Buying a welder for AL/SS.

[sharkytm]

Well, my boss is offering to buy a welder to store at my house, provided I keep it in working order, and use it for our projects.

Our budget is right around a grand, maybe a little more.
I've got 220v in the garage, and can wire up to a 60A circuit into the panel.
I need to weld mainly stainless and aluminum, maybe some mild steel.
As for thicknesses, AL up to 1/4" would be plenty, SS up to 1/4", or 3/8" round bar. Mild steel wouldn't be too much thicker.

I've been looking at the Miller 211:
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/millermatic_211_autoset/
It sells for about $970, plus another $200 for the spool gun for Aluminum.
I'm not a fan of autoset, but you can't get one without it.

Any others I should look for?

 

[coppermouse]

I got a Lincoln Precision tig 185 for about 1200 on sale. It will do what you want. I recommend a tig over a mig for AL

 

[PAToyota]

As mouse says, TIG is preferable to MIG for aluminum work depending on what you are doing. A spoolgun is hell if you're trying to do small pieces. It is more for doing long runs - think of an aluminum dump bed or such. Same with stainless.

But, if you only do a bit of aluminum and stainless and do a lot of steel, then TIG is going to be awfully slow for most of your work.

All really depends on what sort of welding you will be doing.

 

[sharkytm]

Most of what we require is small stuff, but I don't have a lot of TIG skill. The AL work will be long runs, like 20+' of 3/16" plate. TIG just doesn't make sense, it requires too much skill, and is difficult to run out of position for me. A spool gun isn't really necessary for the small stuff, just plus size the liner and keep the cable straight.

Any other machine I should look at as far as MIG? If I was going TIG, I'd be buying a Thermal Arc TA185ACDC.