Welding Tips and Tricks

So I was doing some self shielded flux core today with my schools Millermatic 130. Doing some butt and lap joints on 1/4" plate. About 3/4 through every bead all of a sudden the breaker would blow and I'd have to go to the panel and flip it back just to get the wire off the joint and then restart. It is 110v and the breaker is 20 amps. Anybody have an issues like this or any advice to fix it. I think I'm going to bring out the 211 and switching polarity to use on 220.

I wonder if the breaker itself could be failing. Can you test the machine on a different circuit?

Might try switching to another circuit. If not it will be a good welder of someone has a welding need that can't fit in the shop.

Yep, breakers can go bad after a while. I had the same problem with my Lincoln SP-135+ at a place I used to live. 20 amp breaker would keep blowing after a very short time. Put in a new breaker and all was well.

As simple as it sounds to just switch out the breaker, it is not. Since it is my schools, we have to have a specific overpriced electrical company come in and do it after like two weeks of quotes and taking and then finally working and the $5 fix now costs $100. So probably the best thing is to just use the 220 volt machine of that is the problem.

Those pull 20 amps welding at 90 amps output at 20% duty cycle (2 minutes per 10min period)

From there, amps drawn goes up, and duty cycle goes down even farther.
10-15% duty cycle and pulling around 30 amps.

My brother had a mm130 briefly - overheat and popping breakers when pushed too hard.

I'd imagine you're overworking it trying to weld 1/4" material.
They are really just 1/8" machines for the most part.

I have had breakers get weak and pop prematurely. Are you sure the circuit is dedicated with no other parasitic load? If you check the wires with a digital clamp meter at the panel and the draw is within spec. may be the breaker. If the draw is high could there be a problem in the wire--plug --welder --loose connection etc. I don't profess to be real savvy on electrical but I have muddled my way thru a few issues and I'm still standing! Good luck .

You are probably right Dave. The settings o was using for 1/4" were the same for 1/8" since that is as high as it goes which is the whole 130 amps or should be. I just like to use 1/4" to take the heat better and to use later to fill in more easily than 1/8" and I was trying some vertical up which I have burnt through on 1/8" before.

Sadly, that's the nature of circuit breakers. With fuses, simply change the fuse and it's as good as new. When a breaker trips under load, there's an arc between the contacts, which naturally leaves arc-scores on the contacts. When you reset the breaker, these scores are in the current path, creating resistance. Repeated tripping of a breaker under load can de-rate it significantly.

Using a breaker as a switch on an inductive load can do the same thing. We use the breaker as the shut-off switch for our 15HP compressor (the disconnect is outside in the compressor cage). I have a label next to that breaker that says, "Do NOT shut off while compressor is running", for that reason. Those breakers are about $300 each, and I despise changing them. I have to shut down the entire shop's three-phase power to do it.

Steve S

Switched it over to the 211 this morning and worked beautifully but sure as heck, no nut to hold the spool on. Just improvised with a spring clamp. I have to say-that 211 kicks butt against the 130. Love to change the breaker but as I said earlier-two weeks and a hundred bucks later we might have a new breaker that will last for a little while.

Farmwelding wrote:Switched it over to the 211 this morning and worked beautifully but sure as heck, no nut to hold the spool on. Just improvised with a spring clamp. I have to say-that 211 kicks butt against the 130. Love to change the breaker but as I said earlier-two weeks and a hundred bucks later we might have a new breaker that will last for a little while.

More power is always nicer

Yeah when I went to my local tech school and had fun with 440 volts and three phase. That was a fun time. Never could have enough power. That's why they make dynasty 700s. Why take a few passes in inch thick aluminum when you can take one?