hello all, Ive had a lincoln handy core welder for about 2 years, and the only times ive ever used it have been crap. It is a wire feed gaseless welder and yes i am using flux cored wire. this thing cannot weld exhaust, if i go too hot it melts right through, if I go to low it isn't a constant stream of weld its just tic tic tic and all i get are little ***** that look like sauder all over what i was trying to keep toger. this really pisses me off and i dont know what I should do. I want a nice thick weld i can be proud of, would buying an arc/stick welder help in my search instead of this shitty thing? The main thing I want to do is weld exhaust.

 

Haha, that's funny. I have a Lincoln "Handy Mig". It works fine for exhaust. I picked it up new for $150 on ebay.

 

Do you have a wire feed adjustment?

 

yes i do and i think thats the problem. I always though that the wire feed was to adjust how hot it wasas well as the heat setting. Now i understand that its howmuch weld comes out. thats understandable as to why i have such thin shitty welds.

 

what wire speed do you use for exhaust and what heat settings?

 

You need to adjust the wire speed until you establish a nice crackle.

 

how do I know when its too much

 

When it is too low, it will hesitate and sputter, possibly burning back to the tip. (Burnback is typically only bad with aluminum.) When it is too high, it won't make a constant crackling or sizziling sound. You can usually feels the head pushing back as you force unmelted wire into the surface. When it is just right, you will hear that nice, constant crackling.

Exhausts can be difficult to weld, especially if there is any corrosion present or you are using aluminized pipe. As always, it is best to have really clean surfaces.