Intermittent gas flow

[Main]

The shop next door to me just resurrected his little used(?) Hobart Beta Mig200. It welds for a short while and then the gas(c02- argon) stops flowing. Wait a little while and welds just fine and then the gas stops. Any Ideas?. I'm not a mig welder.

[Al T.]

Sounds like your regulator is tired or frozen, have it checked out.

[Guest]

Sounds like a gas solenoid / circuit board problem.

[Hobart Expert Dave]

No board in this welder that I can remember unless you have a preflow timer on it. This was controlled with a relay that in turn closed the main contactor for output and also brought in the gas solinoid. I would check the relay it sounds to me like it is not making a good contact and is opening back up. The relay is mounted on the right side as you face the front panel.
Thanks
Dave Evans

[Main]

Thanks Gentleman. I will pass along the information to the shop next door. One of these days I'm going to have to try that mig stuff. But for now I'm stick'n with stick.

[Bob]

Another remote possibility ....
If the supply bottle valve was just barely open it might bleed enough to pressureize the valve passages, but not supply the flow once the welding starts.
Hey if you fix this for the guy next door, maybe he can give you a mig lesson ???
Bob

[Main]

OK, So the Beta Mig is not working out too good for this guy next door. He's in a position where he needs a reliable mig welder. He just bought a drive shaft machine to go along with his axle business. He will be welding drive shaft yokes onto steel drive shaft tubing. The tubing wall thickness runs aproximately 0.080 to 0.125. I brought him over to this shop to look on the internet for welders and pointed out the HH175. What do you guys think? Is the HH175 up to the task at hand? Thanks in advance.