Topic: New welder

[Crawler677]

Yom Yom Yom  

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/millermatic_252/    

  

Should i run .030 or .035. what do you think guys? probably gonna use lincolns ER70S6 wire

 

[ninja turtle]

Should i run .030 or .035. what do you think guys? probably gonna use lincolns ER70S6 wire

depends on what your welding. i like hobart wire.

[Crawler677 [OP]]

yep yep, im a firm beleiver that ER70S6 is the stuff to use. most of the brands seem to have pretty similar composition. I like lincolns wire because its manufactured in an ISO9001 plant so i know it should be fairly consistent (i use to work in an ISO9001 plant and i can say its 'usually' pretty good).

 Iver never used hobart wire but i have heard its not bad. Pretty similar arc and bead quality to Lincolns wire apparently.

my big question is .030 or .035. should i set it up for its upper range or lower. i want the wire size that will be the best all arounder for general fab (cant see myself welding more then 3/8 steel for the most part). and I am going to be bobbing my bed soon and want something thats small enough to work with sheet metal while being able to keep the heat a bit lower and not blow holes through it. 

Man I cant wait to get this thing. 

should be shipping out tommarow. 

[junya92toy]

Well wheather is 030 or 035 wire the trick to welding sheet metal is using a copper bar to hold on the back side so it absorbs the heat and wont burn through. I get the airgas brand wire, radnor its the same as the lincoln brand. Cuz it is the same. And you suck thats a sweet machine I wish I had one.

[Crawler677 [OP]]

Copper bar eh? I had read about that in a couple books, never tried it though. it doesnt stick? I cant wait, pre/post flow adjustments, run in adjustment, burnback adjustment, stick/spot delay timers. gahhh i have been using a crappy little 110v mig for so long.   

I almost got the lincoln 255XT but my deal with the company fell through and this popped up on airgas on clearance so I grabbed one. Seems more people like the 252 then the lincoln anyways??? 

[junya92toy]

Ya the miller 220 big welders are better then the lincolns ive heard. but i heard the smaller size 110 and 220s the lincoln is better. I use both at work.
No the copper bar wont stick. I do it all the time at work to plug holes, weld thin stuff or whenever i dont want to burn through.  The copper wont even melt. But it will get hot! so watch out.

[-Matt-]

I would choose Lincolns wire over anything. I have seen many problems with hobart wire before. the great thing about Lincoln is there a vary consistent company...in all aspects. but i do love my miller. and at far as the ER70S-6...that has nothing to do with brand. its just the style and make of wire. and for size... the most noticeable difference i believe between those specific wire dimensions will probably be the speed, the 035 will just deposit more making it go faster (but will you will have to crank up the heat). I like the 030 cuz you can just cruz a long and burn it in good and hot, seems to be the best fits-all-application sizes of wire. as the size of wire increases you have to compensate with more wire speed (amperage) and voltage. so your ability to weld really thin material becomes pretty damn hard. in other words id get 030, unless your only welding 3/8" + material. but for the most part its just user preference. good luck

[jimbo74]

i had a harbor freight welder, going from the wire that came with it to lincoln wire, was a night and day improvement

[junya92toy]

Actually as the wire gets bigger you turn the wire feed speed down. Trust me. Using a 480 volt welder using 1/16 wire is about 225ipm and then using 5/65 its about 150ipm. But you do need to increase the volts. The amps dont really drop down. Its a internal way the power source works.

[-Matt-]

ya your right about the wire speed wasn't thinking right. Heat input = Volt x Ampere / Speed. just curious, whats the 480v machine that your using?

[junya92toy]

Old miller. We have some mig 600 amp lincolns too

[Crawler677 [OP]]

WOOT, she got here today.  Now i have to finish up my electical duties so i can plug it in. wish me luck

 

[Crawler677 [OP]]

  

[ninja turtle]

nice!!

[junya92toy]

Im jealous

[Crawler677 [OP]]

I would choose Lincolns wire over anything. I have seen many problems with hobart wire before. the great thing about Lincoln is there a vary consistent company...in all aspects. but i do love my miller. and at far as the ER70S-6...that has nothing to do with brand. its just the style and make of wire. and for size... the most noticeable difference i believe between those specific wire dimensions will probably be the speed, the 035 will just deposit more making it go faster (but will you will have to crank up the heat). I like the 030 cuz you can just cruz a long and burn it in good and hot, seems to be the best fits-all-application sizes of wire. as the size of wire increases you have to compensate with more wire speed (amperage) and voltage. so your ability to weld really thin material becomes pretty damn hard. in other words id get 030, unless your only welding 3/8" + material. but for the most part its just user preference. good luck

This is what i needed. Can anyone verify this? I want to go with the best all around wire, ER70S6 defintely. but, .035, or .030?  About to order from airgas. most of the stuff wont be thicker then 1/4" some 3/8". gotta burn in those D-Ring tabs too. plus sheet metal, I want to say .030 but i just dunno 

[junya92toy]

Im a welder for a living. I have used from -023 to 5/64 wire.  What I use at home is .030 its the best for the smaller welders. I use straight c02 gas. It gets alittle more penitration then 75/25 and it lasts a lot longer the bead may not be quite as pretty but it gets the job done. Yes it will weld thin sheet metal too. A good trick for sheet metal is to get a copper bar and hold it up to the weld joint to take away some of the heat so you dont burn through. And trigger or spot in the weld if you have too. make many many small welds so you dont warp the metal.  I have built some trailer hitch drop stringers with my setup.  Also On think stuff get a torch and preheat it. That will help ALOT. I did a vertical up weld test on 3/8s and passed with mine.

[KYOTA]

the copper "spoon" doesnt allow the electrode to stick to it so all the weld is directed into the base metal instead of blowing through. a cheap effective copper spoon, short piece of copper tubing hammered flat

[Crawler677 [OP]]

Awesome, thanks guys, im gonna run .030, the goal im shooting for is all around, the new machine has stich/spot timers which i imagine will be great for sheet metal.
 I have tried 100% Co2 with my small mig and i like the 75/25 mix better, less spatter to smooth out.

I already do have a torch that I use that for cutting, id love to get a plasma cutter at some point but the oxy-torch works fine for now. Cant imagine i'll need to preheat often. maybe on the reallyy thick stuff (1/2" plus), but i usually just use my welding head for the oxy-torch for stuff that thick.

Alright thanks for the help guys.