wire feed question

[Shade guy]

I have a question about the new Passport welder. I have only had to use it a couple of times Yesterday was the first time using 220 welding 1/4 I beam It welded great. My question is when you squeeze the trigger the wire will start out really slow for about 2 seconds and then speed up to normal speed is this normal? Also I am running 35 wire and have to adjust the tensioner all the way to the number 4 setting almost to its stop and the wire will not feed unlees the gun cable is almost straight any ideas?
thanks

[hankj]

Try loosening the tension on the wire spool.

Hank

[Sberry]

It sounds like it has a slow run in feature?????? Does it speed up when you strike an arc?

[Brand X]

It sounds like it has a slow run in feature?????? Does it speed up when you strike an arc?

It's the way it's made. It will speed up so you can feed wire through the machine without
running the slow speed the whole way. I would run .030 solid wire in that machine.

[hankj]

As big a fan as I am of Miller products, I'm put off by the lack of information supplied in the ownere's manuals about how the machine actually does it's tricks! :p

In the manual for my MM135, there is NO mention of wire speed tracking and how it functions, even though it is a big factor in the machine's operation. The same is true for the run-in circuitry of the MM Passport. The fact that wire feed begins at a slower-than-welding rate is not mentioned, and it does not surprise me that folks may think something is wrong with the machine.

I believe the run-in circuit is designed to allow a smooth arc start by not "jamming" the wire into the work.. If you are close enough to the work (which you should be) the wire will make contact with the work during the slow run-in phase, and instantly speed up when the arc is struck.

If that ain't what it do, certainly we shall be elucidated by some teller of truths. :eek:

Hank

[Shade guy]

Ok thanks I need to get some .030 wire i guess but I probably never use solid wire as these are only temporary welds 90.% of the time
While talking to a welding suppler salesman the other day he recomended that I get a different gun He wasn't to up on the miller gun.

thanks
Paul

[Sberry]

I like slow run in to allow for a second if I want to flood some gas out of the nozzel before striking an arc.

[Jmb]

My MM350P has a slow run in feature that is adjustable from 0 to 5 seconds. As Sberry mentioned it is to allow the gas to flow before striking the arc. I tried mine up to 1/2 second and I could never get used to it so I just turned it off. I can only imagine what it would be like if it i set it on 5 seconds. I guess that I'm to impatient, but I want to see some fire when I pull the trigger... :D