What are you using now?

What is your experience level, any aluminum? I think the auto-set is for c25 and mild steel, so you'll be on your own here.

Are you intending on buying a spool gun or pushing the wire thru the regular torch?

Craig

 

Hi Craig: I am now retired and the only thing I have is an Lincoln Idealarc 250. Great stick welder. In the past I have done a fair amount of all types of welding. I graduated from military welding school distinguish graduate,but that was back in 1973. At that time I did every form of welding you can imagin with all types of metal & aluminum. But that was a long time ago,and things change. I need something just as a hobby. Most aluminum welding projects are 2x2x1/4 box aluminum and angle 1/8 aluminum. Some thin metal steel 1/16 or just a little smaller. I really don't need the auto set up. I just don't want to pay an outragous price for something I will be using only as a hoppy. Arnold:help:

 

My helper bought the 211 not long ago and we did a side by side comparison with it and my Passport. I made a post about it here on the forum, if you search for 211 or Passport you'll find it. I would buy the 211 for general mig welding, it is indeed a very nice machine and I enjoyed welding with it and the price is very reasonable. However, for strictly or primarily welding aluminum, I would not choose the 211. The 350P with push-pull gun is a truely excellent machine for mig welding aluminum.

Yes, the auto-set feature is only for use with solid steel mig wire (ER70-Sx) and argon/CO2 mix gas. It does not work with fluxcore wire, I know that cause we tried it and it did not work. I am sure it does not work with aluminum wire either.

 

DR:
I think you missed that the OP is a hobby weldor. The 350 is $4500 not including the $1800 push-pull.

Unless I missed something: Craig

"I will be using this mostly as hobby welding. At least this welder is within my price range."

 

Since you know all processes and metals, I assume you know how to tig aluminum. I would skip the mig for aluminum and pick up an AC tig machine. You don't need the latest greatest inverter machine, the big old transformer rectifier tigs can be found used for very little money and they still work fine. $500 to $1000 and a bottle argon and you can be tig'ing all metals with one machine.

 

Well DesertRider: I appricated that bit of info.There is a possibility that I may be able to get a TIG machine for nothing. My brother has a friend who's father passed away a few years ago and the son could not weld. He offered the TIG machine to my brother, but my brother did not want it. Yes I have had quite a bit of welding experiance in the pass. Have so many projects to do in AZ. and I want to expand it to welding aluminum. Have been a very long time since I have done aluninum,but it's like riding a bike,I think I can get back in the groove. A million thanks for your input. Arnold

 

Craig, yes, I'm aware how much a 350P costs. I have one, and a Python push-pull gun too.

 

Yeah, well; so I hate you. JK, if I lived closer, I'd sweep your floor; just to be around your equipment.

Arnold:
Well, you've answered the basic questions others would be asking, anyway. I'm also a retired guy, trying to learn as much as I can about all welding processes. This would be a good time to read my sig; my preference is TIG (no, I don't have a MIG). But if you want to weld 2x2x1/4" alum, you're going to need a 250 class machine, with a spool gun. Since I bleed Blue that means a Miller 251/252. The 251's are probably available on the used market. Since digital read-outs are repeatable, that's what I'm looking at. Good luck with your retirement hobby.

 

I'd recommend the Lincoln Power Mig 180 w/ spool gun. It'll run you around $1000...The diamond core choke make a nice sweet spot even on aluminum. It'll weld 1/4" no problem.

 

7A749:
If you'd like, you can go up to the upper left of this page, to User CP, and fill in your location. If yer anywhere close to AZ (Maineiac), I kin deliver. I'm due for a Road Trip. :cool2:

What's your idea of a good used TIG machine?

 

HI Craig: Where abouts are you located in CO. I travel from Maine to Arizona in Fall and Spring,every year. As a matter a fact I am going to FT. Collins CO. in Sept to visit and ride bikes with a friend. We will be there for about 4 or 5 days then were going to Mohab Utah to ride ATV's. I travel with a Motorhome and a car hauler trailer. Or if you wish to come to AZ. come on along. I travel to the far end of the state.Yuma Az. is my final destination. Thanks for all your help and info about the MIG welder that I may be buying.

 

Just a thought... I just looked up the specs on the IdealArc 250, that is a 300A AC/DC machine... unless the OP's is significantly different from the more current version.

I'm not an expert on this sort of thing, but would it be possible to put a HF box, a TIG torch and a bottle of argon on the IdealArc? I realized your be stuck at whatever amperage the power source is set at, but that doesn't seem like the worst thing in the world, and you'd have HF, so no scratch start.

Again, just a thought i had...

 

A Dialarc HF is quite similar to an Idealarc and the Dialarc HF has the high frequency and gas control built into the machine. I happen to have a Dialarc HF that I'm considering selling or trading. If I do, it will include the foot pedal as well.

 

I would go with the MM180 with a spool gun which would be the best setup. The MM211 uses the 3035 spool gun which Miller has still way over priced and will cost you 600.00 or so to get. The MM180 uses the 100 series spool gun which will save you a few hundred dollars.

 

The MM211 uses the 100 spoolgun $228.