Wire Propellant system

[luckydog]

I found a website called wirepropellant.com - On this site is a company founded in 2002 that describes an alluminum welding system recently created. I don't know if you have heard of them but they talk about using a heater to heat a coil of alluminum in the mig welder to 70-80 degrees which relaxes the coil from holding its shape. It is than ran through a plastic feeder and cleaner before sending into your welding hose in which you have put a liner into and out to the nozzle. They talk about how they have redesigned this and how it works better than the old push/pull. It doesn't have any nesting problems and talks about other things that they have done to increase the performance. They have a thiry day money back guarantee etc. and even tech support for questions. Has anyone ever heard of these people and has anyone tried this in place of the spool guns. I have a millermatic 210 and I am consider this as the cost is only 195.00. Thanks.

[HAWK]

I am not familiar with these people or their product. However, the video on the website looks and sounds good. I am partial to the push pull system and a spool gun as a second choice. I have never had problems with either.

It looks like they offer this kit for the XR edge feeder system. That bothers me. I wonder if this is a "inexpensive" solution to a "non exsistent problem". I noticed some variation in the finished weld on the 30 second video clip about half way through the run. I wonder about the precision or repeatability of this propellant system.

I guess you can try it with the 30 money back trial. I have had similar or better results running with a plain feeder and keeping the torch hose straight. As the aluminum wire diameter and maganese content increases so does the ease of pushing it through your feeder.

Sound too good to be true. All this is just my opinion from reading their site and viewing the video.

If you get it, let me know how it does in the short and long run. Are they changing any other variables: roller styles, wire tension, etc? Or is this "drop in" and go type product?

Good Luck

[ROCK]

LUCKYDOG..........I think I have heard of those folks before. However have never seen or tried their system.........My thoguhts are well if you can afford to try it go for it and report back to everyone here and we'll see,.................Be Safe...................Rock..
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[Miller Kevin]

Luckydog,
I have seen this system and just so you know up front installation of this system on a Miller product will void your machine's warranty. I strongly discourage installing this on any product.

Kevin

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[luckydog]

Kevin: First off thanks for the reply. I like miller enough that I bought their machince verses another. But on the same note I would hope that if this product works better than another I wouldn't be limited to purchasing it or using it just because it wasn't a miller product. I would think that it would be like me taking out my ford Stereo system and putting in a kenwood. Does that void my warranty for the truck. I would think that if this system works better than a spoll gun just because its not miller blah blah blah. I didn't look into the warranty issue and never even thought about it to be honest with you. Thanks for the heads up.

Rick

[Miller Kevin]

Luckydog,
Advising you not to use this product has nothing to do with who makes it. After seeing this product installed into one of our units we feel that it is a possible safety hazard. I hope this clarifies our position.

Kevin

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[luckydog]

Thanks Kevin: I appreciate your input. That is enough for me not to purchase it. I am getting ready to weld some alluminum IPS Bus which is a round 4 inch schedule 80 conduit. I came across this wire propellant system somehow and wasn't sure about it. Two issues about it bother me 1. that it will void an excellent warranty and 2. that it would be a safety concern. What has been or what is the problems that you came across? If you don't mind because I have talked with people about this and they are interested on the pros and cons? What spool gun would you recommend for my 210 millermatic.

Thanks
Rick

[ROCK]

LUCKYDOG.......Either the 3035 or 3545 spool gun will work. I have never seen the system you and Kevin are talking about. However I think Kevin and I talked about a similar or maybe this sytem about 1 year ago while I was at Portable Power........
Kevin should be in a an hour or two. Not sure which schedule they are on today.........But he is good about answereing.........

Kevin is this the system.........Preheat was done I think thru a 115 volts system...........

Be Safe...............Rock..
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[Miller Kevin]

Luckydog,
The system uses a 115vac pre-heater installed inside the wire drive compartment. We consider this heater a possible safety/fire hazard which is why we discourage its installation.

We have also tried this system in our lab and from the testing we did here we found no advantage when using it.

If you do not want to purchase a spoolgun then I would suggest you try to push it through a standard mig gun. Get a fresh standard liner, keep the gun as straight as possible and use light drive roll tension so you don't crush the wire. Some people do have success using the standard gun.

As always be safe!

Kevin

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[TitansFan]

spool gun

Luckydog,
As far as the spool gun is concerned, I may be wrong but if you have a MM210 I think the 3035 spool gun is the only one recommended. Like I said I may be wrong but I believe that is what the "Spool Gun Hook-Up Recommendations" say. Hope this helps,

Mike