My baby MIG has been cantankerous lately: wire sticking, funky arc. Looking at it closely, I could see some rust on the wire. There wasn't much left, so I bought a new roll. WOW, what a difference!! The poor performance had crept up on me over a long time, so it wasn't noticeable until it was really bad.
The old roll was Fourney, from local hardware store; the new one Anchor brand from a welding store. But I suspect it was the rust, more than the brand, that was the problem. I'm now thinking about some kind of enclosure around the spool, with a dessicant in it. Anybody done it?
Bob
BTW - the welding shop invoice:
wire ................ $4 cleaning pads ........ 6 --- $10 compliance charge ... $4 --- $14
"compliance charge"?? WTF?? !!