mig gas

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Hey guys I got a new mig welder not to long ago.  I got it with the spool gun for aluminum witch is great I love it works great.  My question is regarding gas I know you have to use 100% argon with aluminum.  But can I also use it for steel welding.  I want to do this because change between doing steel and aluminum a lot like many times a day and it is a pain to change tanks all the time.  Also can I use argon to weld stainless steel or do I have to get a tri mix?thanks for your help
Reply:You are going to have to get either one of the argon/CO2 mixed gases (the most commmon is 75%argon/25%carbon dioxide) or straight CO2 to mig weld steel. Some people use this mix to weld stainless,  but I have never liked the results. I prefer a Tri-mix made for short arc stainless of 90%Helium/7.5%Argon/2.5%CO2.
Reply:oh really why must i use c25 or a gas like that?  i don't care about the cost
Reply:You need to run the GAS your WIRE MFG recommends. I run 75/25 for Carbon steel, Argon for Al, and Tri mix for steel. JW Harris also has a new wire out for the 110V MIGS, I am not sure what they recommend for that yet
Reply:Well I am not going to get in to this pissing match.  My recommendation is.....http://www.weldreality.com/default2.htmRon ShopFloorTalk Millermatic 350P, M-25, M-40 gunsDynasty 300DX, Coolmate 3, Crafter CS-310 TorchTrailblazer 302, 12RC, WC-2430A spoolgunSpectrum 2050Thermal Arc Plasma Welder PS-3000/WC-100B
Reply:ok i will take your word looks like i will be switching bottles thanks for your help
Reply:get 2 regs and Y them together, just open valves to change gas.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:Dr.feelgood, gas mixes for gmaw do more than just shield the weld from the atmosphere. And checking out your question about using straight argon for aluminum and steel welds it could look like a good idea. For example the Tig process CAN use 100%argon for both metals, but this has alot to do with how the gas reacts or doesnt (inert) with the tungsten than anything else. Mig weldings arc initiates through the mig wire- Each filler is made up to suit the material to be welded and the fillers have different chemistrys.Mig has been around for quite some time and people still dont know how to use it. Shadetrees suggested Link is really a must read , but if you dont want to put in the effort to learn your craft, and you want to use the GMAW process on Aluminum/Steel/stainless. You could get by with two mixes, three would be better, but cost is always a consideration.For Aluminum a mix of mostly argon w/ alittle helium would do ya. While for Steel and stainless (if carbide precip is no big deal) than a mix of 15-20 co2 the remainder Argon would do.I use a 3%co2 w/97% argon (plus or minus) for stainless and very thin steel. The amount of co2 is pretty small which helps reduce the carbide precipitation thing, yet still gives decent arc. With this same LOW energy mix I can weld 22ga steel with an .035 wire- though it is still tricky as far as burn through goes- 20ga really is the limit for the size (.035) wire I like to run.When I try to weld 22ga with the med/high energy mix of  16%co2/84% argon, using the same gauge wire (.035) I burn through all day long. Because I am not able to run a stable arc without using at least 15-16 volts- this is just too much 'heat' for metal this thin- at least for me. Oh with the 3% co2/ 97% argon I can maintain a arc with 14volts and less ( measurements are just off machine meters so error probally exists).For what it is worth in reality the thinnest metal I weld with mig is 18 ga- thinner and for me it is a candidate for the Tig process."after a long day of doing nothing...its gooood to kick back" Pumbaa