Welding Tips and Tricks

I have a Millermatic 350P and also just recently picked up a 252 as well. Didn't really need the 252 but the price was too good to pass up. Thing is brand new. I'm looking to set up for some aluminum welding. I don't do tons of it and currently I just usually tig weld what comes through.

So anywho, my question is that I was curious if anyone has any experience using the XR aluma pro lite and the aluma pro? I realize the difference in amps between the two but have never used either. I've used spool guns but have never been a huge fan. They definetaly have their purpose but I just hate the bulky contraption and they never feel balanced to me. Maybe its just because I'm not used to them. There is obviously a big price difference between the three. I don't mind spending money on tools, but figured I would get your guys opinions. Not sure if its true or not, but at a trade show one time, I thought I heard the rep say that the aluma pro guns can be used on stainless welding too?

Appreciate any info that can get tossed my way.

While I can't answer your overall questions on a push/pull, I can tell you you can weld anything you can use either a spool-gun or standard MIG push gun on.

I've welded .035 308 in Miller's cheapest (hah!) spool-gun with no problems.

Steve S

Very nice, whatever it takes to get the job done. My thoughts were to set up the 350P with a push pull and leave it that way, since I picked up this 252. Just trying to decide if its worth it.

If you haven't used one yet, the 30A spoolgun that hooks up to the 252 is GREATLY improved over previous 30a spoolguns. Much better balance and much easier to use overall than the older ones.

Not sure when they changed the model of their 30a's but I'm sure the one I used was older. Those are definitely a lot cheaper to buy than the aluma pro series. Be nice if I could try them all out.

I use a millermatic 350p with the aluma pro whip everyday at work . We have 4 machines set up that way. We run .035 and .045 4043 wire with pure argon gas. Love the way they run. The whips are a bit heavy, but loads better than a spool gun. One problem our machines are about 4 years old But brand new we had to replace the boards in them because they were out of sync . Meaning the machine and the gun didn't talk to each other correctly. So you might want to look into that before you decide.

Jim

Personally, I think a push pull gun is a step up from a spool gun.
If you are in production like building aluminum skiffs,
You aren't changing little spools all day.

2 cents....

John

jimbob wrote:I use a millermatic 350p with the aluma pro whip everyday at work . We have 4 machines set up that way. We run .035 and .045 4043 wire with pure argon gas. Love the way they run. The whips are a bit heavy, but loads better than a spool gun. One problem our machines are about 4 years old But brand new we had to replace the boards in them because they were out of sync . Meaning the machine and the gun didn't talk to each other correctly. So you might want to look into that before you decide.

Jim

I'll have to get ahold of Miller/Rep and ask. That would be my luck that a board wouldn't be compatible. You would think with the price of the machine and the gun that this stuff would work together or at least come with a program update of some sort to make them compatible. Think my machine is 2-3 years old. Love the 350P though. 252's are nice as well, but that pulse does come in handy.