New Guy with a few questions

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Hey ok,first off I am a new guy.I am in to building cars and working on my mustang.Well I am wanting to get into welding b/c for one,I just like and and have realized that I spend a ton of money getting things welded that I cant do on my car.I want to learn and practice,but I have been trolling around on here and I have been shopping for a welder.Well money is a factor and being new is a factor as well so I am considering a Hobart or Clarke and if I use it and learn and get moneys worth of them,then I may step up to a bigger one some day.I would like to build a trailer for a jeep,do some restoration work on an old car,weld on torque boxes,subframe connectors. With that said I was considering the Hobart EZ125 or a bigger clarke like a 160 or so.I would like to hear some opinions on what size welder I need for what I want to do?Thanks  guys
Reply:Sorry wrong forum.Can someone please move to the right forum
Reply:Welcome to the forum,Its good that you want to learn to weld and do things yourself, it gives you a much better feeling when you  drive your car that you did it all yourself,That being said, the Hobart would be good for restoration and sheet metal work, Not so good for building a trailer or sub frame connectors, You would be stepping into some potential dangerous ground, Not saying its not been done before but saying that its a bad practice, If I was you start trolling craigslist for a good used welder, Miller, Lincoln, hobart, all good choices, Need to get at least a 220volt machine to start thinking about building a trailer, Plus lots of practice before attempting such a task, If one weld fails it can injure or kill you or a innocent person, not wanting to be a preacher, just talking common sense, If you want to know more just PM me I will be glad to help anyways I canJon
Reply:if you want a mig which is by far the easiest to learn on you need a 220v any of the big names will be fine hobart,miller,lincoln
Reply:Originally Posted by Spd DemonHey ok,first off I am a new guy.I am in to building cars and working on my mustang.Well I am wanting to get into welding b/c for one,I just like and and have realized that I spend a ton of money getting things welded that I cant do on my car.I would like to build a trailer for a jeep,do some restoration work on an old car,weld on torque boxes,subframe connectors.
Reply:No I completely understand that those arent beginner projects but that is some of the things that I want to do at a later date. I will start with some simple welding projects and practice and hopefully work my way up to building things and repairing small stuff.
Reply:Just save and get a Miller 211 Auto-Set... that is a 110/220v mig that will always be able to meet your needs and at about $1000 + a tank you cant go wrong. If you get friendly with the guys at your lws i bet theyll cut you a deal.Miller Dynasty 300 DXMiller CST280Miller Maxstar 150 STH
Reply:I started with a Hobart 140, bought it new off of ebay for $320, then sold it for $300.  So as a teaching machine, it didn't cost me much.  I sold it because I found a new Miller 211 for $750.  A 125 tank of C25 cost me $140.  The nice thing about the 211 is that you can take it wherever there's a 110v outlet, but run it on 220v in your garage or shop.If you buy an off-name-brand welder, like a Harbor Freight, it's not going to retain its resale values in the same way.Jack OlsenMy garage website
Reply:I ended up buying a Clarke 160 for a pretty decent deal.It is a 220v welder with the reg.I figured I would use it for a bit,learn how to weld and move on to bigger and better things later on.I am an HVAC service tech by trade and I am hoping that it will be about as easy as me learning how to solder on copper.I do want to get a Miller some day but for now I didnt want to spend a ton of money until I got the hang of it.I am bad about doing something for a little while and then just dropping it and not doing it anymore. I think I will find welding to be something I can use forever with all the work that I do in the garage but I need to make sure.Thanks for all the replies.
Reply:Hey also,Jack,that has got to be one of the nicest garages that I have ever seen.Do you actually use it?Jk.What type of tile is that,that you can park a car on it and jack it up as well?Very nice,just so you know I am jealous