Which MIG Welder is Best for Hobby Work and Light Duty Welding?

[Grinkle]

TL;DR Summary

What should I look for in a hobby appropriate MIG welder

I read the current thread regarding different types of welding

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/types-of-welding.1063264/

- very happy to see there are folks on this forum who have some experience and it confirmed for me that MIG technology is a good platform to learn welding.

I am going to buy a MIG welder for hobby work / light duty welding. The most ambitious thing I have in mind is a pull-up bar attached to a tow hitch for exercising on the road. I also have a bit of 'if I have it I'll find uses for it' mentality, and the idea of learning to weld in general appeals to me.

A friend of mine recommended a Lincoln 180 welder. That seems to be plenty of welder for what I have in mind, probably more.

Areas I am asking for advice in -

A new welder is ~1k US, used ones start a about half that in my area. I am inclined to stay away from a used one since I know nothing about welders and don't know to tell if one is in serviceable shape or not. Is that good reasoning, or are these things very reliable and I needn't worry about getting a lemon?

I'll need tanks and gas, a self-adjusting helmet, gloves and a smock. Anything else before I try my first practice weld?

My garage is not wired for 220, I think the welder can function on 110V, is this just a bad idea for learning to weld and I need to install a 20A 220 circuit or will I be ok at the lower power (10A 110V)?

Does anyone have a different welder to suggest for my purposes? The Lincoln seems to be easy to find new or used, so I expect its pretty mainstream.

This last question would really help me, if anyone knows, but its pretty specific. There are quite a few flavors of the Lincoln 180, many product suffixes, and I can't find a buyers guide to help me understand the differences. If anyone is familiar with the product line, could you recommend a specific one?

Thanks in advance for any / all advice.

 

[DeBangis21]

Welding is a good skill to have. Can't offer a technical knowledge; but this URL might help you find out plenty/good information www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[Averagesupernova]

I would visit a welding supply outlet ahead of a big box store.
Mathesons seem to be in a lot of locations around the country.
https://www.mathesongas.com/industries/welding/welding-retail-locations/
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I personally know people who have bought a welder at a big box store only to find the unit was not exactly the same as they had assumed compared to a different source.
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Northern Tool's website claims the Lincoln 180 will not operate on 120 volts. There may have been a similar model that would.

 

[Grinkle]

The model-soup is certainly confusing. Looking at this big-box description, I think Lincoln has a version that will. Thanks for the link to Mathesons, I'll check in my area. I agree that going by a Home Depot web page description can be dicey if I don't have any experience with what I'm buying.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lincoln...h-Spool-Gun-sold-separately-K5257-1/320201665

 

[Baluncore]

You will need 220 volts minimum, at 15 amps. A 'caddy' inverter welder is happier on domestic power than is a mains transformer based welder.

Consider avoiding gas for MIG, by using more expensive flux cored wire. As a beginner, a 5 kg MIG wire spool size is sufficient.