power mig 255c vs power mig 355mp vs ??

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i am relatively new to the welding world and am looking to purchase a machine i can grow into. i am involved in chassis building, 4x4's, and any other sort of custom fab work. i am not going to use the machine everyday but maybe in the future i will.it will almost always be in my shop and would need to weld anything from body panels to aluminum to stainless. i was looking at the power mig 255 c and liked the features and power of it and then i saw the 350 mp which does many different processes, which i liked. i cant tig weld yet, but my thought is if i buy the machine that is capable of doing it i will be able to in the future. any thoughts or advise to point me in the right direction would help me buy the right machine the first time. pros and cons on both would be great and if there is some other machine that dosent cost $6000 please tell me about it. i can spend about $3500 to get me started with mig welding and later buy the other attachments to do tig and so forth. THANKYOU
Reply:To the best of my Knowledge, those are both very good machines but they do have limitations.The Power Mig 255C does not like to operate on generator power.  If you expect to be out in the field and using power generated on site, it's probably not the best choice.  It may not work at all with generator power.The Power Mig 350MP has TIG capability, but not AC TIG.  No aluminum TIG welding for the 350MP.  I believe it's spool gun ready, and has special modes that should make it a great machine for aluminum MIG.I'm more involved in repair and don't consider myself an expert in the welding process end of things, but I'm sure someone will be here soon to comment on the welding performance of these machines.Cheers,Bob
Reply:thanks for the reply , i don't know about ac and dc tig, as far as welding aluminum. it is spool gun/ push pull gun ready so ill have to make things work with that. i don't think ill ever need to run either machine off a generator so i don't think that will be a problem. the ac tig is something i was concerned about, having a machine that is really good in some areas and not so good in others,either way having tig and many other possibilities with sounds appealing. shop space is at a premium...... thank you again
Reply:I would seriously recomend the 255C. The 350 has lots of fetures, however it is limited in the fetures you would be wanting for Tig.If you only a begging welder and this machine won't be for daily production work. The 255C will be more than you will need. We have one in my shop and it's a great all around machine. I havn't got a chance yet to run a spool gun on it. I don't do any MIG aluminum.I think when you get tot he point of wanting a serious Tig machine you will want something dedicated that has the fetures you will need.Patriot Performance AutoLincoln Power Mig 255CLincoln AC-225 StickVictor Journeyman O/AQuincy QT-5 Compressor
Reply:I have both machines, they are top notch! Spend what you can afford.
Reply:thanks for the input, i am still a little undecided though. as far as the tig setting with the 350 mp what can i weld with it and what cant i weld?? i may want to get into some chromoly tubing and its my understanding it should only be tig welded? the 350mp has pulsed mig and i am not sure if the 255 has it or not. i guess the bottom line is will the 255 do me well and then later go and buy another machine for tig, or just buy the 350 and be basically all set? i have the $$ for either but don't want to buy something i am going to be dissatisfied with, its a lot of $$. thank you all again
Reply:http://content.lincolnelectric.com/p...ature/e754.pdfhttp://content.lincolnelectric.com/p...ature/e757.pdf
Reply:http://content.lincolnelectric.com/p...ature/e757.pdfAbove is a link to the pdf sheets on the PM350 MP.  It should answer most of your questions.  Touch start GTAW (Tig) DCEN...So Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, Chrome-Moly (4130) Steel, etc etc, Everything that you would normally weld with DCEN, just not AC High Fequency for Aluminum....BUT, with the upgrade to the Spool Guns, or Push-Pull gun and GMAW-Pulsed, Aluminum is no problem.I have used the PM350 MP in the past and am currently using a PM300 (Older Version of PM350 MP).  I also have a new PM350 MP ordered, and it will be here shortly.  I use these machines for repair & fabrication work.  Light Carbon Arc Gouging, Stick (SMAW) Welding, Wire Feed Welding (GMAW, FCAW, & GMAW-P) on a fleet of rental equipment.  Most of my GTAW (Tig) work is on Stainless Steel and DCEN, so with the new PM350 MP, I will be rigging it up on a custom cart with dual gas bottles etc, and a GTAW Torch hanging on it so I can toss that old Syncrowave 250 in the corner out of my way.Buy whatever you can justify & afford for your particular situation.  If you are looking for a QUALITY, self contained, one-piece multi-process welding platform that is easy to upgrade in the future as finances & circumstances permit, the PM350 MP is a very good candidate.I hang a licken' on this one every day, all day long, and all I hear is "Bring It On"Later,Jason
Reply:thats what i am looking for, thanks.. the abbreviations used in welding make little sense to me, i suppose i can look them up but someone putting it into english is way easier. i feel confident in buying the 350 so as soon as time permits thats what i am going to get. once i start welding with it i am sure ill be back here to ask more. is there a particular brand/type of wire i should get for mild steel, that is what ill be welding most with the mig. and a wire size that is more universal than others or should i buy a few different sizes for different thickness metal. i would be doing anything from thin sheet to 1/4 to 1/8 to 3/8. thanks again for your help
Reply:I would buy a roll of Lincoln L50 .035 to start out with.
Reply:AC is not a requirement for tig welding aluminum, it is simply preferred for the self-cleaning action of the arc. AL can be welded with DC and it actually works well on the larger thicknesses, it just has to be super clean (a requirement anyway) I have done it several times when I couldn't get the heat I needed into the metal on ac. I haven't used a PM 350 MP, but plan on having one in the not too distant future. It's a workhorse, and I no longer buy single process machines. Doesn't make sense to me in a welding shop. Wind up with twice as many machines as you need, or not enough of what you need to go around.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.