if your budget is in the $500 range, then you're going to be looking at something new in the 120v/150a max range (or less). if you look at refurbished / discontinued / used units, you may get something closer to a 240v/210a max range. to get that same class of welder new you're going to be getting closer to the $1000 range. if you want something in the 210a+ range with a duty cycle over 20%, then you bump up to $1500+.
there's a lot of welders available in that $500 price range, and to be honest, i couldn't give any useful advice, since i've had an old century unit that fits that description for about 15 years - i haven't had any interest in looking at new ones.
in the 210a range, there are a couple of popular machines at the current time: the hobart 210 and miller 211. the hobart can be had from northern for $899 including a free spool gun ($200+) value and free shipping. the miller can be found for about $950+ and the spool gun is another $200. there is a current promotion that gets you $100 back for buying the welder and spool gun, so you could be into it for around $1050 with a little luck. the noticeable differences in them are that the miller has swappable 120v and 240v plugs, while the hobart is 240v only. the miller also has infinite current control, while the hobart has 7 steps. other than that, there are always rumblings about the miller having metal drive parts in places where the hobart has plastic. i can't verify this, or determine whether it matters. i'd think that both of them are good units and i've done a lot of research and i can't say i've seen any real complaints about either machine. only thing is that the price may be a little more scary than a lot of homeowners want to swallow.
there's a lot of welders available in that $500 price range, and to be honest, i couldn't give any useful advice, since i've had an old century unit that fits that description for about 15 years - i haven't had any interest in looking at new ones.
in the 210a range, there are a couple of popular machines at the current time: the hobart 210 and miller 211. the hobart can be had from northern for $899 including a free spool gun ($200+) value and free shipping. the miller can be found for about $950+ and the spool gun is another $200. there is a current promotion that gets you $100 back for buying the welder and spool gun, so you could be into it for around $1050 with a little luck. the noticeable differences in them are that the miller has swappable 120v and 240v plugs, while the hobart is 240v only. the miller also has infinite current control, while the hobart has 7 steps. other than that, there are always rumblings about the miller having metal drive parts in places where the hobart has plastic. i can't verify this, or determine whether it matters. i'd think that both of them are good units and i've done a lot of research and i can't say i've seen any real complaints about either machine. only thing is that the price may be a little more scary than a lot of homeowners want to swallow.
