Recently purchased a Lincoln Power Mig 210. I understand that 230v and gas are needed to get good results and no headaches when welding Al.

Lincoln has the budget $200 sg100 and then nothing until the $1400 mark. Im not stuck on Lincoln and want the best bang for the buck spool gun. My budget is about $400-450.

Any and all advice for making pretty puddles of Al is welcome.

My gun is a Miller, but I don’t remember the model. You’ll need 100% argon for Al. That’s a pain because my normal big bottle is co2/ar mix, so I had to go buy a second bottle just for the occasional Al welding.

ETA: also a separate wire brush. Al welding is a pain when you’re a hack like me.

I wish I could help. My AL spool gun skills are horrible. I maybe pull it out 2 or 3 times a year.
Also echo sigcrazy. Separate wire brush only used on AL. Brush where you intend to weld to remove oxidation, and weld within 5 minutes. I can get a decent bead and an hour later without touching the machine put down absolute pigeon shit. I also have a Miller.

My Grandfather was a welder for Conrail. He had a shop at his house that he did side jobs to make some extra money. While he had a stick welder and a mig welder that he could lay a bead with his eyes closed, he had a tough time when he got an aluminum gun for his mig. I don't remember the name brand of the welder, he had issues with "birdsnests" and went through a lot of wire learning. Even after he had it a while, the first time picking it back up all you would hear was some cussing about a birdsnest! That green glow when he got it right was awesome though.

I have found both Mig aluminum and stainless steel to be passable. But, if you really want a nice weld with both metals invest is a Tig machine. For both metals you will need a machine capable of AC and DC current. DC for mild steel and stainless. AC for aluminum.

I have miller spoolmatic 150 hooked to my 210 miller mig tig machine, I highly recommend only using 4043 wire, most of the guns until you spend $$ will be of the homeowner weekend warrior type, biggest thing is to make sure it's compatible with your machine. I have only used miller products so I cant say much about any other brand.

Having spent 26 years in the welding industry (retired from that 5 years ago) selling Lincoln products, I can tell you welding aluminum with Mig is interesting. It's unlikely that you will be able to utilize a competitors spool gun on your PM 210. Miller generally does the same thing which forces you to use their accessories. So the Lincoln SG100 Spool Gun is most likely your only and best option. A few tidbits when welding aluminum with MiG. Prep the aluminum to be welded with a stainless steel brush only. Using a carbon steel brush will add carbon particles into the weld and that's a no-no. Use straight Argon Gas on 3/16 or less and an argon/helium mix gas for 1/4 inch and above. You can use an Argon Helium mix for less than 1/4 inch thickness which can aid in deeper penetration and cleaning as you weld. When using a Spool gun or Push pull gun always use a pushing motion which keeps the shielding gas ahead of the puddle.
Ron

Unfortunately, I can't recommend an inexpensive gun. The ones I'm used to start at about $1200, and there are going to be compromises in less expensive guns.

Such as, how easy is it to clear a jam or change tips and other parts? Where is the spool in relation to your hand and position when welding?

If the rollers and motor aren't of quality, you'll be jamming a lot, or burning in, you want good control and modularity.

Particularly for AL, a spool gun is a must, I wouldn't want to have any machine try to push wire through even a short MIG setup.

Agree with the above posts on the SS brush and Argon/Helium mix for most aluminum work. I had to buy a Lincoln 185 TIG machine and it was a smart move on my part for working on aircraft. I also use a Lincoln 255 MIG which I love but it has it's place and role to play on steel.

I looked hard at the spool guns but couldn't make the move when the TIG machine was the only long term answer for my needs. Good luck in your endeavors!