Miller 211 keeps shutting off while welding. What's wrong?

[Tuske427]

Hi:

New member here, and I have a Miller 211 auto set welder. It's maybe a year old, and now while welding it just shuts off. The temp light is not on, I don't believe I'm touching the tip of the welder to my work piece, but it just shuts off. I can turn it back on right away then continue welding, but it shouldn't do this, and it, of course, disrupts my bead.

Any thoughts as to why it would do this?

Thanks!

[eecervantes83]

Check your extension cord. if your using one. It could be shorting out. Causing the machine to reset it self. I had a loose wire screw in my extensions plug. Causing your same problem.

[Steve83]

Define "shuts off". Does the fan stop? Does the light go off? Does the trigger stop working if you release & re-squeeze it? What exactly does it take to "reset" - just the switch on the machine?

An extension cord fault would trip the house breaker - it wouldn't affect the machine, other than killing power to it.

[Tuske427]

Define "shuts off". Does the fan stop? Does the light go off? Does the trigger stop working if you release & re-squeeze it? What exactly does it take to "reset" - just the switch on the machine?

An extension cord fault would trip the house breaker - it wouldn't affect the machine, other than killing power to it.

The welder turns itself off during use. The power switch moves to the off position and the welder shuts down. just as if I turned the machine off, only it is doing it itself.

I can immediately turn the switch back on, and the welder powers up/ everything works fine again. Until it shuts itself off again...

This will do it when I have the welder plugged directly into the wall, or use of an extension cord. doesn't matter.

[Steve83]

Sounds like an internal fault to me - I'd take in for repair.

[Renagade]

Let us know what you find out in case it happens to someone else

[cope]

The welder turns itself off during use. The power switch moves to the off position and the welder shuts down. just as if I turned the machine off, only it is doing it itself.

I can immediately turn the switch back on, and the welder powers up/ everything works fine again. Until it shuts itself off again...

This will do it when I have the welder plugged directly into the wall, or use of an extension cord. doesn't matter.

Sounds like the switch may be bad.

[eecervantes83]

Steve I'm no electrician. To explain it any better. But that's what it did. it "trip" the power switch on my 211. I knew it was the cord because any movement and it happen.

[deafman]

I think the swich is also a circuit breaker. May be overloading or just a bad breaker/switch. My new Hobart has the same funny feeling switch. Takes about 3 pounds of pressure to turn it on and abou 1 pound to turn it off. I have never had a problem with my machine though. The switch is something new.

[Tuske427]

Thank you, everyone. There are several good suggestions here and I'll check them all this weekend, as I have some welding to do. I'll let you know next week if these fix it or not, and go from there.

Thanks!
-Brendon