Help! Is my MIG broken?

[Hypergumby]

Hi all, I'm a new member and a new welder. I wanted to do some welding at home of thinner steel and decided to buy myself a gasless mig from ebay. It's a Cara 130A gasless and seemed a real beauty.

Today I unpacked it and wanted to tack a couple of feet to the bottom of an exercise bike. I tack it fine but then the wire kinks and when I remove the old wire from the hose and insert a new lot, the drum that the wire gets guided along (and the one that spins it through) has stopped spinning. When I depress the trigger the machine clunks but no movement.

Have I broken my unit?? or am I doing something really wrong (other than buying a cheap mig)?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If this helps, it's this exact model.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-130-Amp-...oryZ3247QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It's not the thermal overload (as it's been switched off and retried after 3 hours). I'm stumped.

 

[kjb]

have you released the tension on the wire to see if the drive motor still works

 

[peterd51]

Hi,

is it still under warrenty?

The gasless MiGs are a bit too strong for thin metal and this could be a good excuse to get your money back.

Is the wire feeding throuigh the torch by hand or can you feel it snagging somewhere?

As KJB suggested, take the wire off and check that the feed roller turns when you press the trigger.

Regards
Peter

 

[Justme]

Use the DSR (distance selling regulations) to send it back.

Justme

 

[Country Joe]

And another thing....

Like Peterd51 says, gasless can be a bit "forceful" for thinner metal, plus it sounds like the connection has been broken somewhere between the trigger & the wire feed motor.
If this is the case, that should be a good enough reason to return it.

Also the lower end of the amp range seems to be 55A, which is also a bit high for thin steel. I would think 25 or 30A minimum setting would be more suitable.

Regards,
CJ

 

[Wozzaaah]

I know it sounds daft but make sure the wire feed knob isn't set to zero, it has been known . Release the wire feed tension completely, press the trigger and watch the wire feed motor when you alter the feed control on the front. No movement from the motor at all then dead machine, if it moves and changes speed then it's something else, more likely a blockage in the liner/torch/tip or even just that the tension was set wrong.

 

[shenion]

Also check that you have not accidentally knocked one of the power setting switches between settings.

 

[paulp]

check wire size and rollor size it should be stamped on rollor,check tension adjuster is not to tight.good luck

 

[Hypergumby]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I have taken the wire out completely and hit the trigger to see if the wire feeder spool turns but it doesn't. I even took the spool off to see if the actual motor was turning and it isn't underneath where it is seated. Do I have a bung unit??

*****Thanks for your help everyone but I've found the problem, a piddly little fuse had blown that drives the motor*****