What Welder to buy, I show my ignorance inside! Options

[Hawktel]

Okay I figure might as well take the plunge, and buy a welder.

I know nothing about welding. I've never welded anything. I think I understand the basic principle. But if you were to blow a couple hundred bucks, to have a portable weilder setup, just work on cars, what would you get?

I was considering this little unit off ebay.

Ebay Welder link

Specifically, I'd want to use it to replace the battrey shelf, some trunk rust repair, and replace some brackets for the floods and such.

If you wouldn't use the above, what would you use?

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[rick 918-S]

Electric arc is much more suited to 1/8 steel than to 22 GA. sheet metal. notice the ebay ad shows the guy welding on square tubing. If your going to spend money on a welder buy a gas sheilded wire feed. Don't buy an arc welder for sheet metal. You wont be happy with an electric arc. Its allot harder to learn to use and you will burn more holes learning to use it. You will end up with a knik knak on the garage shelf and swiss cheese on the 914. If your looking to get by cheap save money someplace else. There are also innersheild wire feeds. These are better than an electric arc or stick welder but not much better. There is one advantage with a inner sheild wire feed. If you purchase the right one there is a conversion kit to convert it to gas sheilded wire when you figure out that the inner sheild wire is too hard to use and too hot for sheet metal.