Replace your Obsolete Linde/L-TEC Esab ST-23A Spool Gun with a tool that will make you money for the rest of your life!
- Larry Gruner
- Sep 22, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 27, 2025
If you own a Linde/ L-Tec/ Esab ST-23A spool gun and it has given you years of dependable service, good for you. I hate to tell you, but Victor Technologes has obsoleted it. They have turned their back on this product, and you're now on your own. Consumables and repair parts are disappearing at a rapid rate. We suggest you use it till it finally dies.
The answer to your problem is the AEC200 Esab direct plug-n-weld spool gun.
1. The original spool gun was initially designed, patented, and manufactured by Airco Inc. in the late 1950s. They had the original idea of incorporating the drive motor into the handle. Airco was one of the first companies to sell a Constant Current wire speed control with an internal contactor for wire welding with a DC stick power supply. They were designed for use with motor-generators and welders. Later, Miller Electric developed the Selenium Rectifier, and we had static DC power supplies. Glenn and Airco developed the Constant Potential (Mig) power supplies.
2. The basic design of the gun includes a motor in the handle, internal wire support, and a mechanical gas valve. This design has remained unchanged for 65 years; it’s simple, easy to maintain, and rugged as can be. A design that has lasted for 65 years, with no significant changes, must be reliable. Not just reliable but easily maintainable. If you have anything mechanical (something that moves), it will eventually wear out and require repair.
3. We will help you set up the gun, give you tips on what alloy you should try, and help you troubleshoot and maintain the tool yourself. Can your local welding supply help you weld aluminum, stainless steel, and aluminum bronze (you can repair cast iron with a spool gun).4? This gun is manufactured by Profax in Pearland, Texas. We have every plastic, metal, bolt, nut, spring, and rubber part on the shelf. We can literally sell you the gun in parts, and you can assemble it yourself.
1. A spool gun with a speed control precise enough to control wire speed; diameter 0.025 through 1/16”.
2. A spool gun with a motor powerful enough to push any standard size wire and alloy.
3. A spool gun that is maintainable, and parts are readily available. Ask your supplier, 'Could I buy this gun in parts and assemble my own gun from them?' If the answer is NO, they are selling you a “throw-away” tool. After the warranty, if it breaks in two, you own both halves- don’t call us.
4. What is the warranty life? No warranties (eBay), 30-day, 90-day, or one-year from when you request and receive documentation.
5. What is the history of the machine you are buying? Or is the first model, and you are getting it?
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