The wheel casting-extrusion method was employed to produce high-quality SAL5356 Al alloy welding wire, which was used to weld 6061-type Al alloy plates. The performance of SAL5356 welding wire was compared with that of the ER5356 welding wire by mechanical characterization, metallographic observation, microhardness and nanoindentation. The results reveal that under the same metal inertia gas (MIG) welding parameters, the SAL5356 welding wire endows superior tensile strength and yield strength to the weld joint, meeting the requirements of GB-2006-3880.2 standard (T general industrial aluminum and aluminum alloy plate and strip part 2: mechanical properties). Moreover, SAL5356 welding wire renders better stability than the ER5356 welding wire, which can be ascribed to the relaxed diameter and pitch of welding wire. Though further research is required to optimize the composition, microstructure and performance of SAL5356 welding wire, the current results demonstrate the potential of using local technology to produce 5356 Al alloy wire for high-end applications.