wire jamming in HF 180A MIG welder

philso · May 30, 2016

I picked up a 180A MIG welder from HF a few weeks ago. I have run it long enough to use up a 1lb spool of Lincoln 0.035 inch flux core wire. I am now unable to put in a second spool. The wire goes up to somewhere in the gun then jams. I have cut the wire off and pulled it back out and re-inserted the wire. On the third try, I fed it all by hand and it seems to jam in the same place. I took the gun apart and it appears that the wire does not make it to the end of the liner.

Any suggestions on how to clear the jam or should I just take it back for another one?

Sandy · May 30, 2016

When it initially ran out of wire, how did you go about removing the remaining wire? Did the tail end happen to come off the reel and run clear up to the feed roll? Did you pull the wire out from the feed roll end or from the gun end?

mechanic416 · May 30, 2016

Did you take the tip out? Did you try pushing a paice of wire from the front end to see if it jams or goes past the place it stops from the other end?

Like sandy said if you pulled it out the torch end you broke the little tail in the liner, not good.

philso · May 31, 2016

Yes, the first roll fed until it ran out. I then pulled the wire out from the gun end. From what you two are saying, I should have pulled it out from the feeder end. From the length of the new wire I tried to feed in, the obstruction is near the base of the gun.

I haven't tried pushing wire in from the gun end. Is that likely to help? If not, I will try taking it back.

Sandy · May 31, 2016

There's generally a little kinked up tag end where it is tied off to the spool. If you try and pull that kinked end on through murpheys law dictates that it snaps off inside the liner somewhere

.. Either cut that off before you pull it on through from the gun end or pull it back through the in-feed end. Once in a great while you can poke around from the near end and dislodge it if all nine planets are lined up just right. Other than that it's a new liner for the fix.

philso · May 31, 2016

Thanks again, Sandy

Any recommendations for brands/models for replacement liners? Are they at all interchangeable? Lots to learn here.

philso · Jun 2, 2016

I talked to HF and they said to bring it in. The people at the store just exchanged it for a new one.

Sandy · Jun 2, 2016

Hey, you're good to go then..

wire jamming in HF 180A MIG welder

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