Advantage's of Wire Feeder?

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Hi, As a farmer welder, I am about to begin a project building Cattle pens and gates.  My Lincoln Ranger 8 is a great DC stick welder and a joy to work with. Iv'e thought about a wire feeder Maybe Miller 8vs or Lincoln ln 15  [seems everyone with an engine drive must have a feeder]  But for occasional repair and maintenance  where  time isn't an issue Would the extra  cost upkeep of the feeder be worth it When the job can be done efficiently and I think stronger and tidier by a decent stick welder.  I know when you need to put down the most amount of metal in the shortest time they have their place Here in Manitoba, Argon mix is too expensive,  [ I paid Welders supply 97$ to refill an 80cu" bottle inc. taxes] less than 4 hours welding time?  Iv'e tried flux core in my little 181i mig  It seems messey and dirty?  What output could I expect from a Ranger 8 and a feeder?  I'm thinking maybe it could handle  ,o40 flux core and weld about 1/4 thick steel   Opinion's please.  Thanks,
Reply:I would use Co2 with .035 wire when possible. You should have no problem with 1-4 and 3-8 inch steel with that setup. .045 fluxcore would allow about the same thickness. With the cost savings with Co2 and solid wire you would be way ahead of using fluxcore.
Reply:Forgot to add that since Co2 is liquid your run time is longer than argon mix gas on a given size cylinder.
Reply:Only you can justify the cost of a wire feeder. I've never seen a LN-15 in person. I've used LN-25s ever since they came out. For general fab work there is nothing easier than Mig. Seems for what little welding you'll be doing, and your cost for gas, I'd look into Lincoln's NR-212. This is .045” NR-212 on 1/4” material. Run with a 1966 CC only engine drive. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:In my opinion, more often than not, Your going to end up using flux core with a feeder on a farm. You already have a 180 mig machine. Why do you need another wire feeder? You can run solid wire with gas with your 180 mig. Why is your flux core so messy? Polarity correct for that process?Your engine drive machine is ideal for portable welding away from the plug in. Using a feeder with it will usually mean flux core wire as it will be outdoor work. You already have a 180 mig to use in the shop/barn. Seems like an unnecessary expense to me.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720