I can only blame myself. I don't frequent the forum as much during the winter months. I'm just now coming out of hibernation...
Until a couple months ago, I had a shop I could go to with a case of beer and have any welding done I needed, or if they were busy I could use their welders and such myself. The owner retired a couple years ago and sold out to some trust-fund drug addict from NJ, who in turn ran the place into the ground and refused to pay his workers. The workers all left and took all the tools as compensation for the pay they were owed, welders included...
I had a few welding jobs I was waiting on some of the first few warm days to get into, but now with no cheap solution for such tasks, I started shopping around. I never thought to check the tractor forums about welding equipment. My welder had already arrived and the plasma was already shipped by the time I came to the realization that they were a site sponsor here.
Considering I was given a discount on the welder due to the fact the one I had chosen wasn't in stock, and used the price match on the website to get a discount on the plasma cutter, I don't think I could have gotten the prices any lower; but I still wish I would have known so that Mark could have gotten the sales.