Multimaster 260 Mig torch always hot

[Jhaywood75]

I just picked up a MM 260, three of them acutally. The one that is in the best shape has a problem of the wire always being energized.
Where would I begin to look to cure this issue?
Thanks
Jeff

[Rondo]

Contactor stuck?

[M J D]

I just picked up a MM 260, three of them acutally. The one that is in the best shape has a problem of the wire always being energized.
Where would I begin to look to cure this issue?
Thanks
Jeff

Is it only the one mig gun? If so I would check the switch and switch wiring. Shorts inside the gun lead are pretty common.

[N2 Welding]

Extending on what MJD is asking. Is the wire feeding while the wire is hot or not? If wire is not feeding then I find it unlikely that the gun has a short. Have you tried switching guns around?

[Jhaywood75]

I only have the one gun so swapping is not an option. The wire feeds fine and is hot with trigger on and off. I looked through the guts and see nothing obvious.
Is the contactor what Esab calls the transistor? The widget with copper bars and large capacitors? Nothing in the part diagrams lists a contactor by name.
Admittedly, I have never worked on a welder. One of the few things that I have not had the chance or need to fix yet
The other machine has a duty cycle issue, and the third is totally unknown regarding its problems.

[M J D]

A contactor could also be called a relay. Basically a heavy duty switch that is controlled by a smaller switch in a different location

[Jhaywood75]

All fixed. The mig tig stick switch was bad. Basically it was energizing the wire like an electrode no matter what position the switch was in.

Thanks guys!

[M J D]

Good to hear it's working.