Venting - Wanting a new mig but they all suck

[zakthor]

I’m doing some rusty thin bodywork stuff with this hot metal glue gun thing, a gas mig I got on Craigslist for $125. It really sucks, the high and low settings are unstable and the wire feed is really touchy.

My friend has a miller 211 that I tried out and it’s great and makes me a better welder, especially on thicker stuff but…

My old mig has the gas valve in the torch. If I feel like it I can keep the gas flowing until the metal cools. And I can put out sealant fires…

and with my machine I can pre flow and get a great splatter free arc right from the get go (if the wire feeds…)

My friends miller has a gas solenoid in the box that turns on with the wire and arc, and I’m hating it. Yes his welder makes a reliable spark but I miss that gas control. Sure I’m a terrible person and a terrible welder and a good welder would do all the prep and cut out all the rust and would be happy with the miller, but it still seems like a big step back.

The miller makes a hard dark angry brittle bead, my gassed welds are shiny and soft and easy to shrink.

I’ve gone searching and my understanding is that it was only cheap bad welders from Europe that had valves in the torch? Why isn’t this still popular? I like being able to simply control how long the gas flows, why should I need to choose a digital pre/post purge?

I see a bunch of new migs with Bluetooth control. It’s almost like I could control gas and wire speed with my phone while in the wheelwell while wrapped around the rear hub, but then I cant use my phone with those gloves on.

Why the hell aren’t there migs with on torch wire speed, power and gas controls? Seems like child’s play to implement. I have been emailing welder makers and one has a $2k torch with wire speed control, miller makes some crazy expensive stuff, but looks like there are no bottom of the barrel cheap migs with these features.

Doesn’t it seem insane that the torch control doesn’t exist? Should be child’s play to make. I’m tempted to rig up a Bluetooth board with some control knobs but then no one quite wants to make their ble interface public.

Thanks for listening. Rant over.

Tell me there’s a cheap Chinese mig that does what I want. Sure won’t get any cost effective innovation from that monolith that owns all the welder ‘companies.’

[LWJ]

Can you bypass the solenoid on a Miller type machine and use the gun from your crap welder? Sort of a Frankenstein's monster?

Sorry. I am not a welder. I just sold welding crap for a while.

[Bill Douglas]

Not exactly what you are looking for. But my Lincoln 180C has adjustable time for the gas to come out after you release the weld trigger. I gently wave it back and forth for 15 seconds after I stop the weld.

[unclebilly]

Turn up the flow rate on the regulator on the miller. If your welds are oxidized, you aren’t getting enough shield gas.

[afterburn 549]

My Miller is not for sale.
Yes, more gas than scheduled is a thing I learned a long time ago.
It will weld paper-thin or 1/2 inch, N.P.

[wdfifteen]

In the early 70s I had a job building trailers. We used a Miller that had a two-stage trigger. Pulling it halfway opened the gas valve and pulling it all the way started the wire feed. It was a pretty sweet system. Welding clean, new steel all the time was pretty sweet too.

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

Turn up the flow rate on the regulator on the miller. If your welds are oxidized, you aren’t getting enough shield gas.

The problem is that this is rusty thin sheet, sometimes 22g or thinner. I do a zap then wait. quick zaps 2 seconds apart means there’s not enough gas. In this application it just doesn’t make sense that gas is directly synced with arc.

I’ve heard the valves in torches are janky and waste gas but gosh it works well. My guess is real welding people don’t do half assed bodywork in their driveway, so there’s no demand except from idiot cheapskates like me.

Meanwhile miller offers exactly the controls I want but for $20k.

Ok, I think I see a sort of solution. Some of these digital MiGs have an iPhone app Bluetooth control… and iPhones support Bluetooth controller accessories….

Maybe I find some simple click knob type tactile controller, hook to old iPad and I can dial settings with gloves on. I’d need to use the pre/post flow.

But I really think the welding companies are dropping the ball here and they suck for not innovating.

I bought a dc power supply from Amazon last year for $80 that’s fully programmable and had an awesome ui. $80. We need some of that in the world of welding.

[Zeke]

Your title says "...they all suck." Simply, that is not true. You just haven't found the right welder yet. And I suspect your CL purchase for very thin metal was not a wise one.

I don't have any problems with instant on and off gas flow using my Hobart. For the first weld in a series, e.g., if the gun has been idle for awhile, I will pull the trigger for a half second and snip the wire to the correct length (a good practice for every start if you have the patience). That moves fresh gas to the nozzle and by the time the arc starts you should have ample gas coverage.

I agree with checking the gas flow to ensure that there is enough. I use flow meter gauges not just pressure regulators, the kind you see for TIG.

[afterburn 549]

As someone mentioned, a small pull on the trigger starts the gas first. These are in the better units, and I would guess most brands do that. That? IDK
But as Zeke said, the unit is wrong, or I will say the operator is doing something wrong.
Change out whoever is more EZ.....LOL

[Zeke]

AFAIK, my trigger is a SPST momentary switch. It has no function to start gas ahead of energizing the wire. It's the same as my little Lincoln SP 120v unit that I started with.

One other thing to mention is power. Years ago I welded for a member here in an old garage that was fed by an ancient panel. I know, I was shown the panel and it was an antique. Screw-in fuses. The voltage to the garage was dismal. I could tell by the welds. It didn't go well.

If you're on an extension cord, even if the voltage at the receptacle is robust, that cord needs to be fat. Anything over 25' ought to be 10 ga. 100' feet is out of the question for 120v unless you need a wheelbarrow to carry the cord.

[afterburn 549]

The two-stage trigger is really almost a necessity for aluminum....IMO

[zakthor]

I am just venting. Somehow i have a mig with an unusual feature that ive grown accustomed to. Was surprised how much i rely on that gas control.

I expected new migs to just be plain better. seems to me like this lack of torch controls is a major oversight, its reserved for ‘pro’ welders where its driveway idiots like me that would see the biggest benefit.

Would any of you that weld in wheelwells say no to gas and wire speed control on the torch?

Its an obvious thing that we shouldnt need to work around - so why was the feature deprecated?

Yesterday I paid my sullen kid to stand by my machine and adjust the settings. Voice control. Super handy because he can also hand me stuff and shade the sun when its behind the mask.