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[RSI]

I usually use .035 solid welding wire but came across a roll of .052 on craigslist for cheap. ($30 for 40 pound spool) https://rockford.craigslist.org/tls/d/freeport-welding-wire-new/6870900995.html

A little research with google turned up some sites saying it was a better general purpose wire. Would it be worth getting or best to just stay with what I always have used?
I am assuming I would need to change some parts on the welder. Would it be the sleeve, feed roller, nozzle? I think I already need a new sleeve anyway.

I think this is the wire I am using now. https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/0839232

[wreckit87]

.052 is huge unless you're burning together 3/4" plate all day. General purpose I actually prefer .030 but my last roll was .035 and was alright, went back to .030 though as most of my projects are under 1/4". The Pipeworx machines we have at the shop have 2 guns, .035 and .045, and quite frankly the .045 sucks unless over 3/8" carbon with a large gap to fill- the .035 melts in much better for your regular old lap joints and fillet welds. For what ya save on the wire, you'll spend that savings on rollers and tips. I wouldn't risk it myself unless you're doing nothing but heavy projects

[RSI]

The site I saw said it was better for everything over 1/8" thick.
Good thing I asked. I might have bought it just to try it and it sounds like a bad idea.
I will just stay with what I have been using. The .035 works fine for everything I have done from fairly thin to over 1/2" thick steel.

[mlappin]

I have two machines in the shop, ones a 110v and the other is 220v 3 phase. Usually keep .030 in the 110 volt and .035 in the 3 phase machine. For bigger projects I goto .045 in the big machine. The welding shop in town uses .035 the majority of the time.

[juddspaintballs]

I've got a 180A 220V machine and I generally run .030".  I have .025" for light work (welding in body panels) and .035" for heavier welds, but .030" is a happy medium for general purpose welding around the home garage. 

[mlappin]

I've got a 180A 220V machine and I generally run .030".  I have .025" for light work (welding in body panels) and .035" for heavier welds, but .030" is a happy medium for general purpose welding around the home garage.

My big one is a 250A machine and I’ve never ran bigger than .045, never seen the welding shop in town use bigger than .045 either. If they have that much to do they just get all three mig’s running.