Dialing In Your MIG Welder - Part 1

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In this installment, I am going to go over settings for the typical MIG welding machine. I will get into the manufacturer recommended settings as listed on a typical settings chart, which is usually included with most MIG welding machines. Then, I will go over setting your machine by "sight" and by "ear" as I try out many different settings in an attempt to "dial in" the machine to produce the perfect "sizzling sound," good penetration, and a nice looking weld bead.
As always, please remember to rate, comment and subscribe to my KZbin Channel, and visit my web page, www.Weldfever.com, for tips, detailed drawings of projects, blogs, and of course, for all of my videos. Thanks!

[@jddr.jkindle9708]

Thanks for the post. I have been using a Lincoln 180 at the shop where I work for several months. Recently bought a Eastwood 250 MIG for my home use ( to compliment my Stick welder).

[@WeldFever]

+jd dr.jkindle Great, thanks for sharing and please keep watching!

[@fomoco1454]

Great tutorial Dan!

[@DerekGraham777]

i have a Lincoln electric 100 i just converted it to use gas but dame it works amazing

[@WeldFever]

Great advice and thanks for your post!

[@carlolisadangelo2854]

great Video Dan ! just picked up a red 255, it hisses,,,, now I have a sense of direction ,thanks- who is the jazz artist ? outstanding !

[@tomtamanui7708]

Thank you so much, I am learning how to :)

[@micstica]

So, if I need to practice running a bead the thickness of the metal isn't critical as long as I get a decent bead using whatever setting that fries bacon? Using lower settings gives me some practice and doesn't needlessly use up wire?

[@fastbusiness]

Very nice explanation of how to get the right settings. I might suggest, to flatten the beads some, move the puddle in more of a left to right motion and hold on the outside edges longer and move quicker across the middle.

[@lpdzzlfshzzl]

Very informative

[@pughwv1234]

great job Thanks

[@MrGrundle]

Great and informative video! I am getting ready to start learning to weld. I have a century 125gl wire feed mig welder at my disposal. I was going to attempt to tack weld some debar together for a little grill grate project. Can you offer any suggestions for settings for tack welding?

[@asm7050]

Good name man

[@swekiller98]

any tip for a good starter welder?

[@hillbillyatvs1064]

Douse this welder have to wheel for the drive one for flux core and one for mig or is it the same wheel . I have the same welder I got is used and I am having feed problems and the wheel I have the grooves are smooth inside are they not supposed to have almost like teeth in the groove

[@youngesco82]

can you show how u set up ur argon bottle on the regulator

[@asmith9221]

thanks buddy (:

[@randymc61]

good video. finally figured out what I've been doing wrong. what kind of gas are you using?

[@rodlrfilmmakercreator1460]

Very good video

[@WeldFever]

+ROD Boricua Thank you!

[@kodiward7730]

I have that machine at work . The best setting for 4-7 mm thick is e4

[@kodiward7730]

This is with 0.8 wire

[@maxwebster7572]

Hi. I have the same welder, will not penetrate on tack welds 0.030" sheet metal, anything over 0.045" forget it. My tacks crack and I have to grind them off, then I turn up the heat and blow through. When I start laying weld, it takes 1/2" before I get any heat out of this machine. I've been welding 25 years and can't make this machine work. It is a 220v machine and can't get HEAT!

[@johndoherty8681]

i picked up a small welder this week and it only as an high or low setting on the low it is to slow and then on the high setting it will work but the weld will not stick as i hit it with the chipping hammer it will come off the welder is a 100amp amd it is running on 8 weld wire and answers ,good vids by the way

[@WeldFever]

+john doherty Good luck with that welder. I would stick to thin material with it though. Perhaps if you enjoy welding, you will consider a machine with more capability in the future, but for now, I hope you are able to build your skill with the machine you have. Please write if you have any questions, and good luck again!

[@elijahjohnson1184]

+john doherty I almost made the same mistake but watched a few videos and figured out that for me it would be better to get an everlast inverter welder. The inverter welders are a bit more efficient on power so you can get a bit more heat out of them. they also have a lot more adjustments. I believe at the time the dual voltage welders weren't much more than the 110v only ones. Get a 220v or dual voltage next time you are on the market for a welder.

[@ChristianTreber]

+john doherty Made that mistake, too. I wish I had doubled the money I paid for this one, as it just does not work properly with different material thicknesses.

[@johnmacmillan627]

Thx. Question: if amperage and wfs are the same thing why not just use amps setting rather than wfs? Btw, great video!

[@ocwelder784]

Hi. Great video! For flux core do you recommend pushing the puddle or pulling

[@WeldFever]

+OC Welder You must always pull when using flux cored. As the old saying goes, "If it produces slag, you must drag."

[@1boatsailor]

So this was using gas? I just bought a 180 machine haven't got the gas yet do you need the gas to weld floor pans in a car? I can stick weld never tried Mig.I have a lot of welding to do on an old truck project mainly sheet metal.....You are a great instructor thanks for sharing your time

[@WeldFever]

1boatsailor If you are going to use solid wire (ER70s-6) then yes, you do need gas. If you use flux cored, then no.

[@michaelmclaughlin5748]

Awesome.

[@WeldFever]

Thank you for the compliment!

[@collisioncourse9283]

Excellent! Thank you. Learn allot!!

[@WeldFever]

COLLISION COURSE Thanks for saying so

[@aguinagafernando49]

my lincoln weld pack 3200hd doesn't work the the ground doesn't work and the flex core just does spark but doesn't burn what could be???

[@mikeroller4110]

I'm not sure if you mentioned it but what size wire are you using and tell us about your shielding gas... C02 or 75/25?

[@WeldFever]

Mike Roller I was using .030 and C25 (75/25).

[@vuthylay9102]

Is it possible to use MIG welder to weld a high pressure cylinder, example LPG GAS Cylinder?

[@WeldFever]

+Vuthy LAY Personally, I wouldn't weld on a high pressure gas cylinder unless I had exact specifications from an engineer on how it should be accomplished and I mean EXACT (to include the process). Otherwise its just not worth the risk. After all, we are welders not engineers!

[@bser3973]

Is laying the metal on the table a good enough ground, or do you clamp the piece with the grounding clamp?

[@WeldFever]

+bser3973 It can be, however, MIG welding requires good contact in order to weld well. So, I would recommend clamping to the pice being welded when possible.

[@bser3973]

+WeldFever That's what I thought, it don't hurt to ask. Thanks

[@WeldFever]

+bser3973 Not at all, thanks for the comment.

[@raymondtovar3774]

can a flux core weld be caped with a stick weld???

[@ChrisLawley43]

You should push mig and drag if you have no choice push will lay down better.

[@WeldFever]

+welderman27 I get a lot of comments about pushing versus pulling, but the reality is there is no hard and fast rule about which is a better method. At least none that I have read anywhere. The only thing I know for certain (since all the textbooks and manufacturer's state this) is that pulling profides more penetration than pushing. Other than that, it's dependent on the skill of the welder. Thanks for the comment.

[@thermalnose]

what about infinately adjustable welders? could you do a tinggy on a 110v unit? like setting it up properly? reccomendations? etc, helpful hints.

[@WeldFever]

Conner Pierrard I suggest you watch my series on the Longevity 140 and also my other MIG welding videos. Those should answer a lot of your questions, but if not, send me another message and I'll see what I can do.

[@thermalnose]

i will do so thanks sir! like im not new to welding, but im not a pro yet, so i need tips for fiding the right wire. settings etc for welding with 110/120v welders. i can give more detailed questions if needed. i just have many.

[@miltongwelch2707]

+WeldFever I'm thinking about buying an everlast pulse mig welder. Any tips for dialing in the pulse settings?

[@thermalnose]

high pilse gives you a more agitated puddle, id start low and go up

[@zedshowsyouhow9038]

Anyone notice the bird in the background stealing his thunder just before and during the birds nest wire comment. I first thought it was his audio sound effect...

[@rodlrfilmmakercreator1460]

I got my Easy MIG 100T/1 from Ebay. This is my first time using welding machine and I have a question. I put the flux core wire included and the motor pulled the wire fine but when I try to start soldering nothing happened. The ground cable is on my metal part and moved the switches to differents position from 1 to 2 and from Min to Max andnothing happened. Can you tell me what is the problem? I hear the motor running. Maybe the ground cable is not conected inside the machine. What I need to do? Thank you in advantage.

[@WeldFever]

+ROD Boricua Not being able to see the machine, makes this tough, but I think are on the right track. Check all the connections and make sure everything is properly connected. Also, make sure the switches are "locked" into position and are not floating between 1 and 2 or Min and Max. Sometimes this can cause the problem.

[@rodlrfilmmakercreator1460]

I fixed the problem. The problem was poor ground contact. I just Sandler better the area and that it. Thanks any way

[@karolthiesen4707]

Poor ground is a pain. I went crazy when I first got my everlast welder trying to figure out my problems and it was down to my work clamp wasn't getting a good connection to my work piece. I grinded it down to shiny metal and everything worked itself out.

[@maccaukandy5415]

Here is a thought. Why dont you try pushing the torch rather than pulling it. As you know there is gas shooting around your tip and out through the shroud, you are not welding into the flow of the gas or into the heated steel in front of you weld pool you are pulling your weld into cold steel

[@williamchampagne5205]

maccauk andy right i was thinking the same thing, push not pull.

[@redwhitentrue]

My issue with my welder these days is that the wire feed is not consistent. What happens is the feed goes slow for a bit then it goes fast for a bit, and so on. It's a Lincoln weld-pak 100 that used to work great. Please, any suggestions?

[@WeldFever]

+redwhitentrue Check the tension on both the drive roll tensioner and the wire spool tensioner. Both should be only tight enough to do the job and no more. Also, if you are using flux cored wire, you should have "knurled" drive rolls as they grip the often slippery wire better (powder like shavings). Finally, make sure you have the correct size drive roll for the wire you are using. If none of this works, you might have to take it in to be checked by a pro. Good luck!

[@redwhitentrue]

WeldFever Thanks for your response. After I posted this question for you, I watched another of your videos where you explained the issues one might have if the roll gets un-spooled/ un-tensioned while loading. I did lose tension when I loaded this roll of wire. Could that be it?

[@WeldFever]

+redwhitentrue It could very well be. Try the other stuff first, and if that does't work, consider swapping out the roll of wire to see if that is your problem. Good luck.

[@roberternest2402]

+redwhitentrue Make sure your liner is clean. If you are welding with aluminum, make sure you don't have too much tension on the drive roller or it might deform the wire and make it skip through the linder / contact tip. Those are the two most obvious things I checked for when I was first learning to use my everlast mig welder. Its been great since I worked those out. good luck

[@pedromadera399]

WeldFever *

[@carlosguzman5475]

cool music! what album is that?

[@chalemi]

Not important to know what voltage "D" is? I don't think even Lincoln knows. Don't see why Lincoln or any of the others don't put the actual voltage...I mean how difficult would that have been?

[@WeldFever]

+chalemi I totally agree. I wish they would tell us already! Thanks for the comment.

[@danhenderson783]

Dragging with solid wire?

[@WeldFever]

Dan Henderson Certainlly, dragging provides more penetration than pushing, and is therefore a better choice for thicker material. Flux cored, on the other hand, can only be dragged and must never be pushed. Thanks for the comment.

[@nrfa6229]

You should have flipped the plate over to show how good the penetration was. Just as an FYI.

[@WeldFever]

Now that you mention it, I wish I would have! Great comment, please keep them coming.

[@tylerbrown8071]

What is better co2 or 75/25

[@WeldFever]

+Tyler Brown I prefer to use 75/25 because it welds smoother, however, co2 is not bad and is less expensive.

[@bobbybourn8630]

I am having trouble with my wire feed . When welding it is fluctuating . It feeds for a few seconds and stops and will start back feeding . Do you have any suggestions

[@WeldFever]

Bobby Bourn If welding with flux cored, make sure you have "knurled" drive rolls or the wire will slip. Also, the drive roll tensioner should not be so tight that it literally crushes the hollow cored wire. If welding with solid wire, check the spool tension. It should only be tight enough to prevent the spool from unraveling. Also, the drive roll tension should not be too tight either, and if your spool tension is correct, it won't have to be. Finally, check the MIG gun liner for kinks and replace if necessary. Good luck and hope that helps.

[@gssmith1986]

Honestly, I think the right setting would have been 4...5 was too high and 3 just a bit too low.

[@WeldFever]

+Greg Smith You may be right

[@Dragon34th]

Frame 2:28 I'm like ok, where is the gun going to be pointing out from?? Within or outside the helmet? How come all of a sudden the screen just morphed into military green :) Is this going to be my final activity on earth? Am I gonna be one of these people who actually knew what's gonna be on their death certificate - death by acute oxyacetylene poisoning & direct current illiteracy? Cool as long it's AC/DC rock & roll man.

[@jamesqueen3735]

forney mig welder no parts they are throw away

[@WeldFever]

+James Queen Is Forney the manufacturer of this particular welder? I have long parted with it, but it served me well while I had it. Thanks for the comment.

[@eflanagan1921]

Lincoln 175,good basic machine.Produced at cost point for big box stores. I think James was making a general comment on Forney.

[@jaimesandrew69]

First