Hobart AutoArc 130, switched from fluxcore to gas, having issues.

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So I bought an autoarc 130 to teach myself to weld for the heck of it. I have been using fluxcore with no issues aside from not neatness of the beads.Today I went out and bought everything to set up the gas and MIG weld.I have good gas flow I can hear spraying well from the tip and it is at around 20cfm when flowing.I put in a brand new contact tip and brand new roll of carbon steel 0.30 solid wire.My issue is that the gun just keeps sputtering and I don't understand why. I am welding maybe 3mm steel at most just trying to run beads not actually join anything. I have at most 3/8 stickout and when I touch the wire to the work it just starts sputtering and eventually forms a pool that I can somewhat run with, but still sputters. My welds also come out very big and caterpillary on top of the metal as opposed to looking like theyre fused to what they are laid on. I tried different wire feed speeds. I and grinded the metal down to bare steel for my ground. I had no issues like this with flux core. I am basing things off other the door chart with no success.I also read that solid wire should usually be used with a smooth drive roll. The drive roll in the machine has a smooth 0.24 side and a grooved 0.30-0.35 side. Obviously I am forced to use the grooved.Lastly, since loading this new wire the stickout seems bouncy. When I snip it off with my mig pliers it can push in and out instead of being rigid in place.The one thing I did not check was the fact that the replacement tip is a lincoln tip with a shorter screw portion than the hobart tip. Though it is still 0.30 size. The tip itself is the same but the actual part that screws in is half the length. Would this reduce contact?Sorry for the long list above im very frustrated with this. Thanks for all the help in advance.
Reply:Change polarity to DC+?
Reply:Did you change the polarity on the gun? you should be running electrode positive for the gas welding....
Reply:Did anyone mention changing polarity to DCEP?The tip issue is likely due to a slightly different thread between the two brands.Last edited by duaneb55; 10-26-2013 at 01:42 PM.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:lol...
Reply:Just checkin'. MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Sorry I should have mentioned yes I did change the polarity.
Reply:Originally Posted by BrooklynBravestSorry I should have mentioned yes I did change the polarity.
Reply:Check it again just to play it safe.  and either turn up your voltage or lower your wire speed then go from there. Me personally, I tune and tweak my machines on scrap while running them. I know guys flame me now! You'll never stop me tho. I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:You have good "gas"? What gas, C25 (NOT argon!)?Unless you were using 0.030" fluxcore wire, the "bounciness" of the stickout may be due to your liner being for 0.035" wireLast edited by wirehead; 10-26-2013 at 03:18 PM.XMT304 (school)SP125+ (home)HF 4x6 BandsawGood judgement comes from experience and much of that comes from bad judgement.
Reply:1) Gas nozzle installed on gun?  Not required for flux-core is why I ask.2) Your bead description sounds too cold.  3mm material is going to require ~125A so your machine voltage should be set to max and dial in the WFS (~250ipm) from there.3) Have you cleaned/changed the gun liner since running flux-core?  A dirty liner can cause wire feed issues.4) By "grooved" do you mean knurled?  If using a knurled drive wheel, make sure the tension isn't set too tight or the resulting rough surface on the wire will cause feed issues.5) If the wire guide-to-drive wheel alignment is good, you can likely get away with using the .024 grooved (smooth) part of the wheel with .030 wire.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Originally Posted by wireheadYou have good "gas"? What gas, C25 (NOT argon!)?
Reply:Nozzle is on (not that dumb!)Did not change liner. Ran 1.5lbs of 0.30 flux core.I double checked polarity.Using fresh cylinder of C25 with 1800 psi left, 20cfm flow no windI got some new scrap il try when I'm home tomorrow night. I'm also running on a household garage 110v outlet. Will this cause issues? I imagine it would trip the breaker if it was trying to pull more than it could? I also had no issues with the same outlet running fluxcore.
Reply:Sorry about the nozzle question but it's come up before. What voltage setting did you use with the flux-core?  Same thickness material?  Flux-core tends to run hotter than the comparable sized solid wire.  If you can and do turn up the heat, you'll likely see a marked improvement.  However, you may also develop an issue with tripping the breaker for the same outlet especially if it's a 15A circuit.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Check the drive roll tension.Place a piece of wood under the gun and pull the trigger, the wire should hit the piece of wood and curl up or push your hand back a little.Section 5 in the hobart manual describes setting the tensionhttp://www.hobartwelders.com/om/0900/o925f_hob.pdfEd Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:I set the tension using my fingers.I couldn't get it to skip by light pinching even at the lowest tension setting the nut can go to. I don't understand by the wire is not firm in the gun though. The flux core didn't have this issue.I was using a half pound roll of hobart flux core and a half roll of Lincoln flux core.Now I'm using a 10lb spool of INIL solid carbon steel wire which had the best reviews for price on amazon so I don't think it's crappy wire.I did install the adapter hub for 10lb spools vs the 1lb I was using before.
Reply:Did you change the drive roller over for use with smaller wire? (assuming you were using .035'' flux core wire)old Miller spectrum 625 Lincoln SP-135 T, CO2+0.025 wireMiller model 250 and WP-18V torchCraftsman 100amp AC/DC and WP-17V torchCentury 115-004 HF arc stabilizerHome made 4 transformer spot welderHome made alternator welder
Reply:I'm using 30 solid in the same roller I used 30 fluxcoreIt's a 30-35 knurled roller
Reply:Your solid core wire's diameter may be slightly less than the fluxcore wire, even though both are specified "30 thousandths". Also, fc wire by its nature is rather "soft" so that wire coming off the drive may be sightly compressed to an elliptical cross section (unlike the solid wire's circular cross section), so it will be bigger than nominal in one direction (and smaller in the other). Because the liner has to provide clearance for the wire to travel, there will always be some "slop" felt in the stickout section no matter what type of wire you use - as you push or pull, the wire is bending within the liner to accommodate your activities. So, due to tolerances when manufactured and potential distortion in use, your fluxcore and solid wire's profile within the liner may well not be the same - your fluxcore apparently "fills" the liner a little more. FWIW On my welder (10 foot hose, 0.035" fcwire), I can move the tip of the wire in and out a couple of millimeters - not a problem. HTHETA: This is why liner/contact tip size is important. There's no one-size-fits-all or if-it-fits-it-ships. If too small (i.e. "clogged" or "wire damaged") or too large for the wire being used, "issues" resultLast edited by wirehead; 10-27-2013 at 09:01 AM.XMT304 (school)SP125+ (home)HF 4x6 BandsawGood judgement comes from experience and much of that comes from bad judgement.
Reply:Considering the above,Should I try the 0.24 smooth roller instead?
Reply:Originally Posted by BrooklynBravestConsidering the above,Should I try the 0.24 smooth roller instead?
Reply:Sounds like a too low voltage issue to me if your beads are just laying on top of the steel. Turn the volts wide open and see what happens..I always set my tension to be able to stop the wire with my the side of my cutters, you don't need much tension at all to feed wire, provided your spool tension is right.Last edited by TimmyTIG; 10-27-2013 at 01:58 PM.
Reply:What's the best way to gauge spool tension?Also I did turn the voltage all the way up and even on a piece of 1/16" flat stock it was sputtering. That's after grinding to a raw surface making it even thinner. One it finally make a puddle it starts working a little better and due to the voltage it just blows the metal apart.I haven't been home yet to mess with it again since making this post. I will take pictures at a minimum.
Reply:Wind the wire through the gun back onto the spool. Loosen the spool brake all the way. Spin the spool in the direction it normally unwinds - for me, that's clockwise. Set your spool brake tight enough but not too tight, just to the point where there's no spool coasting. Beware that poorly designed spool brakes tend to go out of adjustment rather quickly.Just for kicks, I'd try a genuine Hobart tip.XMT304 (school)SP125+ (home)HF 4x6 BandsawGood judgement comes from experience and much of that comes from bad judgement.
Reply:Getting so frustrated.I redid all the tension.Switched to smooth 0.24 rollerI put in a brand new hobart tip.I grinded down the metal to be grounded.I checked the polarity.I checked the wireI checked the gasCleaned the metal to be welded.Used a 20amp circuit.By following the door chart I should be able to weld up to 3/16 and I'm using 1/8 tubing for this.I turned it up to max voltage and used the suggest setting of 40/4.Sputters all over for the start of the weld and once it makes a pool I'm able to make a bead.I dropped the wfs down to 20/4 and it was a little better but still didn't seem right. Any lower on the WFS and the wire starts to burn into the tip.The other new issue is the machine randomly shut itself down. In the past I've had the wire feeder and gas valve shut down and the fan remains on. Hobart said the thermostat shuts the roller off until it cools down. But this time not even while welding, the machine suddenly shut down. No fan or anything totally dead.  20 minutes later it turned back on. The gun was sitting there not in use with the power on and it shut itself down.So... Should I be calling Hobart? The machine is only a month old and had 1lb of wire through it.Also worth nothing I bought the machine refurbished direct from hobartwelders.comDefinitely get it back to Hobart!  If you just got it and it was a refurb, there's obviously something new or still wrong with it.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Can you hear gas coming out of the tip?Ditto what duane said.
Reply:Yah gas sprays out in a strong flow.Guess il call them tomorrow
Reply:I looked into that machine a bit, it only has a 20% duty cycle. That means you can weld a little bit then it cuts off to cool down. Those 110 MIG machines are pretty much useless in my limited experience with them. You might be better off sticking with fluxcore or switching to a smaller hard wire.read some of the Amazon user reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Hobart-500549-...DateDescendingLast edited by TimmyTIG; 10-28-2013 at 12:27 AM.
Reply:I know it can't do much non stop welding but the thermostat is only supposed to shut off the wire feed and leave the fan on until it cools off.In my case the entire unit goes dead after just sitting there not welding.
Reply:Are you powering through an extension cord?  If so it needs to be 12 or 10 ga. Best is none at all.  Is the outlet you are plugging in to holding the cord tight.  Is it heating up when you try to weld.  Or try another outlet.After reading your last post I agree you should take it back and have them try it or get you a new machine.Dan D.
Reply:Extension cord 50' to a 20amp outlet directly off the fuse box.The extension cord is as thick as my pinky I have to assume it was heavy enough.
Reply:Originally Posted by BrooklynBravestExtension cord 50' to a 20amp outlet directly off the fuse box.The extension cord is as thick as my pinky I have to assume it was heavy enough.
Reply:For a 50 foot cord you will want to make sure its 12gauge wire.A pinky finger thickness cord could be 16 or 14 gauge.Also I have tried .03 solid wire and .024 solid wire, me and my machine like the thinner stuff a lot better.I have also gotten a bad spool of wire before. I had been using .025'' Lincoln brand wire which is like $12 a roll at lowes and then I tried switching to cheaper welding shop solid wire and it was not the same. The cheap wire makes bird ****ty welds no matter what I do and all I did was change wire spools when I ran out.old Miller spectrum 625 Lincoln SP-135 T, CO2+0.025 wireMiller model 250 and WP-18V torchCraftsman 100amp AC/DC and WP-17V torchCentury 115-004 HF arc stabilizerHome made 4 transformer spot welderHome made alternator welder
Reply:So I grew a set and opened up the machine.To my surprise I found the actual fan blade laying on the bottom of the machine disconnected from the motor which was still where it belongs.Beats me how it came off, I wonder if it was ever connected to begin with.I put it back on no problem and the fan is blowing nicely now.The cold start issue seems to have resolved as long as I keep the wire speed within the limits of the machine.
Reply:So the fan blade only fixed the issue with the unit shutting itself off.I still have the issue with sputtering even with max voltage and half wire speed. When welding I can feel the wire slamming into the material as opposed to melting into it smoothly.Hobart told me to take it to my nearest warranty center which is only 10 miles away.Such a pain.Last edited by BrooklynBravest; 10-30-2013 at 11:16 AM.
Reply:Very well may have an output diode failed (open) that will result in low open circuit and arc voltage which is a factor in a "cold" weld.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:That "slamming" of the wire into the weld is called "stubbing", which generally means either decreasing feed or increasing voltage, your choice, but I'm glad you've got some prospective resolution to your problemXMT304 (school)SP125+ (home)HF 4x6 BandsawGood judgement comes from experience and much of that comes from bad judgement.
Reply:I'm still getting that stubbing and spattering with max voltage on material as thin as 1/16 which the weld blows right through.Hobart tech mentioned it could be a diode.How the fan blade fell off to begin with is beyond me.