Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi.

I opened another topic on the TIG forum, but, with the help of people, I realized that what I need is a MIG welder. My question is, for steel and aluminum, what features should I look for in a MIG welder? The maximum power for my house is a welder of 160 amps

For the example, I have read about the spool gun, but is it really necessary? I'm going to use it for occasional use so I don't think it needs voltage regulation or that sort of thing. Also, is there a big difference between MOSFET and IGBT technology?

Thank you.

Best regards.

Standard drive rollers use a V-shape groove, which aluminum does not like because it will deform quickly. MIG welders that are meant to drive directly from the machine have specialized U-groove rollers that cradle and support the wire. Otherwise you will have lots of feeding issues. So that is the main reason spoolguns exits. They minimize feeding issues because the spool of aluminum wire is close to the tip, so it only travels about 20-25cm.

160A is decent for steel, but for aluminum, with a traditional MIG that does not have specialty advanced features, it will be very limited. Roughly 3mm to 4mm thick. Any thinner and you will end up with horrendous weld beads because of the necessary transfer method; it's different for steel than it is for aluminum.

ALL wirefeed operations need voltage adjustability, plain and simple. Doesn't matter if it is steel, stainless steel, aluminum, silicon bronze, they all need to be adjusted for optimum operation.

Please look in to the requirements for aluminum MIG regarding short-circuit vs spray transfer. Jody has made many videos about this. Time to open up his channel and watch all his aluminum MIG videos again.

There is a lot more to a welder than mosfet vs IGBT, but I think it suffices to say that the best machines in the world use IGBT. But that doesn't mean that ALL IGBT-based welders are better than mosfet-based welders. Circuitry is a complex thing.

Alberto wrote:Hi.

I opened another topic on the TIG forum, but, with the help of people, I realized that what I need is a MIG welder. My question is, for steel and aluminum, what features should I look for in a MIG welder? The maximum power for my house is a welder of 160 amps

For the example, I have read about the spool gun, but is it really necessary? I'm going to use it for occasional use so I don't think it needs voltage regulation or that sort of thing. Also, is there a big difference between MOSFET and IGBT technology?

Thank you.

Best regards.

160 amps is really limiting for aluminium. not impossible but you would be running full noise a lot. highly recommend pulse welder for thin material.
you really need a pulse welder with higher amps to use normal mig gun with aluminium. thats because you use thicker wire to be able to feed properly. eg mine uses 1mm wire to weld 2mm aluminium.
for 0.8mm wire you really need a spool gun.


any decent mig should have WFS, amps and inductance.

the only new welding machines i see with MOSFET's is nasty junk. MOSFET welders have been obsolete for a long time now.

First of all, thank you for your help.

Ok, I have to look for
200Amps minimun
IGTB
WFS, voltage, current and impedance regulation

I think I have found one. The problem is the pulse. I see 2 or 3 models of around 600$ ant they have all these characteristics, except the pulse option.

Is it realy important? Even if I have a spool gun?

Thank you

Pulse is extremely helpful for aluminum. It's not that you need it, it's just that spool gun is very limiting due to the required transfer method. You cannot "dial down" aluminum spool gun welding in the same way you can dial down regular MIG steel welding, because of the required transfer method, spray. So it is mostly for thicker metals, over 3mm. But then you cannot do very thick over 5mm because even 160A is very little due to the thermal conduction of aluminum (you need a lot of amps). The main issue is: you don't have an actual project to really narrow down what you are going to weld.

It's like saying " I need to drive somewhere. What kind of car do I need?" More details are needed, but then if you don't know where are you are going, how can anyone answer that question? See what I mean?

PS: forget "impedance regulation", that's not even a thing, lol.

Alberto wrote:First of all, thank you for your help.

Ok, I have to look for
200Amps minimun
IGTB
WFS, voltage, current and impedance regulation

I think I have found one. The problem is the pulse. I see 2 or 3 models of around 600$ ant they have all these characteristics, except the pulse option.

Is it realy important? Even if I have a spool gun?

Thank you

pulse is hard to find in hobby level machines.

Oscar wrote:
PS: forget "impedance regulation", that's not even a thing, lol.

something lost in translation.
i think thats meant to be inductance which any half decent welder will have.

Yes, but in my case it's a hobby. For example, this welder has a very good reputation. It costs $ 570 and has no pulse regulation. https://www.stahlwerk-schweissgeraete.d ... 00-ST-IGBT

I'm not sure if I should pay more than this for my needs.

I understand you want to help me with the best, but I am thinking of spending 600 $ on a 200 Amp synergic MIG welder with everything you said (except pulse) with TIG option (this is secondary, this is a MIG welder with TIG option) and start to learn a little TIG. And maybe in the future I will buy a really good MIG or TIG, depending on which one I prefer.

The problem is I don´t know what I´ll weld in the future, so I want the most versatile option.

Alberto wrote:
The problem is I don´t know what I´ll weld in the future, so I want the most versatile option.

So you will ultimately limit yourself by buying a beginner MIG, or you will sacrifice something somewhere to afford a professional level MIG. Its going to be one or the other any way you look at it. Aluminum welding separates the"men" MIG machines from the "boy" MIG machines.

Alberto wrote:Yes, but in my case it's a hobby. For example, this welder has a very good reputation. It costs $ 570 and has no pulse regulation. https://www.stahlwerk-schweissgeraete.d ... 00-ST-IGBT

I'm not sure if I should pay more than this for my needs.

I understand you want to help me with the best, but I am thinking of spending 600 $ on a 200 Amp synergic MIG welder with everything you said (except pulse) with TIG option (this is secondary, this is a MIG welder with TIG option) and start to learn a little TIG. And maybe in the future I will buy a really good MIG or TIG, depending on which one I prefer.

The problem is I don´t know what I´ll weld in the future, so I want the most versatile option.

People have been using MIG welders without pulse for a very long time. That's not to say it isn't awesome, and that it almost makes any other machine obsolete. But, within the confines of a budget, it makes it difficult. It sounds like just one more feature, but it really represents a completely different welding machine.

If I were in your position I'd consider the used market before buying anything cheap and new. Seriously, you might find a welder superior to any of the $600 welders out there, for $200. One of the biggest advantages a cheap power source gives you when you're starting out is you save money for the accessories and consumables. Those things are gonna cost easily as much as the welder itself, so I understand you not wanting to spend up on the welder. On the used market, often you can get all the additional stuff thrown in for free. Might not be the newest whiz-bang goodies, but at least you have what you need to get started and you can purchase new stuff as money allows, rather than eating that big pill up front for everything new day 1.

Good luck with the choice.

Thank you.

Ok ok, I´ll think about all you said.

Thanl you for all your help