10lb spool of Lincoln flux SUCKS!

[JFoster]

So I am a pretty novice welder, and I recently purchased a Hobart Handler 140. After running a couple 2lb spools of flux through it I picked up a 10lb spool of Lincoln flux for $45 at the steel yard.

It constantly gets hung up and I have to rip like 10ft of wire out through it with pliers. It'll work for a moment and do it again. I did buy the same size .35 and I had a more experienced buddy there who said the pool was wound too tight causing flat spots in the wire :confused:

Anybody else had this issue? Suggestions? What to do or different brand to buy?

Thanks

[paulkeith]

you mean .035?

i've had issues with slow feed speeds in my lincoln too, but a new cable liner cleared it up. i bought their upgraded teflon lined one for something like $1 more.

you say 'couple' 2lb rolls...how many? how long have you had the welder? did you kink your line at any point? there are a million variables.

[JFoster]

yes, .035 same as it came with. I have only had it a few months. Literally 2 spools of 2lb ... the one it came with and one I bought at Race Bros. which was like $30 so I was wanting to get the added value of the 10lb spool but I am wasting alot of the wire.

We also changed the tip a couple times but it was really never hung up at the tip. It shouldn't have gotten kinked at all ... it was working fine until we put the 10lb spool in.

As you said there are probably too many variables to know for sure I really just wanted to check and see if this was a common issue with a common cause. Thanks

[DRM]

FYI, I'd drop down to .032 in the 140 Hobart if I were you. I never felt like it could really get the larger wire hot enough for my liking.

[THachiya]

Did you adjust the tension on your drive wheels for the new wire? The different wire (coating) may have a sufficiently different friction coefficient to require a different setting. (It sounds like it's too tight, so you cannot slip the drive at all before it binds and kinks.)

Just guessing.

[mondtster]

Are you sure that they shipped .035 wire with the HH140? My HH210 came with a spool of .030 flux core wire and I can't imagine that they would ship a smaller welder with larger wire although I suppose it is possible. You might be having issues trying to push the bigger wire through something that is not currently set up for it...

[Panthers65]

should be similar to the lincoln I've ran .035 in my 175 with no problems, but never a 10# spool

[dubbyx]

I've never liked running Lincoln wire in my HH175. It's never consistent from batch to batch, and there always seems to be something wrong with it.

As far as it getting hung up though, I'd drop the tension or make sure you've got the roll seated properly. I'm not familiar with the 140, but switching between 2lb and 10lb rolls on the 175 you have to get the larger roll aligned with the mount in the back. Little black knob on the spool holder must go into the plastic spool at the right point. It allows you to back the tension way off but keeps the wire from getting uncontrollable.

Now, as far as "flat spots" from being too tight?!? Dunno about all that. I have had wire flat spot from un-boxed spools slamming into each other. It happens more in the little spools than the big ones though.

Double check the rollers and clean them (light brush or rag) as well as where the wire feeds into the liner every time you swap spools. Also pull the tip apart and clean it really well.

[DSW]

How free is the spool to spin? You will have a lot more enertia to get moving. My mm 185 has a spring to set the spool tension on small spools. If you try and use it with a big spool there is to much friction for the drive rollers to overcome and the rollers slip. If it does feed it feeds eratic because it will un spool a bunch wire and stop, then bang have to start the roll moving again.

As said a kink in the liner is a posibility. It will act like you are describing also. I have had to replace a number of liners because the guys in the shop try and jam the mig into the smallest space posible for storage and kink the liner at the machine.

[eschoendorff]

See if you can take the spool back to the steel yard and exchange it for something different. I love to run .030 in my HH140... nice happy medium.

[knaffie]

You need to use a knurled drive roll with flux-cored wire or the drive rolls will slip often. Make sure you have a good liner in there too, of course.

Years ago I welded production with .035" Lincoln Flux-cored wire in a SP135+ all summer long. I've burned hundreds of hudreds of pounds of that stuff. Never had a feeding issue when its set up right.

[VerticalTRX]

While I don't have much experience with the Hobart welders, I have run spool after spool of Lincoln Innershield NR-211-MP in both .035 and .045 through my SP135 and SP175 respectively. It burns quite nice and I have never had feeding trouble.

First off, make sure you have the proper drive roll. As mentioned above you need a knurled drive roll meant for .035 flux core, your welder may or may not have come with one.

Second, make sure you have the drive roll feed pressure set properly, too light it will slip, to tight it will crush the wire which could lead to feed problems as well.

Third, check that the wire tension isn't too tight (it should be just tight enough to keep the spool from uncoiling itself, no tighter) and that you are running the proper adapter for the 10lb rolls.

Lastly, if you don't already have one, add a wire scrubber to your setup. They are cheap disposable little brillo type units that clip around the wire and clean it as it goes into the drive rolls. You should be able to get a pack of them at your local welding shop.

[Wyoming9]

T

The fact you only ran 2 spools of wire through your welder.

I would say change your liner, or your drive roll pressure is to tight. it is also a good idea to pull the wire out if your not going to use the weder for awhile.

If the wire got rusty it won`t run very well, I work at the Miller regional repair center in Pa see all of the above problems all the time.

Good luck, I pull my wire out and store it in plastic bags, it is pretty damp here.