What size wire do you guys use?

[Bama72]

After searching through this forum, I decided to buy a Millermatic 211 today. I just purchased it along with the spoolgun, 120 tank, Miller performance series auto darkening helmet etc... My local Airgas had to order the welder and it should be here Monday or Tuesday. My question is what size wire would you recommend. The .023 seems like it would be best for patch panels and the .030 for .250dom tubing. I'm new to mig welding and don't know so any help would be appreciated.

I did learn that it is very expensive to try to weld autobody sheetmetal with my 30 year old gas engine Lincoln arc welder (I now need patch panels for my patch panels, blow through sucks)

 

[ryoken]

i run .030 on everything these days... tho i have used .023 for bodywork in the past, and it works well...

 

[gone huntin]

I use .030 too.

 

[Captainfab]

I run .035 mostly except when I'm doing sheetmetal or thin walled tubing I run .023. On that 211 I would suggest running .030 for 1/8" -1/4" and .023 for thinnner material.

 

[Muddytazz]

I run .030 or .035 depending on what the local welding shop has on sale at the time. Like said above, .023 is good for sheet metal work. Anything above 1/4" thick material and I'd (me personally) run .045. But for 1/8" - 1/4" .030 and .035 is ideal.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

I usually run .035" because I usually weld .120-.250" thick steel, I've used plenty of .030" too but it's not ideal once you get closer to 1/4"

 

[cybrfire]

.035. I've used .017 for body work as well. Long time ago. Seemed to work good.

 

[longbedder]

.035 for 1/4" steel

.030 for tube work

.023 for sheet metal

These are all with 75/25 Ar/CO2

 

[Bama72]

Thanks for all the replies, it has been very helpful.

 

[rdn2blazer]

.035 for everything. Just don't want to bother changing wire. I do mostly thicker stuff. I'm sure thinner wire would be better for body work though.

 

[folkenheath]

If you look at the weld chart parameters in the 211, .030" is the only diameter that it lists starting parameters from 24 gauge all the way to 3/8". They don't recommend .023 for the thicker stuff, and they don't recommend .035" for the thinner stuff. And I have welded everything from 3/8" down to 22 gauge with my 211 and .030 wire with C25, so it does work well. However, .023 would be better for sheetmetal, and .035 with probably be better for the thicker stuff. But if you want one wire, .030 is the best.

 

[Bama72]

My MM211 came in yesterday and ran over to my local Airgas and picked it up. I also picked up a spool of .030 for general use, .023 for when I put in the floorboard patch panels (again). I thought it was easy to setup and after about 20 minutes I was welding (I downloaded the manual 3 days ago off of Millers website and had it memorized). Still got a huge learning curve ahead but I already like it better than my Arc already. I really love the auto darkening hood, I wish I had purchased one of those a long time ago.