220V Miller Machine, Dedicated for Spool Gun

erikmannie

erikmannie

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I will probably be buying a wire feed welder in September that will be dedicated for a spool gun.

I prefer 220V Miller machines. I am considering a Millermatic 252 or Millermatic 255. I am just starting to look at it, but I think one choice for a gun is a 30A. I understand that I will want to use 100% Argon.

I have to save for many months, & I have never used a spool gun. The mechanic at work tried an Eastman machine + a HF spool gun, & he was unable to make any good welds. He gave up.

So does anybody have anything to say about spool guns?
 
My friend had a Miller 185 and a Miller spool gun and he liked them
The HF gun you mentioned is probably lame
 
Miller spool gun on a 251 and later on a 350p has worked well for us on aluminum. Secret to welding aluminum, if you don’t already know, is to get it CLEAN. Then clean it some more.
 
erikmannie said:
The mechanic at work tried an Eastman machine + a HF spool gun, & he was unable to make any good welds. He gave up.
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Was he pushing or pulling the weld? It works better to push the weld with the spool gun with aluminum.
 
NCjeeper said:
Was he pushing or pulling the weld? It works better to push the weld with the spool gun with aluminum.
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He said that he “tried everything”. He claims to have done his research. He also claims to have done fine on another machine (with a different spool gun).

He returned the HF spool gun.
 
Jonas302 said:
Talk to your welding store Rep if your going exclusively aluminum a push pull gun is the best way to go
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I am always working when the welding shops are open. I get my info from the internet & buy everything online (except for shielding gas).

I have heard about push pull guns, but I will have to read about what they are.
 
Of course being at working always complicates things lol.
We have an amazing welding shop that will bend over backwards to help and educate its easy to forget others dont have that. One morning the feed motor on my 20 year old miller quit called the shop motors 2 weeks out phoned the rep had a brand new machine delivered by noon old one sent for repairs given that we are not a big customer and are 50 miles away I was quite impressed

Anyways a push pull gun has a feed motor in it and pulls from a 30 pound spool in the welder if you can swing the cost they are far superior to a spool gun of course crappy machines and guns cannot be compared to a miller but you already knew that
 
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