135 Handler tips

[Charles]

Hello!~ I am a beginning welder. After taking a basic welding class at the local JC, my first project was building a welding table. I have a small portable oxyacetylene set and after burning through 2 gas bottles and only completing a 1/4 of the table (3/16 & 1/4" flatbar), I decided I needed another approach. After several hours of research, I decided to buy a Hobart 135 Handler. I purchased it at a local farm supply store, assembled it and began. Since it was Thanksgiving, I was unable to purchase the argon gas bottle, so I used the gasless flux wire that came with the package. Everything went well (so much easier than gas welding) except I ran into one problem as I completed the last few welds. The wire began sticking and not advancing. I tried cooling the machine by turning it off for 30 minutes. I checked the feed and it seemed OK. I remembered that they included two extra tips. I replaced the original and the problem seemed to be fixed. That tip also stopped working about 20 minutes later. I put the last tip in and it only worked for about 5 minutes. My questions are:
1) Should I be going through tips that fast?
2) Perhaps I was using it too heavy. The machine was on for about two hours, but I would weld for 1-2 minutes, think for 5 minutes, etc.
3) About 1/2 way through the project, my brother in law came over and loaned me some "mig dip" and said I should dip before every weld to keep the head clean. The problem started after the dipping began. Could that have anything to do with the wire sticking?
4) Anybody want to buy a $40 welding rable for $600? (my wife's question).
Appreciate any help. I'm off to buy more tips unless I hear otherwise.

[GWOL]

I have a HH135 I got in March 02 and have completed a welding table, plasma cart, and about 10 other little projects and it has not even started to wear out the first tip. Iam beginning to think that it will never need replacing. Iam not sure why you would be having problems like you mentioned.

Iam using flux cored wire and have not had any problems with it at all. Iam sure that some of the Hobart experts on this site will be able to help. I just have not had any problems with mine, and would not begin to know how to trouble shoot the problem you described.

May check the wire thickness, make sure the correct polarity is setup. Hope this helps, and let us know if you figure this out, would be interesting to know what to look for.

[Charles]

on further reflection....

I'll bet I'm just too close to the puddle and the splatter is just clogging up the wire and the tip. I have a lot to learn and I guess tips are pretty cheap. I'm glad to hear that the problem is probably mine and not the machine.
Charles

[Dan]

Charles,

See your located in Oregon. Where exactly are you located? If your close enough to me I might be willing to come over and give you a little help. Also, my experience level is- professional.

Dan

[GWOL]

Re: on further reflection....

Originally posted by Charles
I'll bet I'm just too close to the puddle and the splatter is just clogging up the wire and the tip. I have a lot to learn and I guess tips are pretty cheap. I'm glad to hear that the problem is probably mine and not the machine.
Charles

Charles, very well could be. I know I just started to learn how to weld, and know almost nothing about it. I have been trying to keep on this web site, everyone is great and helps out so much. I would try to see if keeping the wire out a little further helps, and keep the wire from getting to close to the tip. What I noticed is that you dont want it to close, or to far out. If its to close, you will get the problems you talked about, if to far out you will get not good welds, and will be incositant.

Like everyone on here says, Practice, Practice, Practice

Hope this helps some.

P.S.- take Dan up on his offer if you can, he is very helpfull.

[Charles]

Dan: We are in Corvallis. I still have two more welding 1 classes, so I'll try to get my instructor to help me solve the problem. Appreciate your offer, I may take you up on it on my next project. I'll say one thing, this is a LOT of fun.
Charles

[SoCalBob]

Charles, I too was working on my first project on Thanksgiving with my Handler 135 and had a wire stoppage. I guess I had the tip too close to the work and melted the wire in it. I replaced the tip and all's well. Be sure to check, as GWOL suggested, that you have the polarity correct. Mine came with the polarity set for gas and solid core, not flux core. I also had a problem with the control knobs mysteriously getting changed. They move really easy when you transport or cover the machine. I'm going to try to post my first project. I made this cart to be lightweight enough to put in my Jeep and go mess up someone elses driveway. Good luck, but I think I'll need it trying to post this picture...

[Bob]

Does sound like a lot of anti-splatter. I got the spray kind and just sorta smear it on with my fingers ... less chance to get inside the tip or the 4 holes in the next part down that the tip screws into (that also un-screwes to check the 4 gas holes).
I also re-coat only once in a while, maybe every other session or at a wire change.

Bob

[Mark Whiddon]

try this. Do not use the anti spatter spray, dip, whatever. See what happens. I use flux core all the time and sometimes I use the spray sometimes not. More often than not I use the spray on the project than the mig torch. It just doesnt seem to do too much for me. the spatter comes off a slight bit easier, BUT it does NOTHING to keep it from getting there in the first place. All I have ever had to do is either tap the nozzle on something or just wipe it with a gloved hand and it comes off the nozzle pretty easy. The spray (at least what I have been using) keeps the spatter from sticking to the project as much, but only if it is still wet when I am welding. It does sound as though you maybe a bit too close and you are getting spatter build up in the tip and making the wire grab or hang up. It happes from time to time. Next time it happens try pulling the wire an inch or so with some pliers. NOT WITH THE TRIGGER PRESSED!!!!!!!! See if it resolves itself that way before you switch tips and experiment a bit with stick-out. In other words practice till you find what works for you and your machine.
Mark

[EddieR]

I too am a beginning welder, and was also using my new 135 on Thanksgiving weekend, and after a while (about 1/4 of the 2lb roll fluxcore wire) it started to "stick" in the gun. I got very frustrated at first then did what I should have done in the first place. I opened up the manual to the troubleshooting section; "wire will not feed" or something like that. Turns out the locknut/spring thing was too tight. I don't know how it got tighter, maybe it didn't. Anyway, I loosened it about 2 turns and Voila! welding effortlessly again.

Eddie