Buying New Setup for Aluminum

[ventureline]

Originally Posted by Shade Tree Welder

I ran a Lincoln side by side against my 350P, I told the lincoln rep. if it out produced my MM 350P I would buy it. The Lincoln did better than I thought it would, being transformer based, but still on its best day, down hill, and with a tail wind the Lincoln could only muster 90% of what the Miller put out. Also the Lincolns are much more tedious to set up.

JMHO...

Since I'm a tech, I set up lots of these, at least everything (settings) are in the open. The 350P has alot of hidden menus, that pretty much only I can get into.

Both are inverters by the way

[LW Hiway]

The 350P has alot of hidden menus, that pretty much only I can get into.

Awright bucket mouf(), what do they do, why are they there, how would that help, if not for a tech's "behind the scene snitching"? Does this ability allow a historical of sorts or is it a trouble shooting aid only? Makes sense if it is.

[coleasterling]

Although I don't have a budget, I would like the best value. So far that seems to be the 350p and whatever push/pull gun. I'm still confused about the difference between guns, though. I am thinking XR-Python is the one.

[LW Hiway]

The typical MIG gun is a trigger controller alone, which turns on gas flow and wire flow, on and off, which controls the feeding rollers (friction wheels) at the welding machine. With this type gun you can use the larger rolls of certain filler, but the softer wires/fillers will not take kindly to being pushed the whole way thru the guns lead and gun head unless all is right in the universe. If there is any binding in the liner or a bad tip, you could have what's called a birdnesting problem where the wire does not feed thru the gun but backs up just after the feeder rollers and the gun cable entry.

A spool gun has a small spool of wire in it's handle assy, along with the gears/wheels to squirt/move the wire out the tip, the trigger turns on gas flow and wire feed as well. Friction wheels for the wire are just before the tube and tip of the gun. Your not using a spool of wire at the machine at all. The wire is in the small spool area of the gun handle itself.

A push/pull gun like the XR takes wire from the roll spool at or inside the machine, and has the gears/spools (in the handle) to squirt/feed the wire out the tip at the handle. Your actually pulling the wire at the gun handle assy. Instead of using the small spools like the spool gun, you take wire off the spool at the machine. Allows you to use the softer wires/fillers in the larger spools as contained by the machine.

The push/pull guns circumvent the possibility of birdnesting at the welder with the softer wires. Your pulling the wire at the handle, instead of pushing the wire from the machine to the handle only.

You'd think I'd know better.

[coleasterling]

Thanks for that explanation, although that isn't really what I meant. I am trying to figure out the difference between the XR-Edge, XR-Python, and Alumipro push-pull guns. There isn't any info on their site about them so I'm a bit confused.

-Cole

[LW Hiway]

am trying to figure out the difference between the XR-Edge, XR-Python, and Alumipro push-pull guns.

This makes more sense and I had thought my attempt was a little simple in nature.

For sure, I'd like to know the durability of the XR- series over the spool guns as well.

Too late to look now, time for work.
LW

[Shade Tree Welder]

Originally Posted by ventureline

A great and not too pricey power source would have to be a Lincoln 350 pro with the advanced process kit, a wire feeder like an LN-7 or LF-42, and a Miller 30A + WC-24 controller (easily modded to Lincoln)

One stop shop, got your stick, got your mig and dc tig, got your pulse....

Mk products is simply expensive trash, hard to get parts for, let alone having to get repaired.

Originally Posted by ventureline

Since I'm a tech, I set up lots of these, at least everything (settings) are in the open. The 350P has alot of hidden menus, that pretty much only I can get into.

Both are inverters by the way

My confusion was with the Invertec v. the Powermig. I ran my trial with the Powermig not the Invertec you are speaking of.

Miller does not make it a secret of the hidden menu's on their machines. All you have to do is call Appleton and they will walk you through them.

[ventureline]

There are some tech menus that Miller won't tell you about, and yes there are some tech menus in the pro 350 as well. I can also acess the power migs and pro 350 with a computer which keeps track of input and output power issues.

[coleasterling]

Regardless, what does this have to do with choosing one over the other?

[ventureline]

Originally Posted by coleasterling

Regardless, what does this have to do with choosing one over the other?

Nothing, there are a wide variety of systems available, a few clicks and there is a weath of knowledge on both the Miller and Lincoln lineup. I prefer the Lincoln PowerMig 350 over the Miller 350P, just for ease of use. The pro350 is a nice stand alone power source.

Both the Miller 350P and the Lincoln PW350 are onestop power shops. Both the edge and the cobramatic are the same