Welder question

I got a question for you welders out there. I got a Lincoln 220v/175amp MIG welder that was working really great up until a few days ago. It's started torching instead of the sizzling bacon sound. It crackles every once and a while but doesn't seem to be working very well. I'm using the same wire and argon bottle as always, I tried playing with wire speed, and power settings, and my work is very clean and freshly ground (grinded), and I got a good ground close to the work or far away. Nothing seems to be working.

Does this thing sound cooked, I bought it from Home Depot so I think they'll take it back. It never shut down, but I could of overheated it, I've been using the highest setting almost the whole time.

Any ideas?????

Thanks,
Sean.

Sounds like maybe you have a wire feed problem. Has you gun cable got bent ,crimped or damaged in any way?

Did you check the gas flow? Maybe the connections inside the unit, where the +/- connects with the wingnuts.

time for a new gun liner?

Another thing to check is to make SURE the wire wheel turns freely. I had a new welder that I had to add a washer to because as it would turn it would tighten up to the point that it would "torch" no matter how much I adjusted the wire speed.

I'm with Pat... If you have run much wire thru it, it could need a new liner. Also, make sure you have the torchline running as straight as possible when you are welding. Too tight of a radius or curl in it can pinch the wire in the liner or make it drag.

the wire on the spool could not be turning free small spools of wire i have had them give me some grief on the wire feed rollers pre load i run the lest a mount to keep from birdcage were the wire piles up at the drive rollers look at your tip try a new one there could be getting jam up i also run a felt wipe that keeps the wire clean as it run thru the rollers

out of gas?
that is when mine stops making the sizzling sound

Okay thanks, I'll start checking the connectors and wire feed, come to think about it it might be dragging. I'll put a small spool on to make sure. I still have a 1000psi of gas and I can hear it coming out. I always try to run the spool as straight as I can (or in a big arc), that's what had me baffled, everything SEEMED to be normal.

Thanks for the replies, I'll have to check tomorrow,
Sean.

Well thanks again guys, I checked and the wire feed was screwed up, the wire had jumped out of the little groove. Works like a hot dam now!!!

Sean.

Glad you got it fixed! I totally did not think about the feed jamming.