looking to buy my first welder

Flux option is nice in a windy environment if you need to weld outside. You also need to understand the flux wire your using. Some are only intended for 1 pass, or certain metal combinations. It can also more tolerant to "dirty" metal. MIG is awesome, TIG for ultimate control. I have a 110v MIG that I typically tack it all up and go to my dads shop with the big Lincoln and finish the job. The bigger machines just have more adjust ability for speed and voltage. Once you get a little welder and use it for a while you'll want a big one.
Outlet Power to the welding is another consideration. If you need the welder somewhere your gonna need an extension cored with large gauge wire. I use a 25', 10 gauge cord from McMaster-Carr. Look for a welder with a long lead too, when I did my sub frames I was was moving the welder a lot because the lead was like 6'.