Best starter mig welder for newbie

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Hi,I've no welding experience, but want to get my feet wet, as a hobby. I'm interested in auto panel repair and maybe later parts fabrication, if I ever get to that stage. I've recently taken a course in Auto Body Repair, which touched a little bit on welding, but really just served to peak my interest in finally starting to learn more about welding. I do have some welding equipment, which I have purchased over the past years, which I still don't know how to use. I have a small oxy-acetylene torch outfit (Home Depot type), a Miller Econotig, and a Lincoln Plasma cutter.  I want to start down that "practice, practice, practice" road, but was advised to go with a 110 volt mig welder, for portability, ease of use and cost. I'm not sure which brand or model I should be looking out for and what features would probably be most important for me, as I go forward. I appreciate any input.
Reply:if you can afford stick with the name brands for service in your areabuy one the can run FC and soild wire --so it needs to be gas readyFC for out-door work (windy days)  gas for better welds.my self would look for one that can use 120v or 240v  cost more but sure comes in handyidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:Backup, Self shielding Flux Core wire [0.030] maybe too hot for most Auto Body sheet metal work, 0.024 solid with gas is in order. There are wire blends for auto body work too. I’ve read there are wires down to 0.020 but I have never seen them, don’t know their availability.
Reply:Personally I always try to get a little more/little bigger/little better than what I think I will ever need.  Doesn't matter what it is...tools, truck, tractor, etc.Now funny thing is I was in the same position as you a few years ago.  Gas welded in high school 20 some years ago and was thinking of something new I wanted to get into and came up with welding.  Had some ideas of what I wanted to fix and make just around the house here.  At the time money was a little tight and even though I new I was breaking my own rule of going for more than I thought I needed I went ahead and bought a Clarke 110V mig.  For the most part I have been very happy with it.  But as always happens once you get something like a welder and start to do some projects you start thinking about more and more stuff you want to do.  Now here it is a few years later and I'm pondering getting a dedicated 220 outlet in the garage and bumping up to a bigger (or more powerful I guess) mig.Just my experience or 2 cents I guess.Oh...one thing that did bite me in the butt about the 110v mig is mine said it only needed a 15amp outlet.  SOOOO not true.  I was popping the breaker constantly.  Asked some questions here actually and got turned on using a 20amp outlet and that made all the difference in the world.
Reply:Miller's, Lincoln's or Hobart's 140 models will do what you're looking for.  Unlike the knock-off brands, they'll hold their value pretty well if down the line you want to upgrade to a 110/220 machine (the Millermatic 211) or a 220-only machine.Jack OlsenMy garage website
Reply:I started with a Miller 135 and wish I would have gone with the Miller 180. I sold the 135 and purchased the 180 after about a year. I love it. Some day I want a TIG machine. As said before go with the big 3.Dave ReberWadsworth Ohio
Reply:Thanks everyone for your input. There's a lot of info (for me) here. I have time, so I'll try to learn about  the suggestions and keep an eye on the local units (used) up for sale. If anyone else has any other suggestions, I welcome them.
Reply:I went to Millers website to start to research the suggestions and found out that my tig (Miller Econotig) will do some of what I'm thinking of doing, but.......it says the skill level is high. Since my skill level is NONE, does it pay to try to work my way through it (?) or better that I start with a mig and later (if I still want to) progress to a tig.
Reply:Originally Posted by LexseI went to Millers website to start to research the suggestions and found out that my tig (Miller Econotig) will do some of what I'm thinking of doing, but.......it says the skill level is high. Since my skill level is NONE, does it pay to try to work my way through it (?) or better that I start with a mig and later (if I still want to) progress to a tig.
Reply:The fact that the DC lowend on the Econotig is 30amps, is going to make a very poor choice for welding thin ga auto sheet metal.ESAB Migmaster 250 Hobart Ironman 230Multimatic 215TWECO Fabricator 181i & 211iHH125EZ - nice little fluxcore only unitMaxstar 150 STH - very nice
Reply:Originally Posted by DanThe fact that the DC lowend on the Econotig is 30amps, is going to make a very poor choice for welding thin ga auto sheet metal.
Reply:I like jack Olsens idea and Broccoli1 is probably right, but it's a the learning curve. I wanted a starter welder also. I wanted a process that was easy to learn and make me a better welder in a shorter time. The answer was 135 Meg welder. 1/4 is my max. Then I got my 220v welder for the shop. The 135 got a push or pull around cart. Had a 200 amp lincoln stick that I kept 1/8 rods in. I know It's a good welder but never got any good with it. I gave it to my brother that never got the bug for a welder.Vern
Reply:A HH 140 is 479.00a HH187 is 669.00Only 200 bux more buy twice the machine.Just to clarify I was not suggesting use the Econitig for the body work but the fella has it, why not learn to use it?Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Lexse, I agree with all the advise you've been given. Fire up that E-tig, use your OxyAcetylene torch, you even have a plasma cutter, so with a quality air compressor, all you could ever want is already in your garage. The only possible exception might be a really good mig welder, and since you probably have 220VAC to run the E-tig, don't be shy about a 180 amp mig machine or better. What state are you in? Someone around here has probably got one to sell you.Don't think of the 110 volt machines as beginner machines, start with the best you can afford. They will turn down to lower amperages for sheet-metal, and they will turn up higher for H.D. projects also. They are easier to learn welding with BY FAR!! I re-learned properly on Lincoln's Top of the line inverter based gear, when I tried to use the cheap machines, they just pissed me off, breaking down, no options, poor performance.  Attached ImagesCity of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Years ago I started out with a well used Lincoln SP200 (240 volt input).....learned to mig on a variety of projects. I had a lot of issues/repairs on this Lincoln....so I got it working and sold it...and went with a little Miller130, 120 volt unit. Used that for about 15 years for a variety of light welding projects...some with fluxcore wire, some using solid wire and argon/C02. I sold the miller on Ebay for almost as much as I paid for it 15 years prior ( a testament to the value of a major brand......I also never put a penny into the unit for repairs)....went to Tractor Supply and bought the Hobart Handler 210 for $799 on sale...added a Chinese spool gun......works great!  Actually Northern Tool has a deal on the HH210 with a spool gun and free shipping that can't be beat anywhere....check them out.I would suggest either a Hobart or Miller 140 Amp range.....get both fluxcore wire and solid wire and learn the difference between the use of each....they each have their advantages, disadvantages. When you need more power and have 240 volt power available....sell the 120 volt unit....and upgrade. Buy American...it is worth the few extra dollars over the long haul!Jim Colt
Reply:Millermatic 211 is a great dual-voltage machine with a healthy output range on 220v.   You can use it on 110v whenever you want to just by swapping the included adaptor plug.   My local welding supplier sold one to a customer for $925 one day while I was in there buying other stuff.  That's a smokin deal on a dual-voltage machine.   My friend has a 211 and I've welded with it and it is a very good little machine that packs a good punch in a small package.   He's been doing some pretty nice aluminum welds with it too with the little spool gun he got for it.  If I was looking for a new small mig, the 211 would be on top of my list.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I was looking around EBAY and came across this mig spool welder CLARKE HOT SHOT SPOOL GUN MIG WELDER .Does anyone have any experience with this welder?I used name brand Miller and Lincoln mig spool guns.I do know it is built in Italy and can see the specs on the unit but never heard of it.THKS!THE OLDER I GET! THE  SMARTER MY DAD WAS!Thermal Arc 185 inverter Tig welderABITIG 26  tig torchLotus foot pedalLincoln 225 stick welderClark 185SG Mig spoolgunwelderVictor torch/regulatorsHF36" shear,bender,roller.
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1A HH 140 is 479.00a HH187 is 669.00Only 200 bux more buy twice the machine.Just to clarify I was not suggesting use the Econitig for the body work but the fella has it, why not learn to use it?
Reply:I'm on Long Island, NY. I looked into the HH 187 at Tractor Supply. It was $599.! That may be what I end up doing.I was going through (dusting off) the welding stuff I had purchased over the last couple of years and found a Henrob Torch kit. I already have the tank setup, although the tanks are  very small. I watched the video and it seemed impressive. It's supposed to use so little gas, that the small tanks I have may be enough. Anyone have any opinions on the Henrob torch vs the mig? BTW, the reason I've collected so much stuff is not that I have a lot of money, it's that I just always really wanted to learn to weld, so I kept buying different stuff whenever it seemed to be a great deal, hoping that would get me started, but never pulled the trigger. Now I just want to get going. Getting started will get me started.
Reply:LOL.  I guess that's one way of going about getting started, either that or you have a good collection of stuff to sell in your next yard sale!MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op