how do you like your MTS250S and can you answer some questions

[TheGary]

I am looking at buying one but I want to know what you think of yours and how do you use it. I have a few concerns about it. First I see that it goes up to 26 volts. I weld pretty heavy metal and am wondering if it will go into spray transfer with .035 wire. I have a millermatic 200 . It will go up to 260 amps at 35% duty cycle and it will go up to 30 volts. To go into spray transfer I have to run it at 28 - 30 volts. At 26 it is still in short arc but is on the edge. If I lowered the wire speed a little I might get into spray . Then can you get a 15 foot gun with it or what after market mig guns will fit it. The next thing would be how do you like the way it stick welds. Does it do ok with 6010 rod and 7018? I do not know if I will use all the bells and whistles that the machine has but I need the capacity and portability. I have been dragging my 200 around but it is so big that it is a hassle that I would rather do without. I sure wish it would go up to 28 volts though.

[Yofish]

Gary, I have no knowledge about a Millermatic 200. Never used one and the amount of steel wire I've run in my life is probably less than 50# so I am useless on those two accounts. The only thing I could add is: does your machine have a voltmeter? I wouldn't trust what the pot, dial or crank says. My Porta-Flex has a pot current control and what it says and what the voltmeter says are two different things. So much so that I never even look at the numbers the knob points to. The crank on my ancient AirCo MIGet Cav II is so far off that's it's funny. Yes, It still has a spool gun hooked to it and welds as good as anything I've ever used. Which brings up the fact that there is nothing magic about IGBT technology.

I'm kinda surprised you haven't had anyone answer you. I wouldn't go for it until you get a good answer from someone knowledgeable, though.

[TheGary]

Thanks for the reply Yofish, My MM200 has a high and low range for voltage switch with another switch that has 6 settings . they change the voltage by approx 2 volts per position. So low would be 10v,12,14v,16,18,20 then high is 20v,22v,24v,26v,28v,30v. They are surprisingly close too. In 26v setting I can do spray but it just is not as smooth and steady as it is if it is in the 28v , and 30v taps. I will wait for some replies . I am not going to be using it for several weeks as I am on to a job that I will not need it. I am surprised that a machine with a 250 amp rating only has a 26 volt max.

[performance]

I do believe it goes higher. Kempy can verify I think. I don't have one in front of me to check now. I think it goes to 28 volts.

[geezer]

26 volts according to the Spec sheet/manual

[Kempy]

The MTS250S in Synergic mode set to 26V will go into the low 30's when welding. The book said it is 29V plus/minus 3.0V. My machine will only show 26.0 Volts, I weld aluminum in Synergic mode 3/8 plate at 22.3V to get it to spray weld 21 to 21.7V it will spray if the metal is hot if not in starts gobbler then goes in and out of spray have to get it to 22.3V to 22.5V to start in spray weld if I go over 23.0V it will melt the tip off. In steel in Synergic Mode on 1/2 steel plate I have it set to 25.4V to get it to spray weld 26V it is to hot and some times melts the tip off. When welding my son said the volts when set to the 22.5V on aluminum welding it will go into the high 20's some times hit 30V.
I will check later and see what it will do in stick mode I have some 7018 AC or DC rod.

[performance]

Kempy are you using a 90/10 or 85/15 or some other high Argon mix? The tip melting off shouldn't happen...this is where the inductance adjustment should help...and a little extra wire feed.

[Kempy]

It was 3/4" welded to 1 1/4" steel plate with no preheat or bevel cuts. I will try some mix gas I have 25% Co2 / 75% Argon in a small bottle.

[Kempy]

Mark
I use 75/25 75% argon and 25% Co2 for steel and 100% argon for aluminum some times 20% helium and 80% argon on thicker aluminum.

[Yofish]

Mark
I use 75/25 75% argon and 25% Co2 for steel and 100% argon for aluminum some times 20% helium and 80% argon on thicker aluminum.

Wowser! Something amiss by the looks of those tips for sure! When I look at the AL weld, it looks almost like too much wire for the volts. I am not a steel guy but that weld looks gorgeous. Are you welding the steel with the spool gun too? Are they both .035" wire? 4043 or 5356 filler on the AL? What flavor is the parent material in the AL?

What happens when you turn off the synergic function (if you can)? FWIW, I never weld on anything above .250" AL without pre-heat unless I was in Arizona, outside, at noon, on a sunny day!

[Kempy]

I use .035 and .030 and some times .025 for thin to thicker steel, aluminum I use .030 and .035. .040 is just to heavy for the spool gun to push most of the time I use 4043 wire but with the Mig gun is will use 5356. If I do a lot of welding all over the place I will use the spool gun but heavy work I use the Mig gun it is a 15 foot one. Most of the aluminum I weld is .125 tubing and I use the spool gun when welding 1/4 up to 1/2 I use the spool gun also with 4043 .035 wire 95% argon 5% helium.
Most of the time when the tips melt off the gun is getting very hot I need a bigger gun or a push pull.
I do use the weld not in SYN mode but in Synergic mode it weld nicer it will adjust its self as you weld. I normal mode doing the same thickness of material it is OK.

Wowser! Something amiss by the looks of those tips for sure! When I look at the AL weld, it looks almost like too much wire for the volts. I am not a steel guy but that weld looks gorgeous. Are you welding the steel with the spool gun too? Are they both .035" wire? 4043 or 5356 filler on the AL? What flavor is the parent material in the AL?

What happens when you turn off the synergic function (if you can)? FWIW, I never weld on anything above .250" AL without pre-heat unless I was in Arizona, outside, at noon, on a sunny day!

[Kempy]

Test different gases. Used MTS250S in Mig mode not SYN/Mode all welds done with the steel cold using 98% Argon 2% o2 and 75% Argon 25% Co2 and 100% Argon. The eases to weld was the 2% o2 and 98% Argon all welds same settings except the Short circuit weld. The Spray Arc set to 25.5 Volts gas flow 12 LPM.

[performance]

The 75/25 showed the best penetration, but it is too much CO2 for proper spray. A little less and you won't see much difference in penetration but a lot smoother easier flow. The 98/2 even showed better penetration at the toes than pure argon. That's where a 90/10 or a 85/15 or even 82/18 (C18) would help out...and give better penetration with lower settings. The short arc is pitiful, but the lack of fusion is a result of making one heavy thick, gobby pass. This lesson can be carried over to aluminum as well by the way, not in the gas mix, but in the penetration and fusing at the root and at the toes...(short circuit versus spray)

[Kempy]

This in synergic mode on the MTS250S the welds are in spray mode for aluminum and steel.

[performance]

If you use a higher Ar content, spray would be easier and more stable and controllable and you'd need less volts and with some fine tuning to inductance, you should be able to eliminate the tip melting issue. That means the wire is burning back faster than it is being fed...so increase wire speed, or reduce voltage. Inductance will change how fast the balls burn off the tip...or rather droplet size if I recall correctly. Threshold for true spray in steel is 80/20. I use a C18, which is 82/18 Ar/CO2. Most people recommend 85/15 or 90/10. I too don't have to turn my machine wide open. I have a 250 (270 amp max) esab and spray in the mid range with .035 with wire speed about 65%.

[Kempy]

When I use higher argon mix the gun get very hot and burns the insulator out of the cup. I ordered a 26KD torch to see if that will help the 25AK is being push over its limit need to find a 300 Amp gun.

If you use a higher Ar content, spray would be easier and more stable and controllable and you'd need less volts and with some fine tuning to inductance, you should be able to eliminate the tip melting issue. That means the wire is burning back faster than it is being fed...so increase wire speed, or reduce voltage. Inductance will change how fast the balls burn off the tip...or rather droplet size if I recall correctly. Threshold for true spray in steel is 80/20. I use a C18, which is 82/18 Ar/CO2. Most people recommend 85/15 or 90/10. I too don't have to turn my machine wide open. I have a 250 (270 amp max) esab and spray in the mid range with .035 with wire speed about 65%.

[fdcmiami]

finally some sanity. a lot of pseudo science here. not like you can't just google spray transfer and get answers from REAL experts.

going to buy me a ticket to Alaska LOL. this guy couldn't buy me a bus ticket to the airport.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-7...R1KPJ0QBSJQ7KC

i needed a cheap grinder and look who i see.

he's on boatdesign.net pumping the software. in a 2014 poll he's the only vote for it is his. lol

can't be bothered with the link

why do they gravitate here? are they on the longevity site also?

[Yofish]

Like I said, put up or shut up.......

[Yofish]

Kempy, here is 3/8" 6061 done with the little welder. 22.5V, 210 wire. 3/64" wire, 5356 (it's the only filler alloy I ever use). I quit using mixed gas years ago as it wasn't worth the extra cost for the marginal benefit. For everyday frying I use 18- 20 cuft/hr 100% argon. The piece has been pre-heated to 200 degrees or so, to hot to touch but for a tap. I can't quite wrap my head around why your gun won't run .047 if it has that capability. The 30A has no problems running 1/16" wire. One thing I can tell you that the 30A won't do spray running .047" wire with an .052" tip. It will eventually burn back and weld to the tip if you're putting the stones to it, like doing a lot of thick material. Stepping up to a .061" tip solves that to a point. I think Push-pull would not solve the problem you have, with AL, anyway. The 30A is rated 100% @ 200A but one could never achieve that without water cooling. My point is, if you haven't already, try a big tip with .047" wire in your spool gun. Also, with the older so-called second generation 30A guns, one has the ability to adjust the tip stick-out. Thus on heavy stuff I stick her back inside to get more cooling from the gas shield around the tip. Not being familiar with your gun, I don't know if this applies.

Another question I have is how many lin. feet of heavy AL do you weld before things go south?

[Kempy]

Mark when I get the tank down to 2000 psig I will add 100% Argon and it will drop the Co2 down, I will calculate with my program to get the Co2 to 18% then and later to go to 15% then down to 10% Co2.