Ok, I have a Lincoln Power Mig 255 and it is doing something really odd. It is acting like it's in "stich" mode, but there is no stitch mode on this machine. It runs for around 10 seconds, then stops. I can hold the trigger in and it will not start again though but if I release and pull the trigger again, it starts right up...for around 10 seconds ...
I did check the liner but it is not hanging up. It's actually stopping.
Any ideas?

 

If the feed rollers inside the machine are actually stopping your three choices would be the switch in the gun, wiring to the feed motor, or the feed motor itself, I would think.

 

We have a miller as well, cant remember what model, but it constantly does what your describing. to correct ourswe 1. replaced the liner. 2. run the trigger cord as straight as possible.3 trash any wire thats rusty,dirty, you can clip on a small piece of cloth with a clothspin prior to the rollers and feed deal and it wipes it off ( lots say no way on this) check the preload on the spool.

 

Are the drive rolls actually slipping or stalling when the wire stops feeding or can you hear the contacts in the power source disconnect? If the machine stops after 10 seconds like clockwork and it is not because of slipping or stalling drive rolls, then you don't have a wire feed problem but probably an electronic problem, I'm sorry to say. The power mig 255 does have a micro processor controlled feeding system because it was designed to be spot/stitch capable even though your unit was not optioned that way. It sounds like a problem with the feeder ecu. You may have to get it to a welder tech for diagnoses

 

amartinson, Yes, the rollers are actually stopping.

apache, I don't think it's the liner because the drive rollers are actually stopping.

CTD NUT, I think you're right Do you know what could cause it to start doing this?

 

just jump out the switch, that will eliminate one possible problem

 

I think it could be an electronic gremlin in the the ecu.......there is not always a reason why some of these things happen........I'm not a welder tech so I can't say for certain.......I have been a welding supervisor in a large fab shop for a long time and I have seen various ecu's do very strange thing with no explanation other than a component on a pc board "failed"........as for what causes these failures, usually nobody knows.....they just replace the board or the component and off you go again.

just my .02

 

Check and make sure you have a good ground. An improper ground or loose connection somewhere in the ground lead could be the problem.

 

I know those cheaper Lincoln mig guns tend to come loose, making the trigger contact whenever it darn well pleases. I don't know what you have, but like somebody else said, eliminate that possibility just to see what happens.

 

First off, thanks for all the input guys.

This is so odd. I had a lot of welding to do today on the ol' Jeep so I got accustomed to stopping it right about where i figured it was about to stop anyways but at the lower end of the "circle" to make the welds look better. So I went to stretch one out to finish a weld and was expecting it to stop any second but it didn't. So I did some welds without stopping it myself and it didn't stop! It became an innermittent problem. It did it to me again once or twice but it was going a lot better than last night. I did notice that when it stopped, the gas stayed on, the feed just stopped. Is the board that could be the issue easy to replace or is it something to take to a pro?

 

The processing board on a mig is relatively easy to replace, I have done a couple.

However, I frequently work with a miller 185 Mig unit, and the control board in it has issues. I was going to change it, but I found out that the control board is a little over 900 bucks, and to buy the unit new was only a little over 1800.

I think I can live with the wonky control board, as the unit is now about 4 years old, and there is no way I am paying half of new, to put a control board in an "old" machine. I'll deal with it until I can justify a new unit, and it will not be another blue product.

I also have one of those little 110v Lincoln mig pak 10 units. Cheap little goofy wire feed. Had it for 6 years now, not a hitch, just change the tips once in a very long while, and put new spools of wire in it. Excellent machine for the bucks.

 

Had one of those things it was the worst machine i have ever seen. we sold it and bought something else.