220V Miller Machine, Dedicated for Spool Gun

Well, now my idea to buy 2 more wire feed welders has been delayed until I pay off some debts.

UPS is *crazy* busy, & my back, knees & shoulders are starting to cause me some concern. I need to pay off a lot of debt while I can.
 
Janderso said:
I have watched videos on these spool guns for aluminum.
Apparently, it’s just as easy as MiG welding.
I suck at Tig welding aluminum. Steel, not so bad.
Please share your experience when you get there!
Click to expand...
I'm certainly not a pro, but I wouldn't say MIG aluminum with a spool gun or push/pull gun is quite as easy as steel. It's not terrible, but it's definitely harder than steel. There really isn't any way to get around the fact that it transfers heat so quickly that you really have to move. With that said, I think it took all of five minutes before I was getting pretty decent results the first time I tried using a spool gun...not perfect, but pretty decent. My sense has always been that with MIG on steel you can slow down/speed up to compensate for settings that aren't quite right...like adding a little circle or weave. That's not really what you want to be doing with aluminum as it's just going to put too much heat into the work.
 
I look forward to trying a spool or push-pull gun in a year or so after I pay off $4,250 in debt that I want to get off the books. One has an interest rate of 35% APR, so that needs to go.
 
There is an old saying in technology "Nobody was ever fired for specifying IBM". It looks like pretty much only Miller is on everyone's radar here.
I would wonder if other options would be viable, if all you want to do is spool welding of aluminum. You got solid advice when you were told that the settings for aluminum are far less forgiving than on mild steel. I have met a few people who thought they had a "lemon" of a welder, when settings (or even their selection of Gas and Wire) were wrong. They had been prepared to sell their welder on Craigslist, because they were confident it was bad. Normally, those who spend a bit more on a welder, are pretty good about watching a LOT of videos, before they take a stab at Aluminum. They read through dozens of charts to figure how the relationship between settings and the work they wish to do.
 
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