Hi Rich, have you tried it on any thin material, like sheet metal? I am having a hard time welding sheet metal with mine. I'm using 0.023" wire too. It doesn't seem to dial down like a smaller mig. How do you have yours set up?

 

Dan, I have not tried to weld any sheet metal with it. With the exception of some spot welds. I am running .035 wire and c-25. what were your settings when you tried it ?..........Rich

 

Hi, I have tried all kinds of different settings usuing 0.023" wire, 75/25 gas and just haven't had much luck. My next move will be to install a 0.023" liner it currently has the one that came stock with the machine, which I think is a 0.035" or so. I have switched to the smaller drive rolls (0.023) drive roll kit. It will work on thin sheet metal for autobody work, just doesn't seem to work as nicely as my friends hobart handler 135....any thoughts? I have been told by some people that this machine isn't ideal for welding thin sheet metal, and if I wanna weld thin sheet metal buy a 110 welder.

 

I have a lincoln 135 pro mig that welds sheet metal very nicely. Like i said i haven t tried the big dog on the thin stuff yet. That sucks if I can t use my 255 for sheet metal. I ve been trying to sell my 135. Maybe I should keep it. I ll have to give some sheet metal a try with the 255.........Rich

 

Take your 10 ft gun off your 135 and try it on your 255. I bet the 255 is better then your 135. Just wire up a temp. contactor (miller four pin) to work with the smaller gun.

Had the same issue with my Powermig 300 and it was outstanding after the swap.

 

Yeh like Brand X says, if it has the .035/.045 liner plus a 15 foot gun it'll be like trying to push thread down a conduit.

 

I just bought a 0.023" liner, do you think that will solve the problem, or should I buy a smaller gun/shorter line?

 

Give it a go and see. Extra guns cost bucks. I've had a smaller but similar issue with the ten foot gun and an .035 liner. High wire speeds and the .025 starts surging bad with irregular feed. If all you are interested in is using it for real light gauge and slow wire feed speeds you will probably squeek by. Set the drive tension low to minimize birds nests. It's a good tight wire feed so it's more reliable than the lighter units in that way.

I'm fortunate enough to have the PM 215 plus a smaller machine with a ten foot gun I can leave set up with .025.

 

Thanks Sandy, do you think that your small 110 welder does a better job on thin sheet metal then your PM215 would?...I'm wondering by nature of design, are the smaller mig welders better at sheet metal welding then the larger 220v machines?

 

Oops, should have said my smaller machine is a Miller 175 amp 230volt job. Smaller in duty cyle, voltage under load and realized power. The Lincoln 215 is a real jewel by comparison. But as to being better at body work and .025 wire you'd have to take into consideration the low end amps compared to the one you've got, voltage and other perfomance factors. I don't think there is any inherent qualities of the 120 volt feed that might make them better, no, not on a blanket basis.

Smaller in size, more convenient to find power and easier to move around probably. There may be one paricular unit out there that is just plain sweet in that gage of sheet metal tho. In fact I might sell my MM 175 if I can find such a critter new or used.