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Wire welder help needed!

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Gene Davis

03-02-2003 14:22:58




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Help! I just recieved a lincoln Wirematic 255 wire feed welder on a long term loan basis, it had no books and is still on the first large spool of wire that says .035 diameter. I need a source for getting some manuals for it and other info, can any one tell me what iI have got, my cousin sold his business and has turned it over to me saying that he has not got any more need for it. Is this a good machine? I have done a lot of stick welding and tig welding but have not been involved with very much mig welding, I have got to buy a sheilding gas tank, which is better for most uses,CO2, or argon, or a mix? It will be used inside most all the time on clean steel. I would appreciate any information links and advice from all the welding gurus on here. Would like to have a good experience with it. did not find any information in the archives on this site under the heading of "lincoln WireMatic 255 wire welder". Thanks for whatever you can tell me about this machine, which is almost with out a scratch or dent on it, couldn't believe my good fortune, he and I get along well, but this really was a suprise! Thanks: Gene Davis

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Don LC

03-03-2003 08:05:51




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 Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Gene Davis , 03-02-2003 14:22:58  
Gene, contact the company with the model number. They will send you a ouners manual....



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Cliff Neubauer

03-03-2003 07:39:32




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 Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Gene Davis , 03-02-2003 14:22:58  
I have a Lincoln Power Mig 255 that I usually run .035 wire in but I also have the liner and drive rolls for .023 wire for sheet metal work. I run a "steel mix" gas that is something like 85% Argon and 15% CO2. With the .035 wire I buy 44lb spools, one I am working on now is over a year old and still welds fine. I can buy a 44lb spool from our welding supply dealer for not much more than a 10lb spool from Tractor Supply. I recently got a manual for my Lincoln Weldanpower welder for free from our dealer.

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Fred Kobs

03-03-2003 02:08:53




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 Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Gene Davis , 03-02-2003 14:22:58  
Be careful with the gun. The liner will collapse if you kink it, I don't let anyone walk over mine but the hired man thought he could drive over it! They sell some pads and lube to fill them with, they go no the wire right b4 the feed rollers. I reccomend you get some, especially if you have a dusty environment. also don't let your wire get rusty from sitting too long. I got a deal on a big roll and the next time I went to use it, had to throw away 1/2 of the roll. Just my penny worth. You will get spoiled in a hurry w/ wire welder. He might not get it back??

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Central Minnesota

03-02-2003 19:09:04




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 Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Gene Davis , 03-02-2003 14:22:58  
Good welder. Forget the flux core wire for this machine. Use gas. For ferrous metals C25 is a good choice. If you need to weld stainless steel you'll want to use pure Argon with SS wire. With a different liner in the Mig gun cable you can also weld Aluminum using Al wire and pure Argon. Talk to your local welding supply store for avaliable choices locally. When I was on a tighter budget I just had Argon. Now I lease 2 tanks. 1 Argon and 1 C25. As for the books, just play with the machine. You'll figure it out and probably remember better in the end. You can't hurt anything by trying different combinations.

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Farmered

03-02-2003 19:05:16




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 Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Gene Davis , 03-02-2003 14:22:58  
Gene, You will love your wire feed welder! I spent an hour with my welding supply salesman getting the technique and the adjustments down and it was one of the best investments I've made.
Others have said that you may want to use other sizes and types of wire. Remember that you will have to change the tip and the drive rollers accordingly to the size of wire. I think David has his gas ratio reversed. I used Silver Shield which was 80% CO2 and 20% Argon. You may want to get a spool gun for aluminum welding. For that you will use pure Argon gas. Good luck Ed

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David - OR

03-03-2003 19:41:00




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 Re: Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Farmered, 03-02-2003 19:05:16  
C20 is 20% CO2 and 80% Argon. 20% is the highest percentage of C02 you can use and still use the "spray arc transfer" that a 255 Amp machine is (just barely) capable of.

Most Mig work is done with short circuit transfer (the only mode for lower amperage machines) for which any mix of CO2/Argon can be used. Higher amounts of CO2 give a more reactive gas, and better penetration. The downside is a sloppier weld (more spatter), more smoke, and a tendency to burn through sheet metal. C20 and C25 are a compromise mix, good for pretty much the full range of MIG output in short circuit mode.

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Farmered

03-02-2003 19:04:05




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 Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Gene Davis , 03-02-2003 14:22:58  
Gene, You will love your wire feed welder! I spent an hour with my welding supply salesman getting the technique and the adjustments down and it was one of the best investments I've made.
Others have said that you may want to use other sizes and types of wire. Remember that you will have to change the tip and the drive rollers accordingly to the size of wire. I think David has his gas ratio reversed. I used Silver Shield which was 80% CO2 and 20% Argon. You may want to get a spool gun for aluminum welding. For that you will use pure Argon gas. Good luck Ed

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David - OR

03-02-2003 17:54:20




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 Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Gene Davis , 03-02-2003 14:22:58  
A mix of 25% CO2 and 75% argon is typically used with Mig welders on clean steel. It goes by the trade name "C25" at your friendly welding shop.

.035 wire is appropriate for most of the fabrication welding you would do with this machine. For auto body work (thin sheet metal), try a .023 or .025 wire. ESAB makes a wire called "Easy Grind" for sheet metal patching -- which isn't as hard as the standard ER70S-6 Mig wire, and is thus easier to smooth off with an angle grinder.

This machine is probably a predecessor of Lincoln's "Powermig 255" -- a well regarded industrial strength MIG.

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RayP(MI)

03-02-2003 16:36:41




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 Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Gene Davis , 03-02-2003 14:22:58  
Depending on what equipment the unit has, it might use flux core wire, or if it has a gas kit, you'll probably want to use gas flux. Most welding with iron wire, on iron work, uses a mix of argon and carbon dioxide. Your gas supplier will probably want to sell you a tank, and then you'll trade it in for a refilled tank when empty. Your gas supplier can probably advise you as to appropriate materials for your intended work. Maybe even give you a lesson or two!

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Gene Davis

03-02-2003 14:52:20




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 Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Gene Davis , 03-02-2003 14:22:58  
Please excuse the double post, if anyone wants to delete one, it is o.k. Gene



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Bill

03-02-2003 15:12:25




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 Re: Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Gene Davis , 03-02-2003 14:52:20  

Gene Dont you talk to your cousin any more? he should be able to answer all your questions being he owned the welder befre.



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Gene Davis

03-02-2003 16:47:49




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 Re: Re: Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Bill, 03-02-2003 15:12:25  
yes; I talked to him and he said that he didn't know where the books are!



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don N.C

03-02-2003 19:02:02




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Gene Davis , 03-02-2003 16:47:49  
Gene when I bought my used lincoln wire welder sp-100 about 6 months ago I went to the lincoln website and e-mailed them with the model& serial # and they e-mailed me the owners manual which was about 80 pages, that also explained how to weld with it inside. just download it and print best of luck, Don



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Ivan

03-02-2003 17:38:09




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Wire welder help needed! in reply to Gene Davis , 03-02-2003 16:47:49  
I bought a Lincoln 200 wire welder last year and there wasn't much for books that came with it. Any Lincoln dealer should be able to get them for you and answer any questions. You will like it once you get used to it. I was told that the flux core wire does not work as well as using Argon and CO2 gas.



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