Millermatic 212 Wire will not feed at all.

[curly]

I've had this welder for a few years and never had any trouble with it. I don't use it very often but the wire has always fed fine once I got it set up...never touched the adjustments since then. Then the other day I turned it on and tried to feed wire through and nothing. It's making the noise like it's feeding but when I look at the feeding mechanism nothing moves. I tried to pull wire though the handle and couldn't get it to move (not sure if I should be able to), and I tried to pull the wire from inside the welder out of the handle with no success. Any tips or things I can try.

Thanks, Kurt

[Bls repair]

Does it have taps or is it infinite control?

[curly]

If I hold it down it feeds forever, if that's what you mean.

**Update - duh....I was able to pull all of the wire from the cable. When I press the trigger the gears don't even move.

[Bls repair]

No power control A,b,c,d,e or is it a rheostat type .Try turning it back and forth a bunch of times .Sometimes they get corroded from sitting.

[aametalmaster]

One of the wires are off inside the handle...Bob

[curly]

That sounds reasonable Bob. I looked on you-tube for anything related to disasembling a mig handle. Many vids about replacing the liner, but none that I saw about the handle. I looked at the handle and it seems like you can't get it apart. Do I need to get the trigger off first and then go from there.

Thanks for the advice

[curly]

OK, I was able to take the trigger off and disassemble it. It looks good, the wires both seemed to have good contact. It's getting power from the trigger to the celinoid thing. But the gears just don't turn.

I guess it could be the plug at the bottom of the handle that has the 2 prongs on it.

[aametalmaster]

So you pull the trigger and nothing happens? There is a circuit breaker there someplace make sure its pushed in...Bob

[curly]

I pull the trigger and the solenoid (whatever that thing is that makes the noise) fires off but the gears don't move. Are you talking about a circuit breaker inside of the millermatic? Because the machine is on, the noise happens but the gears don't move.

[aametalmaster]

Maybe the contactor is stuck. You will have to take the skin off and its on the backside of where the motor is on the panel housed in a clear plastic cube. Make sure its unplugged first. Then tap on the contactor and plug the machine in without touching a thing and pull the trigger again...Bob

[aametalmaster]

Is the wire tension open when the gears are trying to turn. Maybe something is binding them up...Bob

[curly]

I removed the wire and loosen it all up. Should be no tension. I'll try the contactor tomorrow. Thanks again. Kurt

[curly]

OK Bob, I'm at work and downloaded a parts schematic and see that the contactor is the thing I was calling the solenoid. So the contactor is that thing that is making all the racket. Are you saying that it may be stuck, but it can still make all that racket when it's stuck? I'm gonna unplug it and tap it when I get home, just wanted to be clear on the issue.

Thanks, Kurt

[aametalmaster]

Yup thats it...Bob

[curly]

Thanks Bob.