Best MIG for a $1000

[RickeyS]

As mentioned you don't need a spool gun for welding Aluminum with MIG/GMAW. You can use a regular gun, I prefer the 10' lead but 12" will work. Just use a Teflon liner plus what was already mentioned in larger tip. When feeding the wire through initially you should try to keep it as straight as possible. Once its through you have less of a chance of birdnesting before the gun and at the rollers. Also take the tip off so it cannot hang up there. Another issue people commonly have is they do not have the gun fully seated at entry to the welder which causes it to birdnest. Don't use CO2 or a mix though. Use Argon.

Tweco also came out with a machine that is more home use about 1-1/2 year ago. It was about $1K and was multi function. You may want to check it out. I ran a display using it for TIG on 12 ga stainless and it ran fine. Of course I only ran a 6" coupon so it was no real test.

 

[Clay45]

I wanted to bend & weld aluminum tubing to form frames for inflatable tubes/pontoon boat. Started with a Hobart Handler 135 and practiced on 1/8" thick coupons until I could make beautiful beads and pretty good welds without constant burn through. Using a lighter wire spring in the feed mechanism and .030 4043 thru a straight whip worked best. But when I went to weld tubing joints I found I could not manipulate the gun with constant burn backs and ruined tips. I also found that the larger heatsink of my project rendered my 110v machine marginal at best. Sold it and acquired an HH175 and BOY!; the difference was tremendous. The lighter spring at the drive roller permited me to adjust the tension enough to feed reliably thru a straight whip and a .035 tip. But if it did foul and stick the wire usually would slip at the roller and not birds nest. But bending the whip around would kill it more often than not. Learned that if you wish to MIG aluminum you need a spool gun. The extra board and cost of the spool gun deterred me. I did all the construction, bending, notching, etc. but I took my project to a local shop to get it "glued together". Sold the HH175 and thought I was thru welding when the HH187 came out and all the glaring reviews peaked my curiosity. I had to have one and did. Still had all my stuff so the setup was quick. I found this machine worked even better than my HH175 had but still needed the spoolgun module and gun if you really wanted to weld aluminum with any frequency. With mild steel from 1/8" - 1/4" it seemed you could weld dang near all you want. I only built one utility trailer and none of my welds were long enough to ever trigger the circuit breaker. Like an idiot I sold it to make space in my garage. Now I find myself in the country with an occasional desire to weld. Haven't set up my shop in the barn yet but just last week my HH190 arrived. I'm going to reacquaint myself with welding because I did enjoy the little bit of it I've done. Should I decide to do some aluminum work I will get a spool gun. The model that goes with this welder is not cost prohibitive and the circuitry is already in the machine. My current delima is the cost of the shielding gas cylinders. Just unbelievable and ridiculous. I'll probably give in and get one but it burns my hide.

 

[Big Barn]

As mentioned you don't need a spool gun for welding Aluminum with MIG/GMAW. You can use a regular gun, I prefer the 10' lead but 12" will work. Just use a Teflon liner plus what was already mentioned in larger tip. When feeding the wire through initially you should try to keep it as straight as possible. Once its through you have less of a chance of birdnesting before the gun and at the rollers. Also take the tip off so it cannot hang up there. Another issue people commonly have is they do not have the gun fully seated at entry to the welder which causes it to birdnest. Don't use CO2 or a mix though. Use Argon. Tweco also came out with a machine that is more home use about 1-1/2 year ago. It was about $1K and was multi function. You may want to check it out. I ran a display using it for TIG on 12 ga stainless and it ran fine. Of course I only ran a 6" coupon so it was no real test.

Ive never tried it without a spool gun, but I KNOW I'd like the 'smallness' of the regular mig gun.

Here's a pic of my Tweco 181i 3in1. LWS $950 about a year and a half ago. The spool gun was under $300, fine for single user but would never survive in a shop environment.





Terry

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

Clay45 - if you want to save money on shielding gas for welding steel, get a used 20lb co2 tank.

My latest fill was $21 and at 8.8 cu.ft per pound, that's equivalent to 176 cu.ft. of shielding gas (approximately).

 

[Clay45]

Thanks Dave. I did that with my previous machines and went back to C25. Never did like the excess spatter as that is why I wanted GMAW in the first place. But at today's prices your suggestion may be the best solution. Gonna look into it because if its inexpensive enough I might get one anyway.

Thanks again!

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

I'm cheap, so I like it
I do keep a small bottle of c25 around "in case I need it."

For the spatter in the nozzel, nozzel dip works very well (apply after it's good and warmed up).
Then a swipe with a small screwdriver and it's gone most of the time.

If you're getting spatter sticking to the project then the settings are slightly off, in my experience anyway.

Good luck on your tank search - mine was $40 used, the other was free

 

[Big Barn]

I'm cheap, so I like it




Terry

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

I'm cheap, so I like it


View attachment 430783

Terry

Very funny
I also like cheap women

 

[sequoyah101]

TiG suggested by some is an art and the equipment is more expensive than for MIG. The wire feeder on MIG is most important. I've had Hobart but not Miller and I have Lincoln, a big MIG shop welder. I use it with a spool gun for aluminum and it works fine. Prep in Al is absolutely key. NO steel residue at all. Clean stainless brushes for prep. One time you can make a perfect weld and next it turns into little snot ball.

I can't speak for Everlast spool gun or wire feed but their little inverter stick, TIG, plasma does just fine for a good price. Hate that it is made in China but I think you get the same with a lot of the name stuff. They were using Seimens cards at one time.

Unless you're just bent on Al I'd buy a mess of 14 / 16 ga 3/4" or 1" square tubing and start on that with a little MIG machine. Get a cheap chop saw and grinder and go to town. 1" square tubing is about 10x better than a 2x4. Get the primed stuff and store it indoors... you'll be glad you did when it comes time to paint.

I stick with Lincoln and Miller most of the time. I may try an Everlast plasma cutter eventually. I'm welder poor though.

 

[jbwilson]

When I first got my Lincoln V350-Pro with spool gun. I was playing with it to see what it could do. And record the settings. This is 16-GA aluminum. I got it welded, but I would much rather do this kind of work with Tig.

Shield Arc - I'm not too familiar with aluminium MIG welding so I have a couple questions on the welds shown in your photo. Could you have used a higher voltage setting without burn through? Also did you push the wire as opposed to dragging it?

Thank you.
John