The quality of a weld has more to do with the quality of the person doing the welding then it does with the machine.

A person that knows what he is doing will know if the machine is up to the job with in a few minutes of welding. The reality is, there is so much variation in the machines, especially the 110 volt machines, that each machine needs to be evaluated on its own merit.

Proper preparation of the area to be welded carries as much weight in the final product as the machine that is used, in the proper hands.

The first thing to do is learn to weld correctly, and you need to be taught how to do that. Some self teachers can produce quality work, but the percentage of quality welders (the people) increases when the proper education takes place. Learn how to weld, then buy the machine that works best for you.

I like the instant on helmets with the largest view window. Some times you can't get to the perfect position to get a good look through a small window. I wouldn't buy the cheapest helmet you can find, they might work OK, but you don't know what your missing by buying the cheap stuff. I also wouldn't buy the super expensive helmet, buy a good helmet and better (or more) gloves or a grinder instead. I certainly don't claim to be the best welder guy here, but I seem to get by OK. I only weld about 25-30 hours a week. Gene