Welding help please. Can't get the machine to start up.

[BeepBeepRR]

View attachment 575975

Well mine are just a tad better than that. But not much. I always heard the bigger the blob the better the job. You are going to sit back and tell me a half spool of wire on a 3 inch weld is not going to hold.. welds below are not mine. Just a funny video.

 

[gkent]

The guy's a much better painter than welder !!

 

[gkent]

I can tell you there are more guys out there bubblegumming things together than you care to imagine. The scary thing is they think its ok. They actually have no issues or concerns about driving things like those in the video. They figure because its a cage the cumulative total of joints makes it strong when the fact is that it only takes one to fail and more follow. If you can't do it right, find someone who can.

 

[dual fours]

I always thought that Lincoln was a good quality welder. Sounds like you got a bad one if you followed the setup instruction to the tee. I'd simply return it.

I bought a similar Century MIG unit since I don't do much welding, but wanted the ability to weld when I need it. Never had a problem with it. I suspect it has the capability to weld better than I can.

I'm glade I'm not the only one that has a Century wire and stick welders.

 

[threewood]

It should still be under factory warranty if Lowes doesn't take it back. Find a welder repair shop in your area and get it looked at. If there are none and Lincoln won't pay shipping I would toss it through Lowes front window and do a charge back on your credit card lol.

Waaaay back when (I honestly cannot remember) I bought my Lincoln 135, I purchased it from Indiana Oxygen as a refurb unit through ebay, free shipping. Got it setup and the gun would short every time I pulled the trigger. Had to take it over to a shop that replaced the gun under warranty in under a week. That welder is still in my garage, used it today.

 

[gtxracer]

I see near the end of this video there is a white reset button on the back. Give that a push if you haven't already tried. Also watch the video and compare what you see to yours.
Did you get a CD with your welder? I have the same welder and it looks just like the picture in your post.


When you squeeze your trigger, you should hear a good solid click. That sound is the contacts coming together to complete the circuit for the arc. Hopefully you find something simple.

 

[khryslerkid]

Here's one that thru me for a loop when I first bought it.

It's an old 90 amp 110v Century, bought it cheap from a guy needing money. When I first fired it up, the wire was hot all the time. If I touched the wire to the metal that I was going to weld, without squeezing the trigger, it would spark and burn back to the tip. Now why is the wire hot all the time?

So I did a little digging and it suppose to be that way! Took a little getting use to but you have to be careful not to touch the wire to the material until you squeeze the trigger. They did this to eliminate one relay inside of the unit. The higher quality units will use two relays so the wire isn't hot until you hit the trigger. It's great for sheet metal and smaller repairs. I'm useing .025 wire and 75/25 gas.

I'm wondering if they are still making them like this, with the wire being hot all the time?

 

[Mike67]

I skimmed most of the post and have not seen which voltage you are running...mpst new welders a " smart" and do not need anything to be switched inside.
If you are plugging in to 110v verify that it is wired correctly... the nuetral should be on the silver screw or the side with the big slot and the hot on the other. You dont have to remove the plug to check, take your meter and insert it into the small slot and take it to the/a ground and check for voltage; if you do not have voltage on that side , do the big slot to ground and check. If you have voltage there you need to swap the nuetral and hot...
Also I did not see which setup you're trying to run... if using solid wire ( using argon) your ground lead should be on negative (-), if using flux core (No gas) ground should be positive (+).
Biggest problem I've seen with "no strikes" bad arcs are results of a bad ground ( clamp) . Make sure what ever your clamping to is as clean as humanly possible.
I dont know your familiarity/expirence with welding and not trying to insult you but DO NOT USE BRAKE CLEAN , CARB CLEANER OR ANY OTHER SOLVENT TO CLEAN YOU WORK SURFACE!!!! These things off gas some really bad stuff that when inhaled can cause severe brain/ nerve damage or even kill.
Be safe!

 

[khryslerkid]

I skimmed most of the post and have not seen which voltage you are running...mpst new welders a " smart" and do not need anything to be switched inside.
If you are plugging in to 110v verify that it is wired correctly... the nuetral should be on the silver screw or the side with the big slot and the hot on the other. You dont have to remove the plug ro check, take your meter and insert it into the small slot and takebit to the/a ground and check for voltage; if you do not have voltage on tgat side , do the big slot to ground and check. If you have voltage there you need to swap the nuetral and hot...
Also I did not see which setup you're trying to run... if using solid wire ( using argon) your ground lead should be on negative (-), if using flux core (No gas) ground should be positive (+).
Biggest problem I've seen with "no strikes" bad arcs are results of a bad ground ( clamp) . Make sure what ever your clamping to is as clean as humanly possible.
I dont know your familiarity/expirence with welding and not trying to insult you but DO NOT USE BRAKE CLEAN , CARB CLEANER OR ANY OTHER SOLVENT TO CLEAN YOU WORK SURFACE!!!! These things off gas some really bad stuff that when inhaled can cause severe brain/ nerve damage or even kill.
Be safe!

He stated that he tried striking it on the ground clamp. Polarity won't keep it from striking an arc.

Never thought about the power supply effecting which side would power the unit. With these new machines you might be on to something. OP stated two machines in a row not working. He could try plugging it in somewhere else.

(Most will require a 20 amp receptacle, for longer use or higher settings.)

 

[Mike67]

Ya Im not sure with these new diode/inverter type machines and how sensitive they are...but typically the older machines bonded off of a nuetral so it might have an affect. All of the 240v appliances/equipment are requiring a 4 wire set up and need a nuetral where as before they just used the ground...

 

[gkent]

All of the 240v appliances are requiring a 4 wire set up and need a nuetral where as before they just used the ground

They only require a 4 wire setup if there is something in the appliance that runs off 110 - like a motor, light, etc.. Welders, compressors and a lot of other equipment that is 220/230/240 only require 3 wires - 2 hots and a ground.

 

[gkent]

ESAB apparently still build their welders with the wire continuously hot.

 

[gkent]

Check continuity from the ground on the wall plug to the grounding electrode.
With the machine on and your meter connected to ground and positive inside the machine, hit the trigger and make sure there's voltage at that point - keep in mind it will not be 110 but at what the machine is set at.
Check continuity from the positive connection in the machine to the contact tip.
Lastly, connect to ground in the machine, connect to the contact tip, hit the trigger and check for voltage.

 

[black64]

I bought a Lincoln electric 140 Pro-Mig from Lowe's, followed the set up steps to the tee and I can't get it working. I've even touched the wire feed directly to the ground clamp and not even a spark. This is actually the second welder from Lowe's because I thought there had to be a problem with the first. What am I missing?

Did you pull the trigger when you touch to metal? My first mig I did the same thing the arc doesn't happen until the trigger is pulled.

 

[Mike67]

They only require a 4 wire setup if there is something in the appliance that runs off 110 - like a motor, light, etc.. Welders, compressors and a lot of other equipment that is 220/230/240 only require 3 wires - 2 hots and a ground.

NFPA only allows 220/240 1 phase 3 wire set ups on Delta systems.

 

[vintage chromoly]

^^^^^^^^^^
Unless he's in a commercial building, he has a split delta at the house.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Anyone ever heard of drinking butter milk if you are welding galvanized pipe?

 

[chrisd]

Did you pull the trigger when you touch to metal? My first mig I did the same thing the arc doesn't happen until the trigger is pulled.

I think so but I know there were times I didn't. I'll check it out when I get home tonight. I did check power at the outlet and grounds at the outlet.

 

[vintage chromoly]

NFPA only allows 220/240 1 phase 3 wire set ups on Delta systems.

What article are you referencing Mike?
How would you get 220 or 240 out of Y system?

 

[Mike67]

^^^^^^^^^^
Unless he's in a commercial building, he has a split delta at the house.

That was the assumption (delta/wye) residential service... there are a few areas down here up until a few years ago that had 3 phase wye w/ a high leg... but I think the electric companies have been doing everything to remove those services.
He was referencing industrial type welders not a 110/240 Home Depot special...