new 151te

[nodeward]

Picked up a 151te last night with a view to downsizing from my big old migmate. So I got it hooked up this morning (after messing about with the stupid tiny gas hose!) and thought I'd give it a bit of a trail. Found a bit of scrap and rand a weld along it. So I'm using 0.6 wire but the only tip I had was a 1.0 . It seemed to start ok then sort of just jumped up the torch and formed a massive blob on the tip. Never had this before but I've always been using more industrial type kit. Would it just be the wrong size tip or have I missed something?
Got some tips on ordered but anything else to check while I'm waiting for them to arrive

 

[keith19]

Wire speed too slow? wire hesitating/catching coming through liner? wire feed rollers slipping? wire a bit rusty and catching/slipping? Power up too high for 0.6 wire?
0.6 wire will 'wobble' coming through a 1.0 tip and maybe not pick up a continuous current, but you should get some sort of a weld out of it.

 

[nodeward]

hmmm possibly one or all of the above i guess, its pretty much new but has been sat around for a while not being used. first of all ill try new tip and putting a new spool of 0.8 in and see how it goes. a new liner might be worth a shot as well, i assume they have a plastic liner as standard might get a metal one instead

power and feed setting i think were ok, but i guess it is a new machine to me some might need a bit of experimentation

hopefully new tips should arrive this week so ill give it another try

 

[keith19]

If it's been sat in a dampish shed the wire might have gone a bit rusty, and this tends to rub off and clog up the inside of the liner. Give the wire a good checkover in a strong light, sometimes the rust is there but difficult to see. I have been able to strip a few layers off a reel once or twice, and the stuff underneath was good, but sometimes it goes rusty right through. I bring my welder and wire into the house in winter now.
If the wire's good try a new tip, as you say, and then perhaps a new metal liner. The plastic liners soon get worn and grooved inside, which drags on the wire as it goes through.
Let us know how you get on with it.