"I've finally got enough project that require a welder to officially begin looking for a welder to call my own. The problem? I don't (currently) know squat about welding, and I don't want to get a crappy welder that will be useless in the long-term. At the same time, I'm pretty frugal in my tool purchases, and I don't plan on spending more $$$$ that what makes sense for what I plan on doing. (Prefer to keep everything under $300, cheaper if reasonable.)
I don't have a deadline on when I need it, so I plan on just keeping my eyes open for sales or good used equipment. I just need to know what to look for so that I can pull the trigger when I see it.
What I plan on doing is basic repair and fabrication stuff, mostly with some combination of:
Tube steel
Rebar
Fence posts
Sheet metal
Probably the ""top end"" of what I might do is build a go-kart or something similar.
I don't currently have any handy 240V outlets in my shop or my garage. Are 120V welders
https://mechanicguides.com/110v-stick-welders/ sufficient for most work, or am I going to need to upgrade to 240V for a welder that will do good general purpose welding?
How necessary/useful are gas welders (mig/tig) over non-gas welders?
I'm only going to likely use the welder 4-6 times/year. Will the cheaper ($100-300) welders sufficient, or are they crap that will burn up after an afternoon of use?
Are their features I should be looking for?
Are their any good places to find good used welders?
What types of accessories should I buy? Helmet, apron, gloves, clamps, etc. Any recommendations?"