[Fido's Butt]

Just got my first MIG machine (Hobart Handler 210 MVP), bottle of C25 and .030 solid wire. Watched a bazillion videos and read lots of articles. Got it all set up, turned on the gas and dialed the adjuster valve until it read 20 CFH. Started to weld on clean (ground it shiny)1/8” mild steel plate, but everything looked like burnt, cratered cinders. Could not figure it out at all after rechecking everything. Then I read a small post on some welding forum and a guy mentioned setting the gas flow details. Turns out that when I dialed in 20 CFH, it was without the wire drive disconnected and the gun running. When I did that I found the flow gauge dipped to nearly zero when I squeezed the trigger. I reset the flow gauge to 20 CFH with the gun running and now all the welds look great.
Funny how some of us can miss the most obvious things, duh.

[mcostello]

You are not the first in line for that!

[shady]

Thank you for your post. I hope to use that information soon.

[cwheeler1926]

Great info here. So you set your gas with the trigger pulled just the wire running through the gun. Right?

[Fido's Butt]

With the machine running I disconnect the wire drive pressure wheel so the wire doesn't feed, squeeze the trigger and then adjust the pressure to 20 CFH. This has to be done every time I start up the welder because I always shut off the gas at the end and release the pressure remaining in the valve.

[thatoneguy]

Been there, done that.... More than once.

[tberg]

I just did this today.

[Oscar]

Yup, it's just one of those things.

[Jim FLinchbaugh]

This has to be done every time I start up the welder because I always shut off the gas at the end and release the pressure remaining in the valve.

Why? Do you own stock in the welding gas company?
I release pressure on flammables (torches) but never inert gas