Hello makeithot, I have generally noticed that the difference in price for the self-shielded wire over gas-shielded wires usually makes up for any "supposed" cost savings from not using shielding gas. You will also have a pretty decent time savings by using the dual shield when compared to a self-shielded wire in most cases. So unless there are some environmental issues, such as needing to weld outdoors and deal with wind, rain, etc. I would definitely try to get him to rethink his push for a self-shielded wire. It has been a while since I have priced self-shielded wires to compare them to the dual shield ones, so you might start there. Just a bit to consider. Best regards, Allan