I learned to use from knowing people who welded aluminum in factories and hearing them go on about it so much. I just went to my local LWS and picked out the cheapest one I could find ($40) and wired it into my old Airco with plain old "lamp cord" from the hardware store. It transformed that old machine into a whole different way of welding. It is basically a manual pulser.
Then I went to work in a factory (boat) that used it and kept right up.

You set the machine to whatever you think is as hot as you would ever want it and GO. Then if it is a little too hot you can just let up a second. At the end of a weld you can "flutter" it if it is thin material that will burn away.
It can fill gaps like nobodies bizness.
It is the ultimate weapon when welding anodized aluminum because it can blast away all anodize to the edges of the weld and lay down a bead superior to any other method for making marine fixtures...many factories do this making it possible to weld pre-anodized material.
All that said I presently have the east-west fingertip controller on my Dynasty and like it also because it is hard for me to crawl out from under boats all day to reset all the time. I will get the "button" next before the "pedal"

I have used all 4 methods a bunch ( nothing..just live, pedal,ie ball and chain IMO, button, and fingertip both east-west and north-south) they all have their place....master them all and you will never want for work.
All of this was on aluminum BTW. HTH
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