No penetration

[Nutz4sand]

Might be worth the 20-30 bucks if you took the welder set up for gas to a local who you know can weld and have then make sure its good and at the same time try to snag a few pointers on good motion as that can help penetration immensely! 

My welder had a bad circuit board and it was all over the place. My welds are not the cream of the crop but sometimes the wleder if not right can make you think its you. I would go make sure its proper.

If you try this take your helmet too so you can watch if they will let you! Take some metal you work with too so they can help you anil the settings too. Your settings may be a tad different than a persion with some welding time but they should get you in the ball park. 

[thedoctor]

It's just a shot in the dark, but I had a 110 mig that would not weld worth a crap unless it was plugged into the outlet about 2 feet from the breaker box. Tim

[SPEC]

Lotta good points made here...But ...
These are rudeimentary comments from me...
1 are you switching the polarity when switching from gasless flux core to hard wire? If not try it
2 hard wire takes more amperage to work propperly...try cranking up the amps and slowing the wire speed to near 0...and gradually come back up with the wire speed till you can maintain a consistant arc...
3 most 110 units are rated at peak amperage just before overload...what I'm trying to say is that they say they will do .030 or .035 wire when in reality they really can only handle .023 wire at the max...now wire dash numbers are also a factor here but since your prolly using 3 pound spools I doubt if we need to muddy the waters with that info

[komelika]

These are rudeimentary comments from me...
1 are you switching the polarity when switching from gasless flux core to hard wire? If not try it

This is the first thing to come to mind when I read this. Spec beat me to it. Switch from DCEN to DCEP. Read the owner's manual for instructions on how to do it.

[SPEC]

 
Usually it's just a matter of swapping the lead and the ground terminals...
Just make sure the machine is off and powered down...old machines still have enough stored up power to put you on yer ass :P
Ask Fabr how he knows this

[fabr]

WASN'T ME! I've never pulled the trigger on a MIG gun myself. Seriously. TIG and stick I feel quite comfortable with and the principles of heat and travel speed to getting a good weld apply whether stick,TIG or MIG. Soooooo,I put my 2 cents in on the subject.

[Wyattboche]

It's just a shot in the dark, but I had a 110 mig that would not weld worth a crap unless it was plugged into the outlet about 2 feet from the breaker box. Tim

I had the same deal on my Hobart 140 volt. Is your welder a 120 Volt or 140 Volt?

[komelika]

I had the same deal on my Hobart 140 volt. Is your welder a 120 Volt or 140 Volt?

They are all 115V, 230V, or 200/230V. 140 is a reference to the amps not the volts. 

[SPEC]

 

[Boomer-61]

    I plugged the unit directly into the wall without any extension cords to a 20amp breaker to make sure I was getting a clean circuit.  I have used both .23 and .30 solid core wire and it really did not make a difference.  The unit is put together correctly, I checked all wiring twice and my son checked it twice as well. 
    Nutz, that's great advice.  I do know a guy who is a professional auto restoration guy and has offered to weld up my chasis, maybe I'll take my set up down to him and see if he can do anything with it and get a lesson to boot. 

[Boostinjdm]

Post up your make and model (the correct ones)  and maybe even a pic of your welder.  I have yet to see a welder that can't lay at least a decent bead on thin material.  Even the piece of shit imports will do it.  I swear by Miller, but I have fixed up some Clarks and centurys for others and run test beads to prove the operator was the problem. 

P.S.  all I had for years was a Miller 130 and then a Miller 135.

[Wyattboche]

They are all 115V, 230V, or 200/230V. 140 is a reference to the amps not the volts. 

Tells ya how much I know about electricity.

[Boomer-61]

It's a Hobart 125 with the Hobart gas kit.  I can post a pic if you like but I'm looking at manual.  Boost, it's frustrating.  I've gotten pretty good with the flux core; I can even weld with minimum splatter and things are tight with good penetration.  When I started with the gas I was thinking all would be well and good and I could do at least as good as I did with the flux and lo, I started turning out el crappo welds.  Looks like I'm using a cake froster, just pouring metal on top of the steel.  I have tried all the suggestions save one, to preheat my metals with a propane torch which I don't have.  I've wasted too much time farting around with this thing hence I put the flux core back in just so I could do some tacking and keep on going.  Nutz has a great idea in taking the unit to a professional but that will cost me a half a day out of my shop to do it which I don't have at this time.  Your suggestions? 

[komelika]

It's a Hobart 125 with the Hobart gas kit.  I can post a pic if you like but I'm looking at manual.  Boost, it's frustrating.  I've gotten pretty good with the flux core; I can even weld with minimum splatter and things are tight with good penetration.  When I started with the gas I was thinking all would be well and good and I could do at least as good as I did with the flux and lo, I started turning out el crappo welds.  Looks like I'm using a cake froster, just pouring metal on top of the steel.  I have tried all the suggestions save one, to preheat my metals with a propane torch which I don't have.  I've wasted too much time farting around with this thing hence I put the flux core back in just so I could do some tacking and keep on going.  Nutz has a great idea in taking the unit to a professional but that will cost me a half a day out of my shop to do it which I don't have at this time.  Your suggestions?

How's the tip? Is it the flux core only tip or a gas tip? Can you hear the shielding gas when you pull the trigger? What do you have the shielding gas flow set to? How fast is your wire speed? Did you change the polarity when you change the wire?

[SPEC]

seems to me that's been mentioned before