Bought a welder turns out it's not what i wanted. its a lincoln mig-pak 180. I want a mig welder that i can weld as thin a 22 gauge sheet metal and also do ch***is work with it. the welder i currently have can only do ch***is work if i use flux core wire and it is way to messy, i might as well just go back to using my arc welder. Any suggestions?
I'm not positive on the lincoln 180 but a lot of those are dual porpose, they will run flux core and mig, the feed rollers will flip over and run smaller guage wire, a quick change on the polarity, and a source of gas flow and guage, Some already have the gas solenoid some dont. I needed the solenoid, but it designed to accept it and wire provision is built in. The gun/lead/liner should already be there, What do the instructions say????
it came with everything to run flux core, but i dont want to use flux core. i hate using it, espesially when i want a pretty weld.
I'm not familiar with the mig-pak 180, but I'd be surprised if you couldn't go low enough amperage to spot weld 22 gage although 22 is VERY thin stuff. Can you back it up with copper or ??? to absorb excess heat? I'm ***uming you're not trying to run a continuous bead, right?
It most likely came with everything but the bottle of gas and the flow guage to run mig also. Possibly the gas soledoid is also needed. Get to the instructions yet ?? That will weld aluminum, stainless, (not tig but you can weld it) steel, just about any thing you want, right wire and right gas and you can go weld a cats *** to the telephone pole!!
i would think you could do ch***is work if you grind the edges down and use mig wire and a gas bottle.
ive tried to mig 1/4" steel with gas on my frame and i cant get it ny heat out of it at all. im not happy if icant MIG thicker steel with this thing, its usless to me. So im looking to return it and get what will work for me.
I've successfully (as in, had a pipeline welder inspect it) welded 1/4" plate with my Hobart 140... that 180 will do it, it's technique. Turn the power all the way up, run a slower wire speed and take your time. It'll go.
Are you changing the polarity when you switch from flux core to mig? The factory specs on that unit are mig : 3/16 material, single p***, continuous duty, flux core is 1/2 inch thick. So with that being said, a proper sized power cord, the right polarity, the right gas, and the machine turned up, nice surface to weld on, there would be no problem mig welding 1/4 brackets on your frame. that really is a nice all around machine
I have a Lincoln Power Mig 180c that has a range from 24ga to 1/2". I've never needed to weld either of those thicknesses, but it does great for sheetmetal work and ch***is work. Going from a Miller 180 that did great, I'd say this one is a step above since it has some cool user-friendly features like the anti-wire nest guides. I've never had a problem with it in the year I've owned it. Got it from Airgas when my little brother worked there.
The 180 should do everything you want, you DO have to change polarity if you run gas instead of flux core.
66 elcam inspect these and report back as to what they are. 1. Power cord- length, guage 2. Gas type or mix 3. polarity setting on machine 4. Feed wire size
Save yourself a lot of headache-------Return it & get a Lincoln 250 mig & co2 cyl. with .035 wire-------Lots more range!!-----Don
I can weld 1/4" with my Lincoln 135, one step down from yours. I've also welded thinner than 22gauge. If it's not your polarity or wire, it could be you just need to fiddle around more with wire speed and travel speed.
Your not going to get a pretty weld on sheet metal work. It's spot welded skipping back and forth until you fill it all completely in, making in the end; what looks like a continuous weld. That's using flux or MIG process. Carl Hagan
\ done with miller 250 with .030 wire takes time but if you switch your machine to gas and take your time you will learn how. If you burn a hole it is ok just go back and fill it in. it is better to burn through everynow and then that way you know you have good pentration and not just alot of BB's on top of the metal. If you were close I would come over and set your machine up for you. Just get it converted to gas and burn alot of s**** metal until you get the hang of it. hope this helps RED PS this is a **** joint another thing this is a picture of a 68 mustang 1/4 panel skin replacement one of those taiwan pieces that some can't weld not really 20 gauge metal and who know what alloy
It is on gas right now. With it cranked and the wire feed at 4 (it goes from 1-10) I can get enough to get some descent tacks out of it on the 1/4" but that's about it. On sheet metal the thing is awesome but if it was for sheet metal only I would have just kept my 110. It says right in the instructions if I want to weld anything thicker then 3/16" I have to switch to flux core and I don't want to. I should have read the online PDF instructions before I bought it... But you guys have brought up a good thing on the polarity, I will check that tomorrow and try again.
Try a search "mig pack" there was a thread a short while ago about the box store brand. Lincoln mig pack vs the real lincoln......
I think you have a power supply problem. Thats a 220V machine right? You need shop wiring and, if used, an extension cord thats able to supply enough power over the length of either or both cables. You'll find that the welder operates better the closer you are to the breaker panel, if your shop wiring is undersized, Also, don't coil your extension cord when in use. That creates some sort of issue with current flow that can screw up your welding. Lay it out straight and use one thats as short as possible. Those machines are popular and well liked by most who need a powerful hobby welder...so I'm betting on other issues. I use a MIG PAC 15...same basic machine...and have no issues with anything from 24g (using solid .023 wire) to properly prepped 1/4" plate (using solid .030 wire) MIG setup.
Yep its a 220 machine. Thanks for the info. I will try it at the plug to see if it gets better. I'm using a very heavy extension cord but who knows maybe it holding it back. I've got 2 plugs in the shop, one is a little closer to the panel then the other. I still have a feeling this welder won't be enough. There is alot of ch***is welding I still have to do...
Well...you have to be satisfied with the machine or you'll never get the results you want! It's like trying to weld uncomfortable. You certainly CAN'T go wrong by getting the best machine you can afford!!!
it is a question of technique you cannot weld like you do with stick welding do not move your hand let the wire feed do the work hope this helps
i used that same machine to bag my truck ...i even used .030 wire .did just fine . good joint prep and technique will get you through it .. but i did end up giving up that welder and bought me the big daddy miller 252.
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