Basic MIG welding The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

MIG Welding, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. What to do if you don't have a MIG chat

A really big issue and a question we receive with some new MIG owners is “Where is the chart?”   Of course they are referring to the lack of a setup chart for wire settings. They’ve seen the charts in competitor’s brands and are expecting a “how to” setup chart with every possible combination of voltage and wire speed settings that is available on the unit, and the recommendations of how to use each setting with the thickness and type of weld.  The short of the long answer is that it is really a lot more complicated than offering a “easy” set solution when you are dealing with a limitless number of wire speed/voltage possibilities for setting up an inverter unit that features infinite range of control within the minimum maximum parameters.  One thing you’ll notice, if you’ve talked with anyone experienced in MIG welding very long, is that these charts are never correct.  In fact they are quite wrong in many circumstances.  In reality what is one’s person’s favorite setting and what is ideal to them may not be ideal to another.  Couple that with the fact that at best you may have 5-8 voltage settings, you can pretty much narrow down the  number of possibilities for correct settings.   Our units currently do not feature such a chart setup.  While this may be disconcerting for someone new, it can be rapidly overcome by simply listening to the arc, and adjusting it for the proper sound.  Every experienced MIG welder instinctively does this.  You’ll never see one checking the chart out before they weld.  They’ll always adjust the knob until they hear what they “like” to hear and see what they like to see in the weld puddle.  It really does not take long to acquire this skill.  After a couple days’ worth of practice the skill set will develop and will be more reliable than any chart can be.

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