Welding Tips and Tricks

I've got a Snap-On FF140 A 110v MIG welder. Its been a great machine for me.
The knobs on the front are labeled 1-12 for voltage and 1-whatever for wire speed.
I know how to measure the wire speed into inches/minute. On the voltage side,
can the voltage be measured with a meter? Would it need to be measured under load or
open circuit? I rather learn to use the thing properly, rather than setting up by using alphabet soup.

Voltage is measured while welding - a cell phone set to video helps with that.

Clip the volt meter leads on the studs that are generally just inside the case.

But truthfully, setting the wire feed speed first, and then just dialing the voltage to make it run right, is pretty fast.

Then just write the settings down - and they will be very close to what the door chart says in most cases.

No door chart.
hence the test and re-label job

Snap-On does not make welders.

Unfortunately, they buy bottom-end crap from otherwise reputable makers, and re-brand them. This is a terrible bruise to their otherwise good name, but they don't seem to care to fix it.

Sell the Snap-On to some backwoods body shop, and buy an Everlast or AHP.

Steve S

A lot of Snap On welders are made by Systematics. I had mine for 25 years before l got my HTP MIG 2400. Never any trouble. Good machine just overpriced on the Snap On truck. I upgraded for more power. Are you sure it's not an FM 140?

Otto Nobedder wrote:Snap-On does not make welders.

Unfortunately, they buy bottom-end crap from otherwise reputable makers, and re-brand them. This is a terrible bruise to their otherwise good name, but they don't seem to care to fix it.

Sell the Snap-On to some backwoods body shop, and buy an Everlast or AHP.

Steve S

I see this written fairly often, but when I look up Snap-on welders I normally see 100% duty cycle machines.
In my opinion, this seems like many of them should be pretty good welders?
Obviously I've not looked up all of them though, so I'm sure some are cheap models.

I tend to agree that they do sell really expensive stuff though - seems overpriced to me but I don't wrench for a living and get along fine with moderately priced decent tools.

Century made many of the Snap-on machines.

The FM140, and all of the "Muscle Migs" are Systematics. I'm sure they used several manufacturers.

sedanman wrote:A lot of Snap On welders are made by Systematics. I had mine for 25 years before l got my HTP MIG 2400. Never any trouble. Good machine just overpriced on the Snap On truck. I upgraded for more power. Are you sure it's not an FM 140?

it is indeed a FM140, a fat fingered mis-type.
Say what you want about it, this one has been a great welder for me. Only thing that ever needed attention was the liner
and you are gonna have that with ANY MIG machine.
I got a deal on it as it was a Demo model the dealer lent out to body shops for trial runs. That was a loooong time ago
and its still going strong.

Check out systematics website and see if they have a copy of the door chart. 12 taps is better than most 'name brand ' welding machines offer.