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Finding a MIG welder that is appropriate for use with aluminum can be a bit of a chore, as there is undoubtedly a need to pay close attention to the specifications and capabilities of the machine.
Here you will find a list of MIG welders that can be used for work with aluminum. The welders in the list come in a wide price range, from approximately $350 up to over $3,000. Whether you are a DIYer or a professional, you are likely to find a welder here that will suit your needs.
What Kind of MIG Welder Do I Need for Aluminum?
Aluminum is certainly a different animal from mild steel. Successfully welding aluminum requires both careful technique and equipment selection. You need to consider the fact that aluminum is simply much less workable than most other metals; this is due to its high thermal conductivity and low melting point.
Here are some equipment selection guidelines for MIG welding aluminum:
- Consider the higher travel speeds and deposition rates of MIG welders (versus TIG)
- You may have to use either a spool gun or push-pull gun for smooth wire-feeding.
- The filler rod must be free of moisture and provide quality coverage of shielding gas coverage.
Following is a list of MIG welding machines suitable for welding aluminum based on the above guidelines. Chief among the parameters considered are: power input, welding current range, wire speed, and welding wire capacity.
Yeswelder MIG-205DS
| Power Input | 110VAC/220VAC |
| Welding Current Range(A) | 30-160/30-200 |
| Wire Feed Speed (IPM) | 78.7-591 |
| Welding Wire Capacity | 0.023″/0.030″/0.039″ |
| What’s Included? | 6.56 ft cable with 300A electrode holder, 4.92 feet cable with earth clamp, gas hose, brush and hammer, power adapter |
The Yeswelder MIG-205DS is a dual-voltage welder that comes with an adapter for pulling either 110V or 220V. The gun is connected to the welder via a euro connector. This is something to consider if you already have leads or are planning to further accessorize the multi-function welder later. The unit does not come with a TIG torch, wire, or regulator out of the box.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The best feature of the Yeswelder MIG-205DS is the fully-metal wire drive system. This provides the welder with an advantage over many of its competitors when it comes to sturdiness, as well as overall durability.
You will also find a few unique features on the control panel. Included on the panel is a “gas checking” that allows you to adjust the shielding gas flow with ease. Also among the controls is a “wire feeding by manual” dial that allows for rapid adjustments to the amount of wire being fed out of the tip.
The only downside is that the Yeswelder MIG-205DS is only covered under a 1-year warranty.
Weldpro 200 Amp
| Power Input | 115VAC/220VAC |
| Welding Current Range (A) | 40-120/40-200 |
| Wire Speed (IPM) | 78-550 |
| Welding Wire Capacity | 0.024″/0.031″/0.039″ |
| What’s Included? | MIG torch (10 ft.), TIG torch (13 ft.), 10ft. cable with 200A electrode holder, 10 ft. cable with 300A earth clamp, gas hose, power adapter, flow meter, 2 year warranty |
The Weldpro 200 Amp is another dual-voltage welder that is also capable of performing multiple different processes: MIG, Flux Core, TIG, and Stick. It also has a dual digital display that is easy to read and can be dialed to your preferred settings every time you weld aluminum.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The best feature of the Weldpro 200 is its synergic design adjustment system that automatically adjusts the voltage according to your wire feed speeding. This can certainly come in handy when you are working with aluminum, which needs to be welded “hot and fast.”
Another neat feature is the Data Lock Indicator Light on the control panel. As soon as you stop welding, your most recent settings are saved to the digital display. This is a feature that could come in clutch when you are experimenting with a bunch of different settings.
The Weldpro 200 comes with a V-groove drive roller and a V-knurled drive roller in the package. The v-groove drive roller is better equipped for solid MIG wire. The V-knurled roller can pose some disadvantages if used with solid wire since it can cause shavings to break off of the wire that is being fed through the machine. The shavings may even clog the liner and therefore disrupt welding performance.
The downside? There is no U-groove drive roll included in the factory packaging. This is the best type of drive roll to use with soft metal wires like aluminum, as it helps the wire keep its round shape.
Hzxvogen MAGIC MIG-200
| Power Input | 110VAC/220VAC |
| Welding Current Range (A) | 10-200 |
| Wire Speed (IPM) | 118-708 |
| Welding Wire Capacity | 0.031″/0.039″ |
| What’s Included? | Graphite wire feed tube, electrode holder, earth clamp, gas hose, brush and hammer |
The MAGIC MIG-200 welding machine is a multi-function machine that is also capable of supporting Stick Welding and TIG welding. The control panel is simple and straightforward with a current/wire feeding adjustment knob, a control knob, an arc force adjustment knob, and an inductance adjusting knob.
Advantages and Disadvantages
This welder is set up for aluminum thanks to the inclusion of the graphite wire feeding tube in the packaging. Graphite liners, along with Teflon and nylon, are the most commonly used torch liners to use for welding aluminum.
However, the factory packaging does not include spools of wire, as many welders in this list do. Also, the number of differently-sized grooves is a little bit limited, negatively affecting the variety of wire types and sizes you can use with this welder.
Eastwood 175 Amp MIG Welder
| Power Input | 210-240 VAC |
| Welding Current Range (A) | 30-175 |
| Wire Speed (IPM) | 40-450 |
| Welding Wire Capacity | 0.023″- 0.030″ |
| What’s Included? | Spool gun with 9′ cable, MIG wire 0.030″, Aluminum wire 0.035, 8′ earth clamp, 8′ electrode cable, 3-year warranty |
The Eastwood 175 Amp MIG welder can be used with either a 4″ or 8″ wire spool, although you will need to use the included adapter if you are going to use the larger spool. Once again, we have a pretty simplistic control panel. There is a knob to control the wire feed speed and also a dial for altering the voltage. The machine is capable of welding 14-gauge to ¼” aluminum. (Source: Eastwood)
Advantages and Disadvantages
The best feature of the Eastwood 175 Amp is the inclusion of a spool gun for aluminum in the welder’s factory packaging, which is typically an accessory that you have to purchase after the fact. This is because to successfully weld aluminum, your equipment will need to yield a stable spray transfer of molten material; this is difficult to do without a spool gun specifically designed for aluminum.
The downside of the Eastwood 175 Amp may be its simplicity, at least for some users. There is no fancy digital display, as is seen in many of the models featured in this list.
Lotos MIG-175
| Power Input | 200- 240V |
| Welding Current Range (A) | 30-175 |
| Wire Speed (IPM) | 58.8 – 471.6 |
| Welding Wire Capacity | 0.023″ – 0.030″ |
| What’s Included? | MIG torch, aluminum spool gun, earth clamp, gas hose, argon regulator, contact tips, welding mask, wire, 1-year warranty |
The Lotos MIG-175 is capable of handling standard 4″- 8″ wire spools. This welder is fit with two different types of wire grooves in the drive roller: 0.023″ and 0.030″. The smaller wire slot is the factory default, which is sufficient given that aluminum is more workable than the smaller diameter wires. This welder is capable of handling aluminum pieces up to 3/16″ thick.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The fact that an aluminum spool gun does come in the packaging is certainly an advantage. One potential downside is the relatively low wire feed speed rate, which could pose a challenge given the reality that aluminum typically calls for fast work. Many of the other machines listed here do max out with higher wire feed speeds.
Hobart Handler 140 MIG
| Power Input | 115V |
| Welding Current Range (A) | 25-140 |
| Wire Speed (IPM) | 40-700 |
| Welding Wire Capacity | 0.024″/0.030″/0.035″ |
| What’s Included? | Electrode Cable 10′, earth clamp cable 10′, regulator, gas hose |
Hobart is one of the more familiar names in the welding industry. The company’s popularity is reflected in the listed specifications for the Hobart 140 MIG. The welder is equipped with the company’s trademarked Quick Select drive roll, which contains two different grooves for Solid MIG wire and one groove for flux core wire.
The Hobart 140 is capable of welding materials from 24-gauge up to ¼”.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The control panel is pretty simplistic, which can be interpreted as either an advantage or a disadvantage, depending upon personal preferences. Not having the digital display means that it may be a bit more challenging for operators to zoom right to their preferred settings for aluminum.
On the plus side, one could say that there is really no reason to overthink things with the control panel.
Hobart Handler 190
| Power Input | 230V |
| Welding Current Range (A) | 25 -190 |
| Wire Speed (IPM) | 40-700 |
| Welding Wire Capacity | 0.024″/0.030″/0.035″ |
| What’s Included? | 2 guns and cable 10′, earth clamp cable 10′, regulator, gas hose, wire, contact tips, drive rolls |
The Hobart Handler 190 is a step-up in power from the Hobart Handler 140. The two are quite similar in terms of features: they both have simplistic control panels, the same wire feed speeds, and the same welding wire capacities. The big difference is that Hobart Handler 190 can reach a higher welding current and comes with a direct plug-in for the company’s SpoolRunner 100 spool gun.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Now the SpoolRunner 100 is not automatically included in the factory packaging, but having a direct plug-in for it is a big deal. This is a piece of equipment specifically designed to feed aluminum through the machine; the advantage of this is that you shouldn’t have to worry as much about the wire becoming deformed as you would with spool guns designed for tougher metals.
SunGold Power 200 Amp
| Power Input | 110V/220V |
| Welding Current Range (A) | 50-140/50-200 |
| Wire Speed (IPM) | 60-630 |
| Welding Wire Capacity | 0.03″ – 0.039″ |
| What’s Included? | MIG torch and cable 9.83′, earth clamp cable 5.9′, electrode cable 3.9′, mask & brush, drive roll, gas-less & gas nozzles, power adapter, spindle adapter |
The SunGold Power 200 Amp is another MIG welder built for the DIYer, given its relatively low price. It does hold the benefit of being a dual-voltage welder so that you do not have to scramble to find a suitable power source.
Advantages and Disadvantages
This welder does come with a drive roll in the packaging, which is not a universal characteristic of machines at this price range. You may end up having to look for a U-groove drive roll if you find that the standard drive roll included does not work very well with aluminum wire.
The control panel design is pretty basic with three knob controls: amps, voltage, and wire feed speed. You won’t see any fancy digital displays, as can be anticipated at this lower price range. This does mean that you will have to take note of the settings once you are able to find something that works.
A downside is that the SunGold Power 200 does not come prepackaged with accessories (i.e., a spool gun) designed for use with aluminum. You will have to make additional purchases if you want to optimize the machine for aluminum projects.
Professional MIG Welders for Aluminum
The welders listed below belong in an entirely different class from those listed above. If you are looking at routinely doing auto bodywork, then you will want to spring for a machine that comes with the promise of better quality.
Lincoln Electric Power MIG 210
| Power Input | 120V/230V |
| Welding Current Range(A) | 20-140/20-220 |
| Wire Speed (IPM) | 50-500 |
| Welding Wire Capacity | 0.025″- 0.035″ |
| What’s Included? | MIG gun 3′, electrode holder cable, earth clamp cable, regulator, gas hose, spindle adapter, drive rolls, knurled drive rolls, sample wires including flux core |
The Lincoln Power MIG 210 is the first of the premier, professional-quality welders featured in this list. Here’s the deal: if you are working with aluminum all the time, then you certainly will want a machine that you can depend on. This welder is equipped with a dual voltage system, allowing you to connect with any power supply.
The control panel itself is much more advanced than the welders in the lower price range. An advanced color display guides you through the setting selection process.
This specific model is part of the Aluminum One-Pak, which comes from the factory ready to weld aluminum. This offers the operator a unique advantage, as many welders require you to purchase at least one or two accessories before it can successfully weld aluminum.
This machine is capable of welding aluminum up to 3/16″ thick.
Miller Millermatic Pulsed MIG Welder
| Power Input | 208-240 V |
| Welding Current Range (A) | 20 – 350 |
| Wire Speed (IPM) | 50 – 800 |
| Welding Wire Capacity | 0.035 – 0.047 (For Aluminum) |
| What’s Included? | MIG gun cable 15′, earth clamp cable 10′, regulator, gas hose, contact tips, contact tips, reversible drive rolls |
The Miller Millermatic Pulsed MIG welder is a high-end piece of equipment and is therefore likely to be well above the top end of the budget range for DIYers. Professional welders certainly are encouraged to take a peek at the features offered in this package. As for the DIYers, it may pay off to consider the latest and greatest technology in the industry.
As a pulsed MIG welder, the Millermatic is much more well-suited for handling thin pieces of aluminum than the other machines in this list.
One unfortunate limitation of the lower price tier is that those machines can easily cause thinner aluminum pieces to become deformed under the intense heat. Pulsed MIG welders prevent thin aluminum pieces from becoming distorted by automatically alternating between the peak current and a low background current. As a result, it is much easier for the operator to maintain control over the weld puddle.
The clear disadvantage is the price tag, but if you do professional work, then you are going to be looking at welders in this price range. Otherwise, you may have a lot of difficulty producing high-quality results on pieces of aluminum.
Final Thoughts
Aluminum is more challenging to work with than most other metals. If you are in the market for a welder suitable for aluminum, then at the very least, you will need to be looking for one that has a wide welding current range and wire feed range, such as certain MIG welders.
A few things you’ll want to ask yourself before choosing a MIG welder for aluminum welding include:
- Does the welder come with a spool gun designed for aluminum?
- What type of drive roll does the welder have? (U-groove drive rolls are preferable for aluminum wire)
- What kind of control panel do you want? Basic with a few knobs or more advanced with a full digital display?
As long as you keep these factors in mind, along with the select specifications suitable for aluminum welds mentioned above, you’ll find the right welder in no time.
