just got a hobart tigmate

[southsiderich]

Hi fellas, hoping for some help here. Got this new tigmate and having a hard time with it. Been tig welding for years thought maybe it was the nature of the beast. Using the 3/32 tungston that was supplied with it argon is set at roughly 15 using a foot control. The arc seems very erratic, seems to circle around where i'm trying to fuse, and pop and sputter uncontrollably.
Use a miller dynasty all day doing sanitary fab with no problems. I've got to be doing something wrong here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Craig in Denver]

You said you're doing sanitary fab all day, so I'm guessing stainless?

Since you're experienced I won't guess at the obvious. But at home, I'm guessing you're welding DC, on something magnetic. I wonder if there's a magnet hiding somewhere nearby. Are you relying on a table ground or clamping close to the work? Or maybe your cable routing, across a magnetic source? More info please.

Another mild steel issue: you can't TIG mill scale, it will mess with you. Please, Don't ask how I know this or how long it took to learn on my own.

Clamp a piece of scrap and make a puddle right there. I have to pedal 'er up steadily until the tungsten comes up to temp, and the arc stabilizes.

FWIW: hobby TIG weldor.