Lincoln troubles

[czechsonofagun]

My little Lincoln MIG, I had it for years, developed a problem. Pulling the trigger, the wire moves out of the gun but the welder makes loud noise and eventually - in 3 or so seconds - it will pop the outlet breaker.

Not while welding, just to get the wire rolling. I took the wire handling apart and the transmission is operating smoothly, the motor spins easily with fingers but it still pops the breaker. I suspect the wire feed motor got a short???

Ideas, anybody?

 

[flyerdan]

I would suspect the contactor first, since the machine idles without tripping and it does feed wire.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Never seen a worn contactor (welder or otherwise) blow an overcurrent device.

Sounds like a short. Maybe even shorted transformer windings. Does it smell burned? Is the Transformer crispy? How old, how much use? Does it always do that or only sometimes?

 

[crazyal]

Do you own a multimeter? If so I would unplug the wires going to the motor and measure the resistance. Not knowing how it's wired there's several pieces involved in the wire feed. The first place I would expect failure would be with the wire for the trigger since it's always flexing and is subject to damage from something falling on the hose or gun.

 

[TractorGuy]

Unplug it, pull the cover, and clean all the dust and cobwebs out for starters. I've had to do that twice on my SP100 since I bought it in 93. It didn't start making a noise but it would overheat and stop welding.

 

[czechsonofagun]

With the gun off it is still doing it. The gun control plugs into two blade contacts, I use a U shaped wire to make the motor run and the result is the same.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Maybe a shorted rectifier. Probably more likely than the transformer.

 

[user.69169]

Disconnect capacitors & repeat gun off test.
USE appropriate safety measures disconnecting capacitors

Dat don't work post serial number & code number from machine.

 

[WranglerX]

I am having trouble with this statement --->"Not while welding, just to get the wire rolling.".... The description is no consisting with any operation or problem with unit....

Most MIG welders use a DC motor for wire feed and operate on around 12 -18 volts DC.... If you suspect motor, disconnect it from control board and try running it on battery power.... IF it runs for for more than "3 seconds" wire feed motor is not your problem...

Probable best bet it to take it to repair shop and get estimate of what problem may be and what costs are to fix it..... Many times problem may be control board related, but without proper diagnostic you are just guessing.... And replacing parts by guessing gets very expensive..... IT may be it will cost more to fix little welder than to replace it.... Professionals diagnostic is probable only way to know what's up with it....

Dale

 

[Industrial Toys]

I do repair welders for friends from time to time. Not an EXPERT by any stretch, but I probably know more than my Mom and Sister combined, on the subject.

Most times, it's something quite simple.

It's a stupid Industry. I have worked on a friends Hobart MIG, similar in size to these Lincolns, and will weld no different, but without a single circuit board or transistor. I would buy one of those in a hearbeat if I came across one.