Spool gun for ally welding

[F.J.]

Hi all,

I've been saving for a Kemppi Minarc Mig 200 but have since been considering an acdc TIG as it will mainly be used for aluminium work.

But just recently I have been looking in to spool guns for Mig welders for my ally work. What are the benefits of using a spool gun as opposed to the Mig unit it's self, would a spool gun be better than the Minarc and would one work off my Butters 180amp Mig?

I would love to have both the Kemppi and an acdc TIG but my budget will only allow one of them and that's after selling one of the units I have already, so a possible option would be to get a spool gun and a second hand acdc TIG.

Thanks

 

[backpurge]

Totally depends on what you are going to be welding

 

[F.J.]

Totally depends on what you are going to be welding

Mainly scissor lift baskets. The platform slides out and when it gets slid back into place (usually slammed), the bump stops split from the foot plates of the platform. The aluminium is about 3/4mm thick and will be approx 4inches long in the vertical 'T' fillet position.

Regards
Dean

 

[Drains]

Advantage of spool gun- very mobile, lightweight, ideal for moving around in high or difficult to access places. Good for ally.
Disadvantages- small reel.

Advantage of Miniarcmig. Great welder, beautiful welds. Lightweight.
Disadvantage- heavier than a spool gun. 5kg reel (where a 15kg might be handy, generally). Attached to gas bottle... (Although you could get a long hose)

I'd say if you're in a position to get the Miniarcmig and can do a long gas hose as required it'll give you some degree of the portability of a spool gun, with all the quality bonuses the machine already has. Probably a bit of a difference in cost though, all in all.

 

[backpurge]

For what you are wanting to do you will be far better off with an AC/DC TIG of at least 200 amps, as Drains says the Minarc is a good piece of kit but is not going to be ideally suited for what you are wanting to do.

You will get far better quality welds from TIG, especially if you do not have a great deal of experience welding ally

 

[F.J.]

I have the experience welding ally (albeit at while ago with a standard Mig set) and more recently using a Mig pulse unit which was brilliant but way out of my budget range.

I am torn now as I will be able to weld mild/stainless/ally with the Minarc but understand the TIG will be a better machine. As I am having to sell one of my Migs to fund either machine I am then stuck without a Mig set if I buy a TIG welder! Hence the question regarding a spool gun fitting my Butters 180 amp 240v? My other Migs are a Murex Tradesmig 165 240v and Lincoln compact 350 3Ph. It would be the butters that will getting sold to fund a new machine hence me warming to the Minarc so I have a similar range Mig welder.

So going back to my question would the spool gun work off my butters? As I would then be able to keep my welder and only have to save a bit more and by a TIG in the near future?

Sorry for the long winded replies

Dean

 

[wyn]

The minarc is quite fiddly to change liners if you will be swaping between aluminium and everything else pretty often.

 

[F.J.]

Decisions decisions!!!

I think I might hire each machine next time an ally job comes in and make up my mind that way