Greencut Spanish MIG Gas/no gas.

[Ukhozi]

I bought a cheap dual mode MIG welder from Spanish agricultural people Greencut as it was just for a one off repair to my BMW E30 front end and cheaper than out sourcing the work, I only have stick welders, (a 100A hi-lo little one and a larger 140A variable one as most of my work (part time) is at a stable welding 3" poles back on uprights when the horses kick the place apart and of course, not good on thin car body panels.Just blows holes in it.

Spain is no longer the cheap place it once was and craftsmen are charging silly prices for anything technical. Just replacing a section of the radiator support/slam panel so decided to go it alone. Last time I used MIG was in 1998 when I built a Baja Bug for my daughter and it needed a lot of body repair panels.

It was advertised as a gas or no gas model on Ebay but when I get it I see it has indeed both possibilities IF one took it apart, which I now understand invalidates the warranty but of course one cannot change the polarity without removing the side panel or they are falsely advertising as switchable.

The roller is the serrated type for fluxed wire .6-.8mm but polarity is for gas. It has a gas input at the rear and a valve in the pistol as well the micro switch for wire feed. So, remove panel, swap cables on transformer and ready to go gasless or change roller for 0.09 plain groove, hook up some plain wire and gas and go with gas.

I had to loosen the top of the feed block as the pistol tube snagged the roller securing 'nut' so I couldn't get the roller out but just moved it a couple of mm and all good but in the process I dropped M4 nuts off of the units screws and had to open it to put them back on, that's when I saw the cable connections, two M6 nut and bolt joints on eyelets so I though why not buy a couple of 6mm bridging posts and do as on the Sealey 140 under the lid'? That's what is in the pipeline as soon as this bloody lockdown lets the postman get up to date with deliveries. I may well convert to a euro connector too.

I am quite pleased with the machine, all the bits are generic Chinese of course, very much like the one I sold 18 years ago for 50 quid as I wasn't going to need it, huh! you never know do you? Fairly solid and a bit on the heavy side but well made with the exception of the lid catch bar that is missing a clutch nut so the whole thing falls out

I think that as it was sold as a dual function machine they are definitely out of order, as it is, it's not.

 

[gaz1]

you should try and get a manual for it while you can

expect to look at other makes out there to find yours

 

[Barking Mat]

Hola Amigo, and welcome!

 

[eddie49]

It was advertised as a gas or no gas model on Ebay
I saw the cable connections, two M6 nut and bolt joints on eyelets

I'm afraid that, in a way, they were right when they said it is "gas/no gas".
The electrical symbol on the data plate is just the two linked circles that represent a transformer. The output is AC, there's no rectifier, so gas/no gas polarity swap is not relevant.

 

[Ukhozi]

Thanks for that Eddie, I didn't know about the AC angle. nor it seems do Greencut.
Will this give a indifferent quality weld as opposed to DC output? I know there is a difference on DC for flused or gas and the difference is quite a lot.

 

[Ukhozi]

Gas1, I have a manual of course with the machine but 6 pages on safety and a couple of paragraphs on use, as usual. In Spanish, of course.

 

[a111r]

Can you send it back for a refund?
It looks to have 60 Amp minimum. If that was DC, it would still render it near useless.

 

[eddie49]

Welding with flux-core wire is generally a hot splattery smoky process. Some people manage OK, or even like it. It does avoid the need for a gas cylinder, which can be expensive and bureaucratic. The process is very dependent on the quality of the wire used.
A MIG welder that has only got an AC output is probably going to add another level of difficulty, and as a111r pointed out, a minimum power range of 60 Amps is about double what you need for 1mm car body sheet metal.

If you cannot return it, buy the best fluxcore wire you can find and give it a try.

This thread describes adding a rectifier, an inductor, and a capacitor to a similar machine, and using a 4KW "light dimmer" to reduce the output power:
https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/tm-150-mig-mods.97298/

 

[a111r]

Maybe they've messed up with the wrong symbol?
I'd be removing the side panel carefully and checking for a bridge rectifier; i.e. 2 or more 'square' aluminium heat sink plates.

 

[Ukhozi]

It IS an AC unit, I have made peace with Greengrove and even got a 15€ refund for my bother, that's great service. I will be converting to a euro connector and ground plug connector later though.

 

[Ukhozi]

Used it and found poor penetration, parts just came apart again, had it on HI and #2 with .8mm fluxed wire at 7 feed.

 

[gaz1]

what was you trying to weld with it ?

0.8mm or 3mm thickness

 

[eddie49]

Used it and found poor penetration, parts just came apart again

With some photos of the results, it might be possible to decide whether the fault is with the welder, or the welder.