I've been thinking of getting in to welding for some time.

Watching videos about people fabricating things, or forging items, or repairing metal items (such as mower decks), or any number of things, welding is the base line capability that all of them have.

I think that a welder, and the ability use it, would be a very practical tool, and it will not just be a toy that I'm playing around with (as would say, a forge, anvil, sanders, etc for knife making.) Welding will be a skill that I can keep using for various practical purposes throughout life as well as if and when I do get to the stage in life when I have time and money for hobbies such as forging or making things just because.

What sort of budget range should I be looking for a first welder? I've gathered that buying one that is too cheap will leave you with an under-powered welder that will frustrate the learning process/limit you in what you can and can't do. As an occasional user, I also don't want to break the bank on something that isn't going to be used all the time.

I know there are a bunch of different resources on the internet that discuss this, but since we have a metal working forum, I figured, hell, whats one more thread to add to the old post count.

I've read about the different types of welders, (MIG vs. Stick is what I've been considering, MIG is where I am leaning), and see a range of suggested powers/price points. Generally between $600-$1,200.

I'm going to try to talk to a couple people I know to let me try out their welders to see for myself if it is something I think I can pick up, or if it is something that will end up being more of a pain than its worth. I really suspect the former.

If you are looking at mig then I would recommend something in the suitcase size but 220 volt. Does not take up much space but can weld up to about any thickness a homeowner would need.  I have a buddy who has a Miller 211 I think. You can run it on 110 or 220 and the machine knows which voltage it is plugged into. It will weld thick enough metal to build utility trailers and such.  I have a Miller 250 which is a big roll around machinewhich is 220 volt only. One thing I do since I only use mine occasionally is I put my welding wire inside to keep it from getting surface rust. Your environment may not require that though

One tip I have is try to get someone to show you how to properly set the machine up(wire speed,voltage,etc) and understand how and why each function is  adjusted. Trying to learn on the wrong settings will be frustrating.

I used to work with a guy at my previous job who I'm going to approach about this.

He is a pretty awesome fabricator. Pretty much anything you want that doesn't require precision tooling, he can make (he simply lacks many of the high end tools in his shop). I've given him a bunch of free beer over the years.

I have a 110v Lincoln Weld Pack I got off Craigslist.  It’s sold at Home Depot I believe.  
I use it on our farm and have never needed anything bigger.  I’ve only run flux core through it, soybwelds could look better, but I carry it around a lot and don’t want to deal with a bottle.  The 110v means I can use it just about anywhere.

I bought a Lincoln arc welder off craigslist for $100.00.  its 220vt and will weld pretty much anything I ever plan to weld. eventually I will get a wire feed welder such as a miller 211 to go with it.  I get most of my steel from the scrap yard, where I get it for .15 cents a lb. once I built up enough metal I built my two steel tables. right now im stocking up on metal to build another steel table, and build a few tool racks on my tractor.

lately I have made a few steel tables for my garage, to give me more workspace which I need badly.  I made a welding table first, then a general work table. im planning on building a few more steel tables, in a year or two im planning on building a concrete gunroom / vault / mancave, and will get the concrete block, and rebar off craigslist / scrap yards for 25% of what it costs new. I will be welding steel reloading tables / work tables inside it as well. having a welder, chop saw, and angle grinder allows you to build all kinds of things, modify trailers, weld hooks on tractor buckets, repair things, etc. it opens up a whole new world for yourself not having to rely on someone else to weld something for you, and you can build a lot of things cheap vs buying them etc.

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That Lincoln "tombstone" welder is a nearly indestructible machine that can sit in a garage for years and go right back to welding whenever needed. Basically no moving parts and no consumables other than your stick rods. As stated above they can be bought for $100 off Craigslist if you are patient. If you look for one used I would get a price on lead material and keep that in mind when shopping. It may be worth paying more for one with longer leads so you can weld in your driveway and leave the machine in the garage. The leads are probably a couple dollars a foot. Most people consider stick welding to be harder to learn and more frustrating than mig but it will just take practice. One thing it will not do very well is sheetmetal, especially for beginners. If you plan on welding material much thinner than 1/8" then I would look toward mig.

The mig gun will do thin metal such as mower decks easily and with a strong enough machine will do much thicker. Disadvantage would be initial cost of the machine, rent or buy gas bottle then you have consumables such as tips, liners,wire and gas.  I grew up with my dad having a Lincoln tombstone that I now own as well as owning my Millermatic 250 mig. They both have their place. Good luck in your search

I have an HTP versamig that I bought in 1992. It is a 140 or 160 amp.
It has a bunch of 30lb spools through it. Probably 8 or 10 a year till 2005. Three of the guys I work with bought the newer models a few years back. They sell direct.

$999 for 210 amps of MIG/TIG/Stick AC/DC welding is going to be VERY hard to beat.

https://www.harrisweldingsupplies.com/lincoln-power-mig-210-mp-multi-process-welder-mig-tig-and-stick-k3963-1/

180 amp MIG either Miller or Lincoln.
220VAC

Many will waste time and money on 110VAC MIGs but you really can't do much besides sheet metal.

MIG because it is easy compared to Stick (SMAW) and you can do SS and possibly AL with the correct spool system=$$.

For $100 more the 210mvp

I'm of the mindset that versatility is always a good thing and wholeheartedly echo the Lincoln MP210. 110/220v machine, will mig and stick right out of the box, and you can easily add the tig accessories (DC only), and a spool gun if you want to weld aluminum too. Great part is that you can either buy a package with the extras, or pick them up later if you have a need, or save the money if you don't.

As a little multi-process machine, it's really hard to beat, and it's got some legs on it too. You're not gonna pipeline with it, but it really is a fantastic little machine for pretty much everything else. My only complaint is that they could have easily added some more tig features through a simple firmware upgrade. It would be sweet if it had pulse setting, solenoid gas control for tig, etc.

These newer inverter machines can make more out of 120v than I realized. My 211 is usually run off of 240 but it puts out about the same amperage on 120 as my older 240v transformer TIG machine.

They are tiny and light too.

That they are. My little everlast (a 206si) is only ~40lb.  Up to 120A with DC Tig/Stick on 120V power.

Very handy little machine, though I always run on 240V because I’m usually using the plasma cut feature on it.

The Lincoln 210mp is a pretty versatile little beast. We have used one for mig, tig and stick. On several occasions. I've been considering picking one up for my home shop.

At work we have
Lincoln 375 water cooled. It's a MONSTER.

Miller 350P. My personal favorite. It's a beast we run .045 wire and it's single pass is awesome.

Htp invertig 221. Pretty much the daily work horse even tho it's not the biggest. It's a great machine. Out full time welder (6g cert) uses this machine all day.

Two Lincoln 210 mp great little machines that can do everything.

Miller 211 covered in dust off in a corner.

I'm happy with my Hobart Handler 140.  I bought it for Auto body work though. If you can only have one machine I'd be looking really hard at some of the multiprocess machines.

This.

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I have a Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC machine, bought used, for $100.  Works perfectly.  If you go with a stick machine, spend extra for one with DC capability.

best thing to do is get the right welder for the job ,
any thing 1/4 material or less you go with a 110 volt 140 amp
machine which you can run it off of a 6500 generator
in the field , anything over 1/4 get the biggest welder
you can get for your money , the big red tombstones
are classic either in ac or even better if it's a AC-DC machine .
on migs if you can get a 240 or 250 amp machines those machines
will  weld anything your heart will desire … look on craigslist a lot of the
home welders are not ran hard like in a fab/weld shop that's put on there
for  sale .

TS2

I love mine!!! After using a Miller Dynasty 350 ($10k setup with chiller, cart etc) for work for 4 months I strongly desired to have an inverter TIG in my home shop. Couldn't afford blue so I "settled" with HTP Invertig 221. It has some some small draw-backs (not as easy to change some of the settings etc) but functionally, as far as laying down beads, it's the same (minus the size difference between the 350 and 220).

I hope this is an expansion of discussion and not a hi-jack  

I'm going to be buying my first welder next year after I have a place to store it.

I can see how a plasma cutter would be a very useful feature.

Do all welders come with that function?

Thanks

No, most machines are not multi process.  While it sounds neat, I would rather have a separate machine for plasma.  That way if one is down the other is still available.

Think of some projects like work bench, gate, etc that you will save money by building yourself.  Then you can justify a pretty nice box.

Mine has paid for itself many times over and if it caught fire tomorrow, it would be replaced within hours. 220V Miller 180 Mig and Spectrum 625 plasma, meet the Millers:

I'm not aware of any welders that are also plasma cutters.  Depending on what you plan on doing, you can likely get by without a plasma cutter.

I've got the Miller 211 mentioned above, it's been an awesome welder for what I do with it.  The thickest I've welded, which was probably too thick, was 1/2".  I spent a good bit of time with a MAP gas torch heating it up first.

It worked.

This guy nailed it.

My Hobart Handler 190 paid for itself in two months.  Including a nice helmet and  gas tank.

And that was just selling Christmas trees made out of horseshoes to red headed nurses.....