As always think thru your goals vs the cost, it would make very little sence to add optional add ons to a welder to have access to for an example a tig capability on the welder below if the upgrade if it cost more or even close to what a second welder cost

ENGINE DRIVEN ARC WELDER/ generator

http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalo ... px?p=45752

TIG OPTIONS

http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalo ... 000%20Plus

mig options

http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalo ... 000%20Plus

at some point the cost of adding the options vs just buying the correct second welder needs to be carefully considered, but depending on your goals its sometimes a very useful option to add an upgrade kit to a welder

Always think thru your goals when you purchase equipment,the rough rule as a guide is youll need about one amp per .001 inch of material thickness to well aluminum effectively, IE youll need about 250 amps to weld 1/4" thick aluminum, now that is based on the idea of near constant use, naturally you can weld thicker material if youll allow less than a 70%-100% duty cycle, and as a general rule a 250 amp rated machine will operate at 70%-100% duty cycle at significantly reduced amps (lets say 180 amps as a guess) from its rated 250 amp max.

heres my mig

http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2 ... ode=907321

viewtopic.php?f=60&t=157&p=891#p891

viewtopic.php?f=60&t=72

If you look around at local welding supply shops and local welding shops you will on occasion see great deals on used welders that get traded in or swapped on upgrades, a close examination will usually give you some idea as to its condition and the local dealer in that brand can give you an approximate age with its serial number and model, some welders have been used hard and constantly, but a surprising number spend a great deal of time just sitting unused in shops, I know of several shops that have several welders and most of the works being done with one or at most two welder, its not at all rare to find high amp rated mig or tig welders that have had little real use.
If your thinking of buying a shop welder Id strongly suggest a 220 volt 180-210 amp mig, or 220 volt 200-270 amp TIG will do about 90% of what most guys will ever do, if you get a MIG with a spool gun that can do aluminum, you have a rather versatile welder, but a good TIG is almost unbeatable in the versatility race, its a bit slower but it will weld almost anything, in skilled hands.
Ive purchased several used welders, and had zero problems, but I always do a few test welds before I buy, one,If you can,t do that your best off avoiding the welder. and keep in mind ,that the main things you need to do, in deciding on a welder is making sure it meets your needs and that you have the electrical capacity to run it, stick to recently built name brands so you can get parts, anything over about 10 years old is usually hard to get parts for.
and stick to single phase 110volt or 220 volt welders as most shops don,t have three phase power

http://www.usaweld.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=25

I have not seen one yet in person but a combo , MIG/TIG/ARC welder IF its well designed has some intriguing potential, and HTP is known for building a decent quality welder, I know several guys with HTP tig welders and everyone happy with those.

STEVE POSTED THIS BIT OF INFO
"
It only welds in DCEN (Direct Current Electrode Negative) which is cool because most of your welding will be DCEN. However, don’t expect great results on aluminum which is best welded in A/C current mode.

I have a TIG and unless I am welding aluminum or stainless I will reach for my MIG welder first. I think you would be better off buying a good MIG, master that and then decide if you even need a TIG. I like having the option of the TIG but don’t really need it for the car but I have come across situations where it was the only option to restore an otherwise non-reproduction part.

If you can afford 1,200.00 for a welder, buy a GOOD MIG and then if you want a TIG go get a good one with A/C, balance and pulse.

Steve"

the answer to which welder you'll want depends on what your intended use for the welder is, most guys understandably want to get into welding as cheaply as they can, and they see a 220volt 230 amp arc welder for less than $400 and think thats a great idea, but you mention auto body work, that generally involves thin sheet steel and an ARC welder like your talking about is a rather poor choice for that, that welder is fine for welding up car trailers or brackets on rear differentials or most things made from 3/16-3/8" steel but it will be a P.I.T.A, on thin 24-20 gauge sheet steel fenders and doors etc. compared to a decent MIG or TIG
Id suggest you take the class BEFORE you buy a welder
and if its body work your intending to do a small MIG or TIG is a far better choice

read thru these

http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=72


http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=1669

since your looking for a basically do everything auto body and frame welder, Id suggest this, as a great choice


http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WD&Product_Code=907422

if your ONLY doing sheet metal body work and on a limited budget

http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WD&Product_Code=907335

btw
if you check your local bargain trader and Craig,s list or EBAY theres a good chance you can find a used miller,Lincoln or HTP TIG WELDER that would do an even better job that would normally cost several thousand dollar$ for a similar cash out lay
something like these used TIGS can be less than 1/2 price and a screaming deal, keep in mind a decent TIG can also do aluminum
just stick to name brands LINCOLN,MILLER,HTP and do the research to verify its still got parts availability (LESS THAN 10 years old usually)


its a great idea to take a welding class before buying a welder
pay attention when they start talking and TIG welding,water cooled vs air cooled,torches, shield gas,,ceramic gas shields,selection,electrode selection,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfOqyqKR0IU


and MIG welding about shield gas,wire size,,wire speeds, etc. because those will become important to your results


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpBFUrpUGZg

http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=530

http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=72


a good quality MIG will work ok,on thin body panels
BUT a good quality TIG is even better!
giving better heat control and better weld quality

I can,t see how you can get by without at least one decent welder in your shop,
Ive got 4 welders, arc,mig,tig,and a gas torch, but I could easily get by with just both a good 300 amp TIG and an OXY-ACETYLENE welders, the migs faster and easier but not as versatile in my opinion, the arc welders fine for frames and heavy steel but its not much good on the delicate things


look around your area for a deal with a complete used 250-300 amp tig system like this with water cooled torch,pump,welder and your thousand$ ahead of buying new in come cases