Spool Gun vs Push-Pull: Which for Aluminum MIG?

What a spool gun is on an aluminum MIG setup

A spool gun is a MIG gun that carries its own small spool of aluminum wire, usually a 1 lb or 2 lb spool. The wire leaves the spool, passes a short guide, and reaches the contact tip within inches. Because that wire path is short, soft aluminum wire is not pushed through a long liner from a feeder that sits across the shop.

Spool guns are sold as accessories for many MIG welders, and some kits include one. A title that reads spool gun ready or spool gun compatible means the gun is bought separately, while a title that lists a spool gun among the box contents means the gun arrives in the kit. The connector on the gun has to match the welder, and the maker names the connection type in the specification sheet.

• Short wire path between the spool and the contact tip
• Lower entry tier than a push-pull system
• Fits many MIG welders that name spool gun support
• Small spools mean more spool changes on long jobs
• The spool rides on the gun, so the weight of the wire stays with the hand

What a push-pull feeder adds to a MIG machine

A push-pull feeder uses two drive motors. One motor sits at the wire feeder and pushes the wire, and a second motor inside the MIG gun pulls it. The two motors share the work, which keeps soft wire moving when the gun cable is long and the work sits away from the machine.

Push-pull systems appear on industrial MIG welders, on pulse MIG models, and on multi-process machines that the maker lists as aluminum ready. The feeder accepts larger spools, such as 8 lb, 12 lb or 30 lb, so a job runs longer between spool changes. The gun carries a motor of its own, and the feeder and gun together sit in a higher tier than a spool gun.

• Two motors, one at the feeder and one inside the gun
• Accepts large spools, so fewer spool changes
• Suits long gun cables and work away from the machine
• Common on pulse MIG and industrial MIG models
• Needs a welder or feeder the maker lists as compatible

How the two systems compare on stated details

The two systems are compared here on the details a buyer can read before buying: where the spool sits, what the gun carries, what the box has to include, and whether the maker lists the welder as compatible. The table below sums up those differences in general terms.

Matching the system to the buyer

If aluminum is welded a few times a month and the work stays near the machine, a spool gun covers the job at the lower tier. Many machines in the best MIG welders guide name spool gun support, and some kits ship with the gun already in the box.

If aluminum is welded often, or the work is spread across a shop, a push-pull feeder is the system that keeps a large spool on the feeder and a second motor in the gun. Pulse MIG models in the best pulse welders guide often name a push-pull gun, and the best welders for aluminum guide gathers the machines that name aluminum on the title.

A multi-process machine can cover steel and aluminum from one box, and the best multi-process welders guide lists which of them name a spool gun or a push-pull feeder. A buyer who also wants to read output figures can start with the best 200 amp welders guide and then compare the gun details on each listing.

Either way, the box contents and the maker's manual decide how the gun connects and what the machine supports. For anything past what the manual and the listing name, follow the maker's manual and local rules.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

Can a spool gun go on any MIG welder?

No. The welder has to name the gun connection and the support for that gun. Makers list the connection type and the compatible accessories in the specification sheet or the manual, and that is the page to read before buying the gun.

Is a push-pull feeder the right choice for a home garage?

For occasional aluminum work, a spool gun is usually enough. A push-pull feeder suits a buyer who welds aluminum often, wants the large spools a feeder accepts, or needs the long gun cables that a maker lists for that system.

Do push-pull feeders feed flux-cored wire as well?

A push-pull system is built around soft solid wire such as aluminum. Flux-cored wire is usually run through the standard feeder on the machine, with no pull motor involved. The maker's manual says which wires and which spools the system accepts.

What spool size does a spool gun take?

Most spool guns take a 1 lb or 2 lb spool of aluminum wire, and some take a larger one. The listing or specification sheet states the spool size. Smaller spools mean more spool changes on a long run of work.

Can a push-pull gun be used on a standard feeder?

A push-pull gun is matched to a machine that has the feeder and the connection for it. The two are bought as a system. When a buyer wants both a standard MIG gun and a push-pull gun, the listing or manual says which guns the machine accepts.

Does the welder have to name spool gun support?

Yes. The listing wording and the maker's specification sheet are what tell a buyer whether the machine accepts a spool gun, which connector the gun needs, and whether the gun is part of the kit or bought on its own.

Which makers sell spool guns and push-pull feeders?

Spool guns and push-pull feeders appear among the accessories of the major welding brands, from Miller to Everlast, and on many of their MIG and multi-process machines. The maker page and the specification sheet name which models each accessory fits.

How can a buyer tell from a title whether a spool gun is in the box?

Words such as spool gun included or comes with spool gun point to a kit that contains the gun. Words such as spool gun ready or spool gun compatible point to a machine that accepts the gun, with the gun bought separately. The bullet list and the box contents settle it.