Arc welder wont strike an arc

4RunnerAdam · 04-09-2008, 10:25 PM

I have an older Century 220v 230a arc welder. I bought it used. It diddnt have a plug on it, so I bought a dryer cord from Home Depot and wired it up. It has a white, black, and green. I'm guessing white is neutral, and the green and black wires are the hots. Anyways, I wired it up about a month ago and it worked fine. I ran a few test beads and everything seamed to work. Only problem was the cord wouldnt reach the front of my truck where I needed to weld my spring hanger on. So I bought some 12-3 wire, and used about 8 feet as an extension cord. Fired the welder up, and now when I go to strike an arc, using ES6011 rods, I cant get it to start an arc. It will spark but wont start. Sometimes it will stick too. And the amperage lever sometimes doesnt want to move up and down, but eventually it will.

Keep in mind I'm a begginer arc welder. But last month when I used it, I was able to burn a few rods with it with only minimal trouble getting an arc started.

Is there something wrong with the welder? What should I check for? I'll pop the case open tomorrow. Any common problems with these older arc welders? Or do you think its operator error? I had a perfectly clean ground and welding surface. Tired it on my spring hanger, tried it on a scrap plate. I also tried removing the extension cord and still wouldnt work. Also, it might be my immagination, but it seemed like the fan was running a lot slower than it used to, like its not getting full power.

This sucks, I bought this thing to weld my spring hangers and motor mounts for my 350 swap. I cant afford to buy another welder anytime soon.

04-09-2008, 10:25 PM	#1
4RunnerAdam Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: near eastgate mall Posts: 171	Arc welder wont strike an arc I have an older Century 220v 230a arc welder. I bought it used. It diddnt have a plug on it, so I bought a dryer cord from Home Depot and wired it up. It has a white, black, and green. I'm guessing white is neutral, and the green and black wires are the hots. Anyways, I wired it up about a month ago and it worked fine. I ran a few test beads and everything seamed to work. Only problem was the cord wouldnt reach the front of my truck where I needed to weld my spring hanger on. So I bought some 12-3 wire, and used about 8 feet as an extension cord. Fired the welder up, and now when I go to strike an arc, using ES6011 rods, I cant get it to start an arc. It will spark but wont start. Sometimes it will stick too. And the amperage lever sometimes doesnt want to move up and down, but eventually it will. Keep in mind I'm a begginer arc welder. But last month when I used it, I was able to burn a few rods with it with only minimal trouble getting an arc started. Is there something wrong with the welder? What should I check for? I'll pop the case open tomorrow. Any common problems with these older arc welders? Or do you think its operator error? I had a perfectly clean ground and welding surface. Tired it on my spring hanger, tried it on a scrap plate. I also tried removing the extension cord and still wouldnt work. Also, it might be my immagination, but it seemed like the fan was running a lot slower than it used to, like its not getting full power. This sucks, I bought this thing to weld my spring hangers and motor mounts for my 350 swap. I cant afford to buy another welder anytime soon.