Baby steps towards a new welder

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I'll try to make this long story as short as I can.  I recently "fell into" a weldpak 100" that I am having a blast with.  My 14 year old son has really taken to it.  His interests lie in this sort of thing in terms of a vocation.  He's not going to work in a lab or be a rocket scientist by any means.  I can see him very quickly outgrowing this little flux core welder.  My thought process is that I am going to start shifting his "college fund" money towards real world vocational training.  The local school district is closing the vocational programs.  Someone made the statement that it will soon be "College or Burger King" for life job choices.  Well forget that...  So I am beginning the shopping process for another welder.  I have an o/a torch set so he can learn torch welding and brazing.  My question is; do the "multiprocess" machines do much good?  for example this one from miller:http://www.millerwelds.com/products/...s/shopmate_dx/I'm not necessarily committed to Miller, this is just the first one I found.  I'm very open to other suggestions..I would like to expose him to as many different facets of the craft as possible and give him a chance to be proficient and competitive.  And, well okay, I want to do the same thing...In most every other realm of my experience, every time I try to get a "one thing to do it all" device it ends up doing most things okay, but nothing really well.I need to be as streamlined as possible in the amount of stuff I have.  My "shop" is outdoors so everything has be somewhat mobile and "shed storable". I pretty much have to set up and tear down every time I work (except for my #400 table, that stays put).I am completely open to suggestions as to where else to start or what else to start with.  I am not going to be making this purchase in the next few weeks or anything like that.  I am in my research and geek-out mode right now.Thanks in advance,Gary
Reply:hmmmmwell with the everything has to be mobile leans me to suggesting an engine drive,multi processes can be done with that also..An engine drive that is AC,DC-,DC+ you can do many processes with that mig,stick,flux cored,tig,gouging.going from process to process is (with quick release ends)easy ,but you have to pick up "attachments".....tig rig,feeder head either in suitcase form or like an ln7 or ln23,one can pick these items up fairly cheap.I got my 225g7 for $1350.00,ln7 feeder head with 50' of lead,hoses and regulater and bottle of 75/25 for $500.00,tig rig $125.00.arc gouger for $40.00 I think.that will let him and you get a good grip on the most used processes....A subarc set up is ALOT more costly,and I am not sure how many folks on here actually use one on a daily basis in the feild.................just my $.02If it's too . get an office jobLincoln wp225g7 Lincoln 250 idealarcFrankenstein O/A set-up Weld-tech  tig set-upLincoln sp 175 plus profax  arc gouger
Reply:I had not even thought of that.  What a great idea.  Although getting it in place will be a bugger.  I'll try to post some pics of where I need to put my stuff.  I have to travel through a gate, across gravel, through another gate, and into the back yard...  I have an old milkman's handtruck that can handle just about anything I throw at it, but I'm not even sure the rig you suggest would fit on it.  I'll start searching for the type of thing you suggest.  Thank You.
Reply:this is my generater Attached ImagesIf it's too . get an office jobLincoln wp225g7 Lincoln 250 idealarcFrankenstein O/A set-up Weld-tech  tig set-upLincoln sp 175 plus profax  arc gouger
Reply:this is my tig rig and wire feder Attached ImagesIf it's too . get an office jobLincoln wp225g7 Lincoln 250 idealarcFrankenstein O/A set-up Weld-tech  tig set-upLincoln sp 175 plus profax  arc gouger
Reply:arc gouger Attached ImagesIf it's too . get an office jobLincoln wp225g7 Lincoln 250 idealarcFrankenstein O/A set-up Weld-tech  tig set-upLincoln sp 175 plus profax  arc gouger
Reply:Boy oh boy, I could do that.  I certainly have space for a duplicate of your setup.