115 volt migs

[duck]

Recently purchased a Century 135 and can't get it to give any penetration on 1/8" tubing. I have very limited experience with MIGs but have played with sticks for about 20 years with reasonable success.

Is the century just junk or does anyone have any suggestions?

[Hobart Expert Rock]

HI DUCK............. WELL I DON'T KNOW WHAT KINDA WIRE YOUR USEING HOW ABOUT .030, AND WHAT KINDA 1/8" TUBEING, MILD STEEL OR STAINLESS........ HAVE YOU EVER TRIED CO 2 GAS TENDS TO DRIVE THE ARC A LITTLE DEEPER, IN OTHERWARDS THE GAS BURNS HOTTER AT THE ARC FOR DEEPER PENETRATION..... HOWEVER CHANGES CHEMICAL MOLICULES IN SOME METALS IS A HAZARD WHEN THEY GET SO HOT AND WILL DETERIOATE..... ALSO BE ADVISED THE CHARTS ON THE DOOR FOR SET UP ARE FOR EXPERIENCED WELDERS SET UPS.......... TRY INCREASING AMPERAGE TO THE SIZE AND TYPE OF WIRE YOUR RUNNING, THEN ADJUST WIRE FEED SPEED TO PERSONAL DESIRE....... GIVE IT A SHOT.........................ROCK
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[duck]

Used .030 with the voltage cranked up as high as it will go and have tried several different wire speeds. Tubing is mild steel. Was fabricating a duck blind, after finishing it, I gave it a good shaking and about 25% of the welds came loose, re-welded them with little success, so I got my stick out and went over all welds and they are holding great.

Am considering dumping the 135 and buying a Hobart 175, but before spending the extra money, I want to be sure that I'm not doing something stupid with the existing machine. And if not will I be able to get satisfactory welds with the 175.

Most of my welding is mild steel 3/16's or 1/8, with a little 1/4 thrown in. Making duck blinds, deer stands and some occasional utility trailer work.

[Hobart Expert Rock]

YES DUCK......... THE 175 WILL DO WHAT YOU WANT YOUR LOOKING FOR, WAS OUT BLASTING DUCKS LAST WEEKEND AND DID QUITE WELL................ ARE YOU USEING FLUXCORED OR HARD WIRE........ IF HARD WIRE WHAT KIND A GAS......... DUCKS TUESDAY NIGHT FOR SUPPER WERE DELICIOUS..............ROCK
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[duck]

Hard wire, the machine I have requires an additional expenditure to add gas, and unless something changes I can't see putting any more money in it.

Glad to here you got some ducks, season doesn't open here for another 45 days.

If I decide to go to the 175 was planning on using argon/co2 mix at 20/80.

[GWOL]

I have a hh135 and have been building a welding table with 1/8 " square sections and i have to turn down to level 2 so I wont burn through, dont think this machine should have a concern about penitration on this size material. I was actually playing around with one of the legs to try to get the welds to fail, just as a test, and could not get them to fail.

I know for a fact that if I cant get them to fail by jumping on them, that they will hold up for most "normal" contitions. Hope this helps.

[Dan]

Originally posted by duck
Hard wire, the machine I have requires an additional expenditure to add gas, and unless something changes I can't see putting any more money in it.

Glad to here you got some ducks, season doesn't open here for another 45 days.

If I decide to go to the 175 was planning on using argon/co2 mix at 20/80.

Duck

Are you stating that you are using a solid wire without a shielding gas? If so this is your problem. Or are you using a fluxcore wire that puts a slag over the weld bead like a stick welder would? If so are you using the proper polarity for the wire?

[GWOL]

Dan,

Great things to check, I know Iam using flux cored wire and have the correct polarity, and have not had to worry about not getting good penitration with my hh135. I dont think I would want to weld anything close to 1/4 inch, but know that for 1/8 " stock its more than sufficent when setup right.

[duck]

Sorry, I am using flux core, and the polarity is correct according to manual.

[PigTurd]

I would like to add a little...

My garage power would not give a 110v mig enough juice to weld at max power. Not sure if it was the transformer going to my house, or just the garage circuit.

Now when I run my MM210, I have no trouble at all.

You might try going to a different outlet, or similar? I know it made all the difference for me. Even certain times of night were better than others.

I would think your 135 should be fine for the work your doing. Just a matter of getting it everything it needs


Also, since this is my first post, Thanks everyone for the great advice! I have been lurkin for a while, just finally decided to post


Chris

[gnewby]

I have a Century 135 mig welder. I started out the first day with it trying to weld with the .030 flux core wire, I wasn't satisfied with the way it welded. I then went down and bought myself some 75/25 for it and some .023 solid wire it welded fine with it. About a year later I bought some .030 solid wire for it I never was as happy with the way it burns that wire. So I went back to .023 wire for it. I went about learning how to weld with the welder in the normal manner of being in a hurray and not worrying about much of the instructions. A long time later I read up on the instructions or recomendations for using the settings for different thicknesses of metal. This just about ruined me as the chart was way off of where I find myself getting good results with this welder. I am usually about 2 settings higher than what is called for for getting good results. By the way my Century has the variable settings for both the voltage and the wire speed. When welding 1/8 inch material I usually have my voltage at about 7 1/2 - 8 and my wire speed at about 5.5 to 6 might try it. With this setting solid wire .023 75/25 my Century lays down good looking weld on 1/8" material.