I used a cheap, Italian import Clarke MIG for most of my frame build. It worked fine and, after a lot of practice, I was able to crank out some welds I was proud to show off.
However, a cheap MIG can cause headaches. Mine used to constantly go off-track on the wire feed & stop feeding. This happened about every 5th weld or so, so I spent more time fixing it than welding with it. The guide wheels for the wire were simply bolted through about 24 gauge steel, not nearly rigid enough for the job. I also replaced 2 liners in it - they were cheaply made, and prone to frequent failure.
A couple of years ago, I decided to bite the bullet & purchase a good MIG. I got a 220V Miller with Autoset, and I love it to pieces!! You just set it to auto, dial the thickness of metal you're welding, and the welder takes care of the rest. I've easily welded everything from 1/2" steel down to 24 gauge (without burn-through!) with it. What's best is you just turn it on, and weld. No repairs, no fiddling, no adjusting.
It even has lots of accessories available, including a dedicated, plug-'n-play spool gun for aluminum & stainless (I bought one of those, too).
Wish I'd done it a long time ago. This thing will be with me for the rest of my life.
I'm all for doing things the "locost" way, but sometimes (particularly with more complex tools) it's best to just go ahead and get something good up front.
_________________ Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit. http://zetec7.webs.com/
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