possible mig problem??

[BeNos]

hey all got an older unimig craft 180(probs round 10 years old but not heaps and heaps of use)
anyway i was welding this after noon and it struck me that for a 180amp mig using the second highest power setting and ****** all wire speed SHOULD be blowing big holes in the 2mm box i was welding real quick. but it seems to be hardly penetrating at all. does this sound like a problem with the power supply inside the unit or something.
the switch does seem to have an affect on power but not what i guess i would have thought normal.
so anyway does this sound right or is my thinking way off the mark. and is there any checks i can do to see if there is something wrong with the machine.
should add its running an argon co2 mix and .9mm wire.
cheers all

 

[penetrator]

Sounds like your not getting enough power from the grid, you should turn it right up a see if you can trip the circut breaker. Or borrow a clamp meter. I checked mine once ,it was putting out 300 amps and drawing 90 amps, single phase.

 

[BeNos]

ah ok. have used it on different power sources at parents places and it seemed pretty much the same as this though. need high power setting to weld seeminly small metal.
just has me beat.

 

[scarecrow]

it could be corrode connection in the torch or machine open it up and have a look also check the earth clamp

 

[Uniqueusername]

As above.
I'll bet that if you weld heavily for a minute the earth clamp will get red hot.
Also happens if the wires into the supply plug are loose.

 

[BeNos]

alright il check both of them out monday and clean them all up a bit.
thanks fellas. so at least it sounds like a pretty simple fix.

 

[Chappy's Therapy]

This is an old post but wondering what happened,,, what did you find?