Help me pick out a welder

[evilmiata]

I did all the fab work on my car with a 110. Hated it. Many of the features that come on 220 units simply aren't available for most 110, like infinitely variable feeds and heats. (Miller makes a 110 with both infinite controls, but $100 ugrades you to the 220.) Plus, I had some real tough time getting good penetration when working with large pieces, like the chassis. All that metal can really suck heat away.

I took a class at the local vacational school. The other students looked at me weird when I showed up in a white shirt and tie, but I quickly picked up the skills. I think it was $275 for a 6 week class. Worth every penny. I borrow a friend's welder and embarass him with clean beads.
$3k will go a looooong way.
Here's something neat. 110/220 Miller unit Comes with regulator and cylinder rack. Spend $150 for a tank, $50 for a Harbor Freight mask (I LOVE my auto-dimmer), and $6 for gloves. Under $1300.

[oil pan 4]

I have my little lincoln SP-135, I think they replaced they 135 with 140, but they are still the same unit so I have herd. Nonshealed I only do flux core steel. I use only argon gas for shealded welds and I weld steel, Stainless steel, Aluminum and Titanium with my welder.
I have modified it with a gas feed switch, and played with the drive roll to make it feed Aluminum better.
A lot of people say they love TIG but wouldn't give up there mig welder when doing big time body welding becasue it puts less heat in the weld and is fast. It can take a long time to weld in some things and they usaly hit the duty cycle with a TIG.
I have never maxed out the duty cycle on my welder.
I will get a TIG some day, only reason I have not yet is when I do I will spend about $3000 on just the machine and leads with basic stuff. I'm going for aerospace grade when I go tig.
One of the problems with a mig welder when welding Al at high amps is that the tip gets realy hot. I have seen my tip glow red a few times.
I might try some heat and power couducting paste to sink the heat back to the gas coupler where it can get cooled by the argon flow, hopefully.

[GPXSS]

$50 for a Harbor Freight mask (I LOVE my auto-dimmer

harbor freight autodimmer = crap

Use it alot and you'll see what I mean, the LCD's darkness gets uneven in places and eventually the trigger takes too long to darken, making you close your eyes before each strike.

I ended up going with a regular #13 mask. If i get another auto-dimmer I'll go with the Hornell Speedglass.

[bszopi]

I have an Lincoln auto-dimmer which I paid ~$115 for (about $20 more than I paid for my welder!!) and I have yet to have any issues with it.