Hobart Mega-Flex 650 RVS does not work in MIG mode

For one thing, in MIG mode nothing would show on any meter until you were actually welding. In Stick mode there is an open-circuit-voltage that will always show on the meter, but not in MIG. You have not stated the obvious... That you pulled the trigger while the wire fed out and touched the ground clamp. If you didn't do that then try it.

(snip)

The 19 pin is for the Mega-Con and RVS, the 5 pin is for anything else (RVS needs a separate lead to workpiece).

Usually, 2 pins are power (either 24V DC or 115AC depending on unit), and 2 pins close the contactor. I assume the contactor is OK in the machine because it also energizes the mains for stick.

When you pull the trigger you should get from 15 to 50 volts depending on the panel voltage setting.

Is there a separate wire and clip? This may be RVS all the time (no internal voltage sampling) which would require a separate lead along with the ground, or from the panel to the ground lug on the machine (to make it act like a normal mig).

The daughter boards are top front left and covered, are the fasteners scarred up? I think there should be 3 boards with several large wire bundles everything connected?

Matt

ok

OK, thanks

The contactor is fine as I can stick weld all day long.

That is my issue, when I press the button, the voltage needle does not move.

I did not see separate wire, and yes I looked (yesterday).

I only opened the top once, to rewire it for 240v. I do not recall, but I can look.

It is very strange.

Even the volt meter?

I thought I did, now I doubt myself a little, I will try tonight and will report on it.

Ernie, you were 100% right, there is nothing wrong with this welder and it works just fine. I simply misunderstood what I was testing, and was trying to find open circuit voltage.

Ernie is ALWAYS right. :-)

Grant

I consider him to be the prophet of welding

LOL, glad you got it going (saw from above).

BTW, were you pressing the torch trigger or the inch/purge button on the feeder? When I used to press the torch trigger I got volts....

Mine was the Sub-arc option version not the GTAW version...

Matt

Torch trigger. It is very strange to me, I guess it is the correct behavior, but not something that I expected. If I press the trigger, the needle does not move. But the arc would go. What I noticed is that when I did it the first time after starting the welder, the needle would move momentarily, but only once.

Isn't subarc like MIG welding, only bigger?

Depends on who is building the machine, but sub-arc usually works better with a more drooping volt/amp curve. Normal CV "mig" volts=X and at short circuit amps=MAX(NOW), the voltage doesn't collapse like CC (stick).

With sub-arc the voltage collapses a bit more and the rate (speed) of amp rise is slowed. The wire is actually sliding into a molten pool a bit before burning off and the arc is extinguished. If set right 3/16" wire will cause solution 1 1/2" to 2" deep.

Above 750 amps sub-arc is usually done CC.

How do you like the mig?

Matt

I got it.

I like it, but the reel of fluxcore that I have (Lincoln wire cage) does not fit the 51mm spindle and does not like to spin in general. So I let a little bit of loose wire to try, but not enough to get any experience. Hopefully early next week I will get a proper reel.

You can get an adapter for those redi-reels from lincoln, but to be honest if you are just "puttering" around I would get a 10lb spool of something.

Did you get extra feed rolls for the type 27 feeder?

Matt

I bought a 33 lbs spool, and will sell that redi-reel as I do not need it. The wirefeed comes with 0.035-0.045 rolls, which should work OK.

Indeed!!

I cant believe though..that Iggy didnt try to start an arc. At times I consider him an idiot savant.

Gunner

"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..." Maj. Gen. John Sedgewick, killed by a sniper in 1864 at the battle of Spotsylvania

I was trying to be careful and measure everything before starting.

With that much potential current out of the thing for the few seconds before it trips your breakers, it's good to be careful.

If you have/saved an old empty reel that fits your machine it really isn't all that hard to transfer the wire from one to the other. At least that is what I did to finish off a Lincoln cage wheel on my Millermatic.

Though, I have been called a cheap screw ;-)

Good point, but I do not have one.

I use the core and one flange of a small (2 lb ?) roll to mount the bigger rolls in my baby MIG .