10 years or more.Kemppi and Fronius are top of the line welders.There are many good welders available that would do you many good years of service.
Reply:The welder I have is a Weldcorp MIG 160. I think its a rebadged Awelco though, italian made. Its the wirefeed that's erratic, not the arc. Have tried cleaning the roller.I did get a liner from a local welding supplier and when I took the torch apart, it looked really messy to replace, with the end of the liner having a screw fitting at the torch end that would be really awkward to take apart. Almost like its not meant to be replaced separately and I could'nt see liners being on the spare parts list on the Awelco web site.I don't mind fiddling as long as there's hope of a good outcome.There are the usual brands around, Miller, Lincoln, Unimig, Nuweld, Cigweld, etc, etc.I guess I might have to contend with one of those if I can't fix this one even though its not really what I wanted. The best brands are clearly unaffordable to the average person and to be perfectly honest, it would probably be overkill / overspend for me but just once I wanted something the very best that money can buy on the planet. Even if it was a welder.
Reply:find out what voltage the motor is and see if you can buy a better drive motor and feed assembly for it. maybe with a bit of modification you could get a decent feeder in there,   if its 110 or 24 vac or maybe 24vdc you could easily swap out to a more gutsy motor and feed assembly.   ebay would be a place to start... I have a 4 roller feeder and motor assembly from an ESAB 300AVS and a motor and Drive assembly from a Miller s52a   available for sale and I am others have extras laying around if you ask.  not sure what shipping is to Australia but it won't be $9000 heh. i would bet the drive motors I have are about 4 times the size of the one in your machine.Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Originally Posted by LlundbergThe welder I have is a Weldcorp MIG 160. I think its a rebadged Awelco though, italian made. Its the wirefeed that's erratic, not the arc. Have tried cleaning the roller.I did get a liner from a local welding supplier and when I took the torch apart, it looked really messy to replace, with the end of the liner having a screw fitting at the torch end that would be really awkward to take apart. Almost like its not meant to be replaced separately and I could'nt see liners being on the spare parts list on the Awelco web site.I don't mind fiddling as long as there's hope of a good outcome.There are the usual brands around, Miller, Lincoln, Unimig, Nuweld, Cigweld, etc, etc.I guess I might have to contend with one of those if I can't fix this one even though its not really what I wanted. The best brands are clearly unaffordable to the average person and to be perfectly honest, it would probably be overkill / overspend for me but just once I wanted something the very best that money can buy on the planet. Even if it was a welder.
Reply:Originally Posted by Thiel-Metal-Fabdo  u have  something similiar   to craigs list    over there ?    would be a good place to find a bargin .
Reply:Originally Posted by soutthpawfind out what voltage the motor is and see if you can buy a better drive motor and feed assembly for it. maybe with a bit of modification you could get a decent feeder in there,   if its 110 or 24 vac or maybe 24vdc you could easily swap out to a more gutsy motor and feed assembly.   ebay would be a place to start... I have a 4 roller feeder and motor assembly from an ESAB 300AVS and a motor and Drive assembly from a Miller s52a   available for sale and I am others have extras laying around if you ask.  not sure what shipping is to Australia but it won't be $9000 heh. i would bet the drive motors I have are about 4 times the size of the one in your machine.
Reply:If you are going to replace the machine, try a liner anyway. One way to feel a liner is to remove the MIG gun tip, run the wire out far enough to grab with a pair of pliers, cut the wire between the feed rolls and the gun liner, and slowly pull the wire through. If it's not SMOOTH, replace the liner.Troubleshooting AROUND circumstances we'd prefer not to deal with isn't good troubleshooting. Conquer the problem and that's one more weapon in your skillset.
Reply:look at cigweld.....  cigweld is just a different color thermal arc.tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:This is the animal we are talking about:http://www.awelco.com/eng/prodotto.php?IDprodotto=68For some reason Awelco calls it 'BlueMIG 170' but its rated 160A. Its rebadged Weldcorp MIG 160 here.Here's the thing I find odd; in the spare parts listing, the liner isn't listed as a separate item. It almost looks like they want me to buy a whole complete torch/lead/liner.http://www.awelco.com/_download/espl...00_esploso.pdfI will try and adapt another liner instead. I also like Soutthpaw's suggestion of a beefier motor (should the new liner approach fail).Thanks all.
Reply:Even the expensive migs will have liners that need replaced.All the wire feed motor has to do, is push a little wire through a low friction liner.You should be able to loosed the drive rollers, and pull the wire from the tip,with little effort.