Sounds like it could be a bad ground wire, clamp or just the connection. Hard to tell.

One thing to remember is the MM210 is optimized to run on .030 wire. It will run .035 with the best of them, but will really shine with .030.

 

I am going to order a tweco copper clamp and try that.

 

Before you order something special, rule it out first. Take the lead off the clams and use a vice-grip to secure it to the work. If the problem goes away, the clamp was the prob. If not, look very closely at the leas and lead connections and lugs. You may have a bad lead and or connector(s).

 

This has really ate me up. Only about 25lbs of wire used since it was new.

 

Mine does the same thing. Ive ran 60lbs of .030 wire thru it since 02.
Welds alright for 2-3 minutes then starts sputtering. New liner didn't work, ground clamp didn't do anything.

I got it out a few days ago for the first time this year and it still did the same thing. I haven't used it much for the last 3-4 years, it has sat in the corner unused. Ive got other machines that work just fine. Wish I knew what was wrong with it.

 

Come to think of it, mine did it as well. Hmm....may not be the ground. I had completely forgotten that. Been using the Esab and Hobart too long I spose.

 

I understand that large capacitors sometimes need to be reformed slowly and/or gradually after long idle periods. Maybe the ones used in this model are more sensitive to that problem, and maybe it's worth asking Miller about if you can't test the capacitors yourself.

Other than that, all I can suggest is checking the wire feed system well, looking for problem relays, and the usual, ordinary things like connections already mentioned. Can you hook a meter to it to see the secondary voltage under load, or read the output amperage (maybe on the ground cable) while trying to weld?

 

Wire feeding irregularly? I had wire slipping through mine and it welded fine but when it got a good grip it came out too fast and started the pushing back and popping.

Make sure the wheels are tight and the wire is feeding properly. Make sure also that the spool does not continue turning when you stop welding, makes it kinda jerky sometimes.

 

are you guys getting porosity in the welds when the machine acts up? mine started doing the same thing a few years back. tried everything i could think of with no results. i changed the bottle to the tip and everything in between. i had someone tell me it sounded like an electrical problem but never figured it out. mine is a MM 120 i think. it welded like a dream before it started doing this ****. if anyone figures this problem out could you let the rest of us know please? I will do the same, thanks. Hammer

 

When mine starts acting up your not able to weld with it. Spitting and sputtering so bad welds is crappy. I hate to put it in the shop but that might be the only way to find it. I have tried everything that was suggested. It has made me want to go back to stick welding.

 

I repeat my earlier question:​

Has anyone with this problem tried to get voltage and amperage readings from the secondary side while the problem is occurring?

Any chance you've gotten water into the gas system? Not likely, but possible?

 

laman,

With the unit set up with an .030 wire and tap #3, have you tried wire speed settings below 50 yet?


Have you guys made certain that the wire is lined up properly with the lower drive roll V-groove? The upper pressure roll arm has a little side to side travel at the pivot point. When you lower the pressure roll are you making certain that V-groove of the upper drive roll is meshing properly with the wire.

 

I have tried setting below 50. I even tried it on tap 2 same problem.checked all wire grooves wire is running were it is suppose to.

 

I borrowed a friends 210 that did the same crap. It would run great then get all contaminated. I think he had s gas problem of some sort like a leak or cut line.

 

It has sat for quiet a while so look at the obvious. The wire has corroded and isn't feeding right? If your running large spools and don't use them for quite a while I have had this problem with several welders.

 

I put in new wire before I started using it,so old wire is not the problem.

 

Hey guys,
Just a bit of mental fodder to throw out there. I keep all my units covered when not in use because of the dust/dirt when grinding/cutting. Although, covered doesn't mean it will stay entirely clean. Once a year, I take the covers off all my units & give them a good cleaning with soft-bristle brush & shop vac. I also check the fan motor & drive motor for any buildup of grime residue that may have accumulated around the motor shaft. I noticed my heavy-used Miller Sidekick cooling fan motor was sluggish one day. Took the cover off & sure enough, the fan blade & motor shaft was coated with dust/dirt. I cleaned the entire inside, lubed the fan motor & drive motor shafts & all was like new again. Just a note to keep in mind if other cures have not solved the issues.

Denny

 

I am leaning toward some kind of electrical component giving this problem. I can't find anything on the web to trouble shoot it..

 

Ive tried all sorts of stuff with mine, I don't think its the wire feed, I think it is electrical. Ive tried different guns on it with the same results.

 

Looks like some one might have a suggestion as what it might be...

 

here are a couple of thoughts and points to try:

Take the whip out but still plugged in so the trigger can activate the drive. check to see if the wire speed changes or fluctuates. Time it with a stop watch. When testing move the whip as if you are welding. simply holding the whip and pulling the trigger doesn't simulate real welding movement.

Make sure the drag on the spool isn't binding up. I have had that happen on a couple of machines.

Put new drive rolls in. if they are worn then they will feed erratically.

Make sure you don't have a short in your whip or loss of contact under the trigger. on one unit that didn't get used often the contact under the trigger would corrode and caused problems. We replaced the trigger and no more problem.

Most of the time, I have seen the problem you have described as being a problem with the whip components, drive rolls or trigger contact. some times it is the drag, and rarer inside the unit.


Just one last thought. on one trigger my glove would slide under the back of the trigger and cause erratic feeding. When my finger would grow tired, I would loose the feed and then back on again. It was a while before i realized my glove was causing my problem.

 

Thanks Scott I will do some more checking. Hope I can hurry up and find the problem. It is just aggravating. I have tried different wire again but problem is still there. I am going to look into ground and the things you suggested.

 

To MIG weld you need basically two things. A constant, controlled wire speed and a constant voltage.

Measure the wire speed. Weld with it, measure again when it starts acting up. If it can't maintain speed, you've found your issue.

As for voltage. Clamp on a volt meter and see what it says - again, start the weld just watch the volt meter, when it acts up, check the volt meter again. If the voltmeter says everything is good, you need to double check your connections (clamps, tips etc.).

Assuming the 210 doesn't have a jog mode, point the wire at a piece of wood, slight angle, pull trigger and count to 6. The number of inches x 10 is your wire speed.

Note, some welders (I have no idea if the 210 is in this category) the motor speed was based on the voltage. So when you upped the voltage, the wire speed would increase as well. Keep that in mind when you do your testing.

You can also use flux core (reverse the polarity!) to eliminate gas as a variable.

You can also switch to a flow meter to see how much gas is actually moving. Flow gauges assume there is fixed orifice. In otherwords, a flow gauge is a re-calibrated pressure regulator.