Is welder worth repairing

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Hey Everyone, I am new to the site and welding. I have had a lincoln pro mig 135 for about 5 years now that I have just  piddled around with. My first question is I loaned it to a friend and when he brought it back it will not feed the wire. When you pull the trigger you hear it clicking and the fan motor is running. Do you believe it is the motor, card? My second question is what kind or quality of a helment do you need? I have a about a 80 dollar helment that is self darkening. My problem is when I try to weld the bead looks ok but I haven't got a clue where the heck it it is or where it's going to end up so I get aggravated and give up. Thanks in advance for any help or advise.
Reply:first of all, check to see if your wire is stuck at the tip. Is the drive roll spinning when you pull the trigger. If the drive roller does not spin freely under zero load, then you have a problem. The clicking is your gas solenoid opening the valve, so the trigger itself works. Your 135 is certainly worth repairing IMO unless the estimate reaches the price of a new oneWhat shade is your helmet and how close are you to what you are welding?Last edited by Canoe2fish; 05-18-2012 at 10:05 PM.Thermal Arc Fabricator 2101970 Lincoln RedfaceMiller 150 STLStill need a Syncrowave and a plasma and a milling machine and a lathe and a bigger shop and a....
Reply:It is definitely worth repairing, especially when paid for by your "friend". Open the side cover and check the clamp mechanism. Release tension and see if the drive roll turns when you depress the trigger. If not, then it is internal. If it turns, then you need to pay attention to the drive roll tension, as well as the whip and gun,.Your auto-darkening hood is set at a shade too dark for you, try to reset it at a lower shade number. Go one shade at a time though! City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Thanks for the replies guys. the answer to the first is the drive motor will not turn even with no wire on it and my helment is a hobart auto darkening fixed # 11 shade. Thanks again
Reply:Originally Posted by Larry13Thanks for the replies guys. the answer to the first is the drive motor will not turn even with no wire on it and my helment is a hobart auto darkening fixed # 11 shade. Thanks again
Reply:I'm not being a smarta$$ but, the way I am reading your post seems to indicate that you think the spindle on which the spool of wire mounts is the drive roll.  Just to be clear, the drive roll is is in the wire drive assembly.  This is located towards the front of the side access panel where you load the wire.
Reply:Thanks cavedweller, what I meant to say is there was no wire running through the drive motor that it was empty and had no load on it.