MM252 won't feed

[WillieB]

I've bragged for years about my MillerMatic 252. It's a great welder. I'm beginning to learn I should be quiet, keep my doors locked, shoot intruders in the driveway, and not have children.

A family friend asked my son about borrowing my MIG. Seth said yes, I didn't overrule him.

Stupid, I know. I deserve it.

The nozzle is bent, The contact tip adapter is partially burned away. The new tip threaded easily into it, despite part of the threaded female end being damaged. It was probably due for new consumables anyway. What's got me rattled is that it behaves like it has a pulse feature. Wire feeds intermittently for the first ten seconds of a weld, then smooth for a few seconds, then an occasional stutter. When not welding it feeds smoothly. .035 wire fit is loose in the .035 Miller brand tip. Drive rolls are the same as have been in it for years, they are clean, Seem to be in adjustment.

What am I doing wrong?

Willie

[H80N]

I've bragged for years about my MillerMatic 252. It's a great welder. I'm beginning to learn I should be quiet, keep my doors locked, shoot intruders in the driveway, and not have children.

A family friend asked my son about borrowing my MIG. Seth said yes, I didn't overrule him.

Stupid, I know. I deserve it.

The nozzle is bent, The contact tip adapter is partially burned away. The new tip threaded easily into it, despite part of the threaded female end being damaged. It was probably due for new consumables anyway. What's got me rattled is that it behaves like it has a pulse feature. Wire feeds intermittently for the first ten seconds of a weld, then smooth for a few seconds, then an occasional stutter. When not welding it feeds smoothly. .035 wire fit is loose in the .035 Miller brand tip. Drive rolls are the same as have been in it for years, they are clean, Seem to be in adjustment.

What am I doing wrong?

Willie

might be kinked at the bend...... in addition... I would remove...inspect..... clean and blow out the liner.... might be damaged and need replacement

[WillieB]

might be kinked at the bend...... in addition... I would remove...inspect..... clean and blow out the liner.... might be damaged and need replacement

Thank you, I'll check the liner.

[tackit]

Is the wire clean? It's best to wipe wire down with a clean rag and check the rag, if it has rust, you'll be smart to clean the wire drive rolls and make sure the wire grooves are set for the right size wire. Good luck.

[WillieB]

Wire is clean, rolls are .035 U smooth.

I'm trying to figure out how a tip adapter gets burned up. I wonder if they tried flux core wire with no nozzle? That doesn't seem to influence feeding. They used their own roll of wire, and tank. They have a little MIG for sheet metal.

[Synchroman]

There is a wire feed test in the Millermatic 252 Manual, Section 5-14

[WillieB]

I've got new consumables ordered. I didn't order a new liner, I'm thinking maybe I should have.

[Can You Weld This For Me?]

I'd get my boy by the throat, regardless of age, and he would find out what happened to it. Then he or them would pay to make it whole again.

[WillieB]

I'd get my boy by the throat, regardless of age, and he would find out what happened to it. Then he or them would pay to make it whole again.

You don't have sons do you? I had my opportunity to prevent this. The man who borrowed it is a friend. I trust him. I made the mistake of not preventing this. I carry the fault. Loaned tools get broke. That has always been fact. I've known this many years. Now, and then I need to be reminded. I'm hoping it can be fixed, the cost is accounted to education. In future I may be a bit more cautious, but probably will only volunteer to show how.

Willie

[H80N]

You don't have sons do you? I had my opportunity to prevent this. The man who borrowed it is a friend. I trust him. I made the mistake of not preventing this. I carry the fault. Loaned tools get broke. That has always been fact. I've known this many years. Now, and then I need to be reminded. I'm hoping it can be fixed, the cost is accounted to education. In future I may be a bit more cautious, but probably will only volunteer to show how.

Willie

Willie

my guess is still a kink in the liner or other gun related malady..........

do you have access to a known good gun to try out...??

[WillieB]

Maybe. The machine at a customer's facility is a store brand gun. It doesn't always work very well. They have a pretty bad voltage loss problem that might be the cause of most of their trouble. My new consumables are on their way from Kentucky. When they arrive, I'll dismantle the gun, and carefully inspect.

The damaged gun components give cause to wonder if the liner too may have suffered some trauma. I'm not grasping why the wire feeds smoothly until striking an arc. There is no evidence of it sticking in the tip.

Willie

[griff01]

Maybe. The machine at a customer's facility is a store brand gun. It doesn't always work very well. They have a pretty bad voltage loss problem that might be the cause of most of their trouble. My new consumables are on their way from Kentucky. When they arrive, I'll dismantle the gun, and carefully inspect.

The damaged gun components give cause to wonder if the liner too may have suffered some trauma. I'm not grasping why the wire feeds smoothly until striking an arc. There is no evidence of it sticking in the tip.

Willie

You may want to check or just reset the hidden menu setup parameters.
Griff

[Can You Weld This For Me?]

You don't have sons do you?

Two actually.

I'm sure it can be fixed. With a shop machine, my biggest fear of transporting one is shaking or jarring something loose or from together. I'm sure you have, but check all connections that have nuts & bolts. Then check the molex connections.

Keep us us in the loop. I'm curious to know the problem.

[WillieB]

I will. I expect parts to arrive tomorrow. I'll put some effort into the problem when I have pieces. I'm usually not one to throw money at a mystery, but I felt I needed some of the little obscure parts that can leak shielding gas for a while. The welder has been a champion. I NEED it to work well again.

Willie

[H80N]

I will. I expect parts to arrive tomorrow. I'll put some effort into the problem when I have pieces. I'm usually not one to throw money at a mystery, but I felt I needed some of the little obscure parts that can leak shielding gas for a while. The welder has been a champion. I NEED it to work well again.

Willie

Willie

something to think about.....

many times uninformed folks will drag the welder around by the MIG Whip like a tow rope...

this often causes damage that may not be easily visible