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Which brand welder did you go for?

CIG. Might just be an Australian brand though

Welding is a hobby I picked up a couple of years ago. It is indeed like magic!

How did you pick it up? I am interested.

Initially, I asked everyone I knew if they knew of any welders in the area who weren't self taught. None of them knew anyone. I then decided to post an ad on Craigslist. In my ad, I stated that I had no equipment but was interested in learning stick welding and oxy-acetylene welding. I made it clear that I was wanted to learn how to weld safely (given the many hazards involved). I also mentioned that I was willing to pay the going rate. After my CL ad was up for a couple of weeks someone reached out to me indicating that they were interested and had the requisite background. It worked out great. He came to my house on Saturday mornings and brought the equipment. This approach worked great for me. Eventually, I had enough training time to want to buy my own welder. I discussed it with my instructor and he recommended a welder to match my interests and budget.

Just wait til you try an Inverter MIG w/CO2. OMG, so nice.

Yeah, a bit more than $1000 though, I paid $4k for my setup (but it does AC/DC TIG too).