MIG wire feed speed

[Bret4207]

I have an older Cebora MIG welder set up for flux core. It doesn't have inches per minute graduations on the wire feed like the Miller I have set up for gas. Out of curiosity, I tried measuring the feed based on the graduations there are, 1-10. Near as I can tell this thing will push out 240 inches per minute at the #6 setting. I did a 5 second test off a stop watch and got about 20 inches, 20 x 12+240. Couldn't believe it so did a 10 second test and got about 40 inches, 40x6-240. At #2 I got about 40 IPM, #4 I got about 80 IPM. I didn't try over the #6! This seems incredibly fast feed for a 155A welder. It's always been real finicky on speed, but when I got it set right it worked good with gas. Now, with 2 machines, I thought I'd use this one for flux cored, hence the testing. Does the wire feed seem ridiculously fast? I'm comparing to the Miller 172 that maxes out at 100 IPM. I'm sort of a newby at the whole wire feed thing, only a couple years. Things like this drive me make me appreciate the simplicity of stick!

 

[Mike Groom]

I've wire welded for about 50 years and have never once checked the wire speed in inches per minute,most welders I have owned and used from other people including work I adjust by sight and hearing.It might be
a speed of 3 and a setting of F or G for example on some welders or 6 and 10 or any combo of letters and numbers,look at the weld and the crackle sound and go from there.Keep it simple and don't over analyze
it.

 

[glennster]

i have heard if it sounds like eggs frying in super hot bacon grease, ya got it set right!

 

[Welding man]

Every young whippersnapper that comes into my shop that says he's a welder, I give him a quick test. I go the stick machine and set it on straight polarity, I turn the amperage way down, give him 3- 1/8 in 7018 electrodes and a piece of 1/4 in plate. If he can't tell me what polarity the machine is on, set the amperage without looking at the dial and run me a bead across the center of that plate and still have one rod to spare he fails. Same with the MIG. If He can't set the voltage, and fine tune the wire speed to weld a nice bead in about 90 seconds, he fails. Most walk out and never come back. It always amazed me why they put gauges on welders anyway, You can't see them while welding and the amps don't work until you do. Welding is practice, practice and more practice. Feel, sound, travel speed and rod angle controls amperage.

 

[Dennis Minn]

weldingman,

That is exactly how afriend of mine was hired. They gave him some steel, didn't tell him what, taped over al the dials, indicators, etc, and had him weld.

Within a half minute, he had drawn a weld that had to be inspected by the weld-certified folks.

He had the job, nearly immediately. Saying it and being able to back it up means a lot.

D.

 

[moresmoke]

I know absolutely nothing about the welder
you are talking about. But, some of the
lesser mig welders that are not true
constant voltage output use voltage
sensing wire feeders. The higher the
voltage, the faster the wire speed. You
may find that under load, the feed speed
may be much less.

 

[M-MAN]

I just hauled one of those to the
dumpster this week after the smoke
leaked out. Have to admit I never even
thought about running the spool out on
the ground just to see how fast it comes
out.

 

[Butch(OH)]

I used to give the same type test to equipment operators who claimed to have run every loader ever built. We had an old Cat 980 with jerky steering and we we turn off the master switch, pull the foot throttle back and leave it in forward gear. The guys here who have actually spend sone time in a Cat loader of that vintage know that we separated the experienced from the BSers with that procedure.

 

[MarkB_MI]

If the wire doesn't stick on the highest voltage welding heavy material, it's not too fast. Wire speed controls the current; the faster the wire speed the greater the current.

It might be useful to compare it with the specs for similar welders:

Lincoln Power MIG 180C: 50-500 ipm

Lincoln Power MIG 140MP: 40-500 ipm

Millermatic 141: 15-360 ipm (this is a 115V-only machine)

Millermatic 211: 60-600 ipm

 

[Bret4207]

(quoted from post at 09:10:41 06/07/20) If the wire doesn't stick on the highest voltage welding heavy material, it's not too fast. Wire speed controls the current; the faster the wire speed the greater the current.

It might be useful to compare it with the specs for similar welders:

Lincoln Power MIG 180C: 50-500 ipm

Lincoln Power MIG 140MP: 40-500 ipm

Millermatic 141: 15-360 ipm (this is a 115V-only machine)

Millermatic 211: 60-600 ipm

Thanks Mark, that is the type of info I was wondering about.

I appreciate the other thoughts as well. I'm a seat of the pants type welder, but my son is in the local high school welding program and likes to have an idea of where to start. That's why I was looking at this. I also wasn't much of a fan of flux core until seeing some video from professional instructors outlining why I was having problems with it. It has it's place for sure. I'm still a lot more comfortable with stick!

 

[Phil9N3667]

The sound is distinctive
for sure, even to someone
half deaf like me. Had to
weld a crack in a trailer
yesterday and it had that
"sizzle" to it. Hope it
cures that problem.