Welder recommendations

Yeah, I definitely need to be educated on the different gases for shielding. I know from my buddy that's a fabrication guy, gases are not cheap and depending on how you are using the machine different gases are better than others. And then I've heard you can use mixtures of them?
I'd encourage you to read and not just take word of mouth... here is a start:
Common Shielding Gases Used for Arc Welding | Lincoln Electric