Blackhawk 98271 trouble

[BB1]

Hi, I have blackhawk 98271 welder, the wire is live without pulling trigger, is something shorted out, burnt out? Any ideas.
Thanks BB1

 

[Wozzaaah]

Quite possibly it's meant to be like that, some welders used to be fitted with a permanently 'live' torch.

 

[BB1]

You might be right, a person gave it to me. It don't seem to weld very good and I figured that was part of problem. I don't know much about mig welders.
Thanks BB1

 

[Wedg1e]

I'd have thought it well within the wit of a reasonable man to devise some means of making it 'proper' by adding a relay/ contactor/ Frankestein's knife-switch in there somewhere... seem to recall my MIG set has a widdling relay that breaks the neutral on the primary side of the main transformer.
If yours can run from a domestic socket it obviously can't pull more than 13A so a 20A relay would be more than man enough for the job. All you need then is a low-voltage feed up to the torch trigger and back down to the relay coil and... t'job's reet ah tell thee

 

[shenion]

I see a craigs list ad for one in Toronto. Does not look like a low-end machine. It would not have an always live torch.

Would probably be a stuck relay or contactor.