Pro MIG 180

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I'm thinking of buying a Pro Mig 180, Can I get some opinions on this machine.  I am a novice and am going to school for welding.  What do you think?
Reply:240 volt welder. Lincoln's current design welder. short duty cycle. But a real nice hobby welder. Fencing company's use this class of welders all the time for light fences.
Reply:I have the Pro-MIG 180 and love it. It's certainly not something for a pro but for the hobbyist, it's great. I have a full review of my 180 (photos and video) at the link below if that would help.http://www.newmetalworker.com/Review...promigrvu.htmlTom Hintz, publisherwww.newmetalworker.comLincoln Pro Mig 180Lincoln AC 255Determination
Reply:I have one and really like it, so does my girlfriend! I run it off my bobcat 250 all the time without issue. I also bought the little spool gun to go with it. A little over a C bill well spent. Now Pros will scoff, and rightly so. Its only like a 30% duty cycle machine. I originally bought it for thinner sheet type work. It has worked out very well for me. But for my little baby shade tree projects, I can afford to dink around and chase my tail a bit. The spool gun makes aluminum an option. (There is also a liner and gun kit for a pushing aluminum wire. The fact that the welder handles such thin wire, I am thinking I did the right thing by getting the spool gun, though never tried the liner kit. ) It does everything I need it to, and a bit more.There is one thing I would like to mention. There are basically two types of Pro Mig 180. There are a number of different "models" but they are all of one category or the other. The one you see at the home improvement stores has a "tapped" voltage control. The slightly more expensive model has a continuously adjustable voltage control. For the Joe (like me) the tapped control is not a big deal. I make up the difference fine tuning on wire speed and go on. For a Pro, being able to get precisely the right voltage is much more important. However, as noted these little soldiers are not up to being production machines. :-DI got my 180 from a home improvement store because one Christmas I got gift cards from about three different people. I think I *might* have 180 of my own dollars in it, so it don't owe me a dang thang! :-D To make a long story short, I seized on the opportunity and was very pleasantly surprised.Oh, yeah! Almost forgot another note! I upgraded the ground clamp straight away. The one that comes with is a sheet metal job, and I had some trouble getting it to seat well. Work not grounded well, welding just doesn't work worth a darn. :-D I bought a more traditional brass clamp and it made a difference for me right away. One thing I did notice was that the spring tension was much higher in the brass one. That might be the real reason for the luck I had.
Reply:Thanks for the replys.  This would be my first mig machine and since I am going back to school to learn welding as a new career I'm not sure on what to get.  The one I am looking at is a deal that a buddy has hooked me up with.  Brand new in the box with shipping for about 500 and that looks like a GREAT deal to me compared to what I have seen on dealers websites.  I am open to any suggestions.Thanks Guys.