Wire Feed Problem with MM210

[MattOhio]

I've had some recent problems crop up while using my MM210. Machine settings are as follows:

Voltage: #2
Wire Speed: 18-20%
Wire Size: 0.023"

After starting the arc, the wire will feed for a fraction of a second, then it appears to stop feeding, and melts back towards the nozzle and forms a ball on the end of the wire. Then, the wire will start to feed again, contact the metal, arc, and repeat this process over and over. The drive rolls are the correct size, and I've tightened the adjustment almost all the way down, but the problem continues. Have tried to adjust the wire speed up and down to no avail. I'm nearly out of adjustment on the drive roll tension. Any advice?

[Andy]

Check that the drive rolls aren't putting burrs on your wire. Cut off the wire at the spool. Remove the wire in the gun and run fresh (unburred) wire back into the gun.
Is this flux core? Too much drive roll pressure can flatten flux core and make it so it won't fit through the tip. Does the wire feed properly with the gun cable totally straight? The liner might have a kink and you'll need a new one. Does the wire feed properly when you remove the tip? You might need a new tip. Is the roll of wire you're using one you've used before with good luck, or is it new? The junky hobart flux core from Tractor Supply won't run in my machine.

[MattOhio]

Hey Andy, thanks for the suggestions. I tried them and here's what happened:

Check that the drive rolls aren't putting burrs on your wire. Cut off the wire at the spool. Remove the wire in the gun and run fresh (unburred) wire back into the gun.

Cut off wire at spool, removed old wire from gun, inspected for burrs, couldn't see or feel any. Lightened up the tension on the drive rolls. No improvement.

Is this flux core? Too much drive roll pressure can flatten flux core and make it so it won't fit through the tip. Is the roll of wire you're using one you've used before with good luck, or is it new? The junky hobart flux core from Tractor Supply won't run in my machine.

I'm using non-flux cored wire. The roll that started giving me problems was from Lincoln Electric, 0.023". I switched back to a roll of Hobart 0.030" solid wire that I had been using since the machine was new, and had never given me any problems before. After the switch back to 0.030", the problem continues.

Does the wire feed properly with the gun cable totally straight? The liner might have a kink and you'll need a new one.

Wire feeds ok with the gun cable straight or coiled up. Same results while welding.

Does the wire feed properly when you remove the tip? You might need a new tip.

Removed contact tip and tried to feed wire, which fed fine. Tried new 0.023" contact tip, same results. When I switched back to 0.030" wire, used a new 0.030" tip, same results.

Unfortunately still seeing the same results after trying these changes.

[KC1]

Try adjusting tension on the spool of wire. Ihave the same machine and have to run spool tension dead loose. Drive holds then slips , holds and slips.

[1havnfun]

With NO wire running through the rolls.
Look at the rolls and pull the trigger, are they turning the same speed all the time?
My mm175 had a problem that turned out to be a bad volt adjustment reostat.
It would weld fine then it would do what you discribed.

Just another thing to check

[archer175]

Rusty wire will cause this all day long and drive you nuts till ya put a new roll of wire on.

[Rik]

I was having the exact same problem today. I am relatively new to wire feed. I have a Millermatic 252. I made sure the spool drag was okay but it still did it . I increased the drive roller tension. Then it still would burn the wire back and then stick but this time the feed wire in the machine doubled back in the machine. I rethreaded new wire and changed the contact tip. No change. Then I thought maybe I didn't have a fast enough wire speed to keep up. So I set the wire speed up a bunch and it worked like it always does. I just didn't have enough wire feeding to fill the puddle. Later, Rik

[MattOhio]

Thanks everyone for the help! A combination of Kenny's and Rik's advice solved the problem. The spool tension was incredibly tight, so I loosened it up nearly as much as I could. Then I increased the wire feed from 20% to 30%. With these two changes, the arc and wire feed while welding seems to have gone back to normal. Thanks again to everyone for the suggestions.