Welding rig question

let me start by saying that YES you can weld with a cheap welder like a harbor freight or a cabell hausfeld from walmart or something.

BUT if you have a serious project.....then get yourself a serious welder.

if you just need one for tinkering and hobbies then go ahead and snag a cheap one.

but if you want to do work on your car than I suggest upgrading.

I had a cambell hausfeld 110 mig welder...it was OK for some stuff but controlability was minimal (not much for dialing in heat settings and what not) and when working on sheet metal like on a car...you really need to be able to adjust the heat.

on top of that,the flux core makes a mess with spatter and I didnt want to mess with it when it comes to body panel work.

SO I took about $600.00 and went and got myself a new craftsman mig welder (works with flux or gas shield),fan cooled, (basically the same thing as a lincoln and in all the reviews it stood right next to the comparable miller 110 mig model) came with a cart,then I picked up a 80lb tank filled with 75%/25%,then I picked up a 10lb spool of .23 carbon wire,a new gas regulator and an autotint weld helmet......all of that combined was around $1,000.00 . And even the flux core welds it lays are WAY nicer than the welder I was using before.

I know cash might be an issue as it was with me, but its worth it to save up for a nice unit if you plan on doing serious work with it