just bought a 255c mig

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Hi everyone, my first post great site...So I have been using my buddies weld-pak lincoln 155 small 220 mig welder. I recently picked up a slighty used lincoln 255c mig and am having trouble dialing it in for bodywork/sheet metal welding. It seems like the 155 weld pak is easier to weld with...what am I doing wrong? I am typically welding body panels on, rust patches, etc...what setting have  you guys foud to be good for this welder? Thanks guys.
Reply:What size wire, and what type of gas are you running.  I have two of the PM255's, and they are great machines.  The inside of the door should have a chart that will get you in the neighborhood.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:The chart for the settings should be in the door as stated.  I use .024" wire for my body panels.  Carries a lot less heat when working with the thin metal.  I had a 255C and didn't care for it much.  I ended up replacing it with MM210 and the difference was like night and day,  especially on body panels.  I do wish I would have went with MM251 for other stuff but the MM210 does pretty much what I need.
Reply:I am running 75/25 argon/C02. I am also running 0.023" wire. I can weld with it, but it seems the 110's and the small 220 welders are better on the thin stuff? I was told by lincolon of course that the 255c should work great...hmmm what setting do you guys' like? I looked at the chart, which begins with 0.025" wire...I'm using 0,023" may not make much of a difference...doesn't have that nice crisp buzzing sound pops, skips and welds, never perfectly even.
Reply:Sounds like your settings are off a bit.  I honestly don;t run much wire that small, but I will look in my notes this afternoon, and see what settings I have used.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:0.023 and 0.025 wire are for all practical purposes the same.Step one when the arc isn't running nicely is to check all connections.  Make sure the work lead (the 'ground' lead) has a good connection to the workpiece.  Make sure the internal connections are all good on the swapable gun/work cables.  Make sure the gun cable is fully seated into the connector.  Make sure the gun o-rings are OK so that you don't have a shielding gas issue.And make sure you are using good/decent wire!  Crappy or 'iffy' wire makes life (and welding) more difficult.Oh, and make sure the input jumper(s) are set correctly for your line voltage!Also, the 255 is not recommended for use with the little 4" spools, if you are trying to use that.  The manual says to use 8 or 12 inch (10-44 pound) spools/reels.Make sure you have the right size tips and drive rolls inplace, and that the drive roll tension is set correctly.Make sure the wire feeds smoothly, and that the liner isn't kinked or dirty or not properly seated at the gun neck or at the cable-to-machine end.0.025 L-56 (ER70S-6) using C25 should be around 15-16V and 100 ipm at 35amps.  Or 250 ipm and 17-18V at 80 amps.  That's short-circuit transfer, not that you'd be doing spray with C25 or spray at sheetmetal thickness anyway.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:I never could get the 255C to lay quality welds on the thin stuff,  no matter where I set it.  On the thicker stuff it did well.  I don't remember the settings but I used the chart to get close as possible and then welded on scrap pieces of sheet metal while adjusting the machine.  I got it close,  but never perfect.  It seems to skip and pop a lot.  On thick metal where I could turn the heat up,  it  welded beautiful.  Since I needed it primary for sheetmetal,  it didn't cut it.I don't remember the settings I used but there's no promise that they would work for you anyway.  All machines run a little different and all welders have a little different style.  Use the chart to get close as possible and then weld on some scrap while adjusting.  Make small adjustments with the heat while welding and small adjustments on the wire speed.  Try to find the sweet spot.
Reply:Put the gun off the weldpack on the 255c and see if the low-end improves. Or buy a liner for the gun you have. No reason for not having a good low-end with that machine.
Reply:I will keep playing with it and see if I can find the "sweet spot"  do any of you guys use the 255c for sheet metal (20 gauge/22gauge)?? Does the Millermatifc 251 work better on the thin sheet metal?.... Would it makes sense that my friends Hobart 135 handler works better on thin sheet metal, as does the small Lincoln 155 weld pak they seem to work better then the 255c on thin stuff is it just me and poor settings??
Reply:Originally Posted by danp76I will keep playing with it and see if I can find the "sweet spot"  do any of you guys use the 255c for sheet metal (20 gauge/22gauge)?? Does the Millermatifc 251 work better on the thin sheet metal?.... Would it makes sense that my friends Hobart 135 handler works better on thin sheet metal, as does the small Lincoln 155 weld pak they seem to work better then the 255c on thin stuff is it just me and poor settings??