where to read ball on flow meter

[culveric]

Hello everyone, new here and have owned a 200 DV for a few months now. Just getting some time to really practice and some of my welds are rather pitted on super clean steel, and I'm getting the occasional rust around the welds, so thinking it's a gas flow issue. During my troubleshooting, I cannot find any information in the manual or online about where to properly read the ball on the flow meter that comes with these welders. Top or middle, bottom? Different makers have different specs, but couldn't find anything written on it.

[Grizzly1944]

Well it depends on the flow meter. Try the middle of the ball first. I have one meter that specifies to read off the top of the ball. If you can read zero at the middle of the ball, it's the middle. If your electrode is sooty, it needs more gas, just increase that gas flow until the electrode is clean.

This isn't very scientific, but then again this isn't rocket science. I'm sure that some others will chime in on this one.

[culveric]

It is the flow meter that comes with the powertig 200DV. I wound up buying a Victor and the problem is resolved. I was reading the original ball at the middle, so either that isn't correct and it should be read from the bottom which is kind of strange, or this one is just inaccurate as all hell.

[Grizzly1944]

The one that came with my 250EX in 2011 was read from the middle. I bought a Harris 350 model and it leaks. For about 50 bucks I bought an old Linde flow meter on CL and you read the ball from the top. I like the Linde the best. Glad it worked out for you.