Welding Woes, to buy and learn / to hire a pro Options

[stateofidleness]

So im almost to the point where welding will be happening on the ol' floorpans

Im wondering whether it is worth the investment to buy a welder and all the accessories needed for the job (could be pricey i presume) or whether it's best just to hire a shop to weld up the holes in my floorpan?

if i DO buy a welder (which i think could be fun and a neat thing to learn), what am i looking for? i have a few small pencil diameter holes to patch and a couple baseball size holes to replace in the corners...

what type of welder should i look for?
what type of welding is best?
what type of metal to use?
where can i buy a cheap welder and acc. needed? (as cheap as possible! i dont mind used)
best to hire a pro?

this would be my first time welding so id probably practice on other things first, but im willing to learn and do it right. ive also got an engman kit on the way, so it would be nice to be able to weld that in myself!

Thanks for the help!

[Chuck]

I faced the same question about a month back: have my brother or another buddy do the welding (which meant trailering the car to them and on their schedule) or buy a welder and learn to do it myself. I ended up buying a new Lincoln SP135T (120 volt welder) for about $425 w/free shipping from a place in Appleton, WI. I bought a nice, used bottle off of Craigslist locally for $40. Bought an autodarkening helmet form Northern Tool for $50 and a welding cart (not a necessity) also from Northern Tool for $50. My brother brought over a bunch of scrap for me to practice on and I'll start by welding patches in the rear firewall where no one will see before progressing to other areas of the car.

Complete welding setup: $565.00

Having the equipment and know-how to DIY: Priceless