I think I can agree with pretty much everything you have just said. I will address the gaping hole in the tool box you eluded to. One doesnt need to spend a ton of money on a competent machine. I own the big blues and reds, but I can see a place for the greens and yellows of the cheaper machine. For a hobbiest, One doesnt need 100% duty cycles, They just need something that will do the job. I have a special love for the old lincoln Tombstone ac/dc machine I traded to my brotherinlaw. Those machines will handle just about anything the old farmer can throw at it. Yes it is a 220v machine, but used ones can be found for the fraction of what a decent 110v mig machine can be bought for and you save enough to pay for having a proper plug installed to plug it into. Maybe even save enough to add a scratch start tig rig to boot. Prefer mig, while I am not an import person, some of those off brand machines get pretty good reviews when researched, and are a lot cheaper than red or blue. Then there is also the solution you suggested of going to a friend when you need something to really hold. I let friends use my welders all the time. Its not something I see a lot of, but I would rather they borrow my welders and do the job right, than have them cobble something together that might get me killed if I meet them on the road. Recently, I have been letting a young fellow use my Idealarc to practice for his 6g welding test. Hes just starting out and cant afford a high dollar machine and doesnt own a place to store it if he did own one. For me its a win/win. I get to learn from him, so letting him use my equipment provides me with an opportunity I wouldnt normally be exposed to. I can already see a big difference in my tig skills. But nothing I am going to take a picture of yet.
:drink:
