Would you purchase the 400 hobart or go to 500 hobart plasma they seem to cut the same thickness on the metal chart..

Hi
is the air pressure set correctly?
too much air prevents strike of plasma
is air CLEAN and DRY?

Replace trigger switch.

Make sure you have a good ground. If ground is good, make sure you are holding the tip level to the work and right up close.

Thicker metal shows greater blade / saw adjustment errors. A simple 1/64 or 1/32 wont show much on an 1/8 thick piece of metal when cut.
Those numbers will double quickly as the cutting blade travels through thick metal.
Metal band saws seem to be trickier to adjust and fine tune because the blade seems to be twisted into the roller guides.
The downloaded manual for the saw that looked most like mine at grizzly.com helped my adjustments a lot.
The saw quality is also a factor.

There should be a wiring diagram label on the inside cover that tells you where to connect the leads for 220 volt operation. I assume you do not have the manual, so you can also call 1-800-332-3281 for Hobart assistance and a manual.

The unit needs to be tested.

You're welcome to ship the unit to me for diagnostic testing and repair. [email protected]

Hi,


I would recommend replacing the electrode, and maybe the tip, other that that it sounds like you aren't getting a good enough ground for it to start.

If you are using flux wire and not shielding gas, your clamp should be positive and the wire should be negative. Heat is provided by the electrical arc that happens between the wire and the material. Your welder by itself does not pre heat the material and with 3/16 material you should not need to preheat anyway.

The electrical arc is kept consistent by adjusting the wire feed rate and the current applied. You will need to experiment with these settings to find what works best with your welder. For this welder and 3/16 material, I would suggest you start at the upper end of the current scale and about a third of the way up on wire speed. The welder might have a chart for these settings in the manual or inside cover.

If the wire feeds too fast, it will push the probe around and you will feel pressure as the wire feeds out. If the speed is too slow you will get large spatters and intermittent arcs. When properly adjusted the arc will sound even and consistent. The arc gap should always be about 1/8 of an inch.

To maintain enough heat for good penatration, do not move the probe too fast, work in a pattern and watch the weld pool (melted metal) and not the arc. Watching the weld pool will clue you in if you are moving too fast or too slow.

I hope this helps.

-Scott

Is your air compressor able to keep up with the continuous regulated air flow?
If positive air flow is not constant same pressure all the time
cutting will stop..>>

Also if your movements are to fast and or material to thick machine will behave that way..

If you have a bad air supply then the moisture in the air will cause the torch to cut off and the cut quality depends also on air supply,speed,metal thickness and condition of your consumables,meaning your electrode and other related parts in the torch tip.Hope this helps