Hobart 135 trouble-please help.

[barnyardfabber]

I'm in the middle of building a rock crawler out of my 87 Toyota truck and BAM trouble .I was welding my new spring hangers on and the wire started coming out at 100 mph.Can anyone help me with this.Would it be the adjustment knob for the wire speed? Please any help would be great. Thanks Steve

[Hobart Expert Dave]

It sounds like you have a problem with the control board in this unit. If you would please call 1-800-332-3281 and they will be able to direct you to a service center close to you. I hope you will be able to rectify the problem so you can get back to work soon.
Thanks
Dave Evans

[Bob]

If your unit is under warranty, the Hobart folks will probably be very responsive on this site with help.

If not the chassis wire diagram is in the owners manual (available thru a link in the big red block at the top of this page).

In my manual, a short in what is shown as Q1 (a transistor) could cause the wire to feed at max speed. This is a device on the PC board, but probably a bigger one with a heat sink.

Bad news is there is lots of circuitry on the PC board that is not documented in detail, and probably lots else that could go wrong.

Hope this helps.
Bob

[later] Schzamm ... just while I was writing this a Hobart person posted another response. I told you they were responsive. I think maybe we bought welders from the right company.

[Hobart Expert Rock]

BARNYARDFABBER.........WELL DID YOU CALL MILLER ELECTRIC AT THAT NUMBER FOR THE HELP YOU NEED........ IF NOT THE CONTACTS ARE MIKE, MARIE, DOUG, AND KEVIN.......ALL ARE QUITE PROFECIENT AND VERY GOOD AT THEIR JOBS.......YOU WILL NEED A DC VOLT METER TO HELP THEM OUT WITH.............. UNKNOWN PROBLEM, MANY DIFFERENT SANERIO'S, NOT JUST ONE......HANG IN THERE AND GIVE THEM A CALL........ROCK
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[Al T.]

Sounds like his wires to the trigger came loose and shorted together. If not that, the board would be my next guess.

[Bob]

Al T's comment on the trigger leads is well placed as there have been more than one post concerning those connections. A short in loose connectors would cause wire feed, but it should still be at normal speed and controlled by the speed control knob. You can release the tension and listen to the feed motor to avoid wasting wire.

Hobart Expert, I was looking more closely at the wireing diagram for the hh-135 and noticed I could not identify the gas value?

I was thinking it might be nice to have a remote switch to release purge gas thru the torch prior to pulling the trigger ... like to fill a small area. I know the purge position would do this, but I usually have the body of the unit several feet behind me and it would be hard to keep the torch in position while switching the switch. Just a thought for a future design option: contacts for remote "purge only" release of gas through the torch.

Bob

[barnyardfabber]

Thanks alot to everyone!!!!!!!

I tried the trigger connections,they are in good shape.At the same time I figured out that if I change the amperage setting (1 thru 4) the wire speed does change.It is still way to high to weld with but 1 is definity alot slower than 4. Also the wire adjustment knob doesn't work on any of the amperage settings.

I called my local welding supply and he's finding out for me if my unit is still under warrenty.I will probly find out tomorrow.At the same time I go in for surgury tomorrow morning.I probly won't feel like fooling with it for a few day's.If anyone has any other idea's please let me know.I will let everyone know what the deal was if I can get it fixed.

Thanks again
Steve

[barnyardfabber]

I came out of surgery O.K. and feeling pretty good now. I found out that I still have 4 month's of warrenty. I'm taking my welder down to National welders supply today.Steve (their service guy)is a great guy,he's gonna test it and see what is broke. I can't wait to get back to building my Toyota rockcrawler

[barnyardfabber]

Steve told me that the circuit board was toasted.He's got a new one on order. He said the fan motor caused it to fry. The fan motor was drawing to much current and fried a couple curcuit's. Friday I will pick up my welder with a new fan motor and curcuit board.

Thanks everyone for your help
Steve(barnyardfabber)

In a few month's my bone stock 87 Toyota X-cab will look like this:

[barnyardfabber]

Here's another view:

[GWOL]

question to the Hobart experts.

Is there anything that would indicate a fan problem like this, or anything to prevent this from happening, or was this more than likely just a bad unit?

[Hobart Expert Rock]

HI GARY..........WELL WITH 4 MONTHS LEFT ON THE WARRANTY I WOULD SAY (HOPEING THIS HAS BEEN YOUR ONLY PROBLEM) DARNED IF I KNOW.........I THINK WHAT THEY ARE SAYING IS THAT THE FAN MOTOR HAD TO MUCH VOLTAGE FROM THE SECONDARY SIDE TO THE PC BOARD.........THAT WOULD DAMAGE THE REGULATOR (PART THAT CONTROLS THE VOLTAGE TO DRIVE MOTOR). I HAVE HEARD OF THAT BEFORE. THEIR IS A 10% TOLERANCE ON THE FAN MOTOR..........ALLOWABLE........ IT IS NOT REAL COMMON, WITH OUT THE FAN MOTOR TO LOOK AT I WOULD GUESS THAT SOME WINDINGS GOT SHORTED TOGETHER ON THE SECONDARY SIDE, OR THE UNIT GOT A SURGE ON IT WHILE IT WAS TURNED ON............. THIS IS JUST SPECULATIION ON MY PART, .......... OF COURSE THERE COULD BE OTHER CAUSES, WIRE CONTINUALLY BURNING BACK TO THE TIP, LIGHTENING HITTING THE BARN COMMING BACK IN ON THE ELECTRICAL GROUND, THAT TYPE OF THING...........STILL JUST SPECULATION............DOES THIS ANSWER YOUR QUESTION............. ......ROCK
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[Al T.]

I think he's trying to say "S---" happens. Its good the gremlin was taken out during your warranty, you got lucky.

[GWOL]

YES, that does anwser the question, I was just curious if there was any percations to take. I know i try to never burn back to the tip, and unplug when not in use.

Also, like AI said, I try to eliminate as much S- - - from happening that would fire a board as possible.

[barnyardfabber]

Hey guy's,when I pick my welder up on Friday I will ask Steve about it.He might know exactally what caused it or a few things that might. He is a super guy and has helped me alot with technical stuff. I was laying brick's with my boss when he called me to tell me what was wrong, so I couldn't really talk it over.I will get details Friday. Like Rock said this might just be dumb luck,but it would be great if there was something that might help prevent this from happening again. My warrenty runs out in 4 month's,I hope it doesn't happen again.