Tell the truth, I haven't had the spool gun out of the case yet. All my aluminum welding has been handled by my Primeweld 225 AC/DC TIG. There was a sale several years ago on the Hobart package such that the spoolgun was free, so I figured "why not". I used a spool gun when I was in college working at the USPS bulk mail center. It's fine for adding material or welding thicker plate as long as you can get access with the gun.