OK, here comes my 2 cents.
A stick welder is much, much less expensive to buy and operate. There is not very much maintenance compared to a wire-feed. No gas bottles, liners, tips to replace, mechanical things going wrong, etc., etc.
Stick is very versatile for many farm welding tasks, including hardfacing. The little 200A inverter welders are light and do an excellent job even on heavy, thick metals.
110V welding is virtually useless on a farm. Running 220V to your shop should not be that much more expensive than running 110V wire. That leaves open the possibility of a decent air compressor, plasma cutter, wood saws, air conditioning
D) and many other 220V tools. OK, so I'm dreaming a bit but if you don't wire it with 220V initially it will cost you much more later when your needs expand - and they will.
Several of the responders on here have the Everlast Power Arc 200 which is simple, runs excellent beads, is versitile, lightweight, and can be had for less than $300 with the TBN discount.
