IT IS TRUE...YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO JUST ONE PROJECT, THE CHEAPIE MAY LIVE LONG ENOUGH. I HAD A CHEAPIE AND KILLED IT. I BOUGHT A MILLER XP135 AND LOVE IT. IT HAS MANY MORE TEMPERATURE AND SPEED SETTINGS THAN THE CHEAP ONES, RUNS ON 115 VOLT, ACCEPTS THE 10 LB SPOOL OF WIRE AND IS BUILT VERY WELL. AS FOR GAS, USE A TRI-MIX (CO2,NITROGEN AND ARGON I BELIEVE) ARGON ALONE IS WAY MORE WXPENSIVE AND YOU REALLY ONLY NEED ARGON FOR DOING ALUMINUM. THE AUTO DARKENING HOODS ARE THE WAY TO GO HANDS DOWN.NO MORE HEAD FLIPPING/ SEARCHING FOR THE AREA- LINE IT UP AND PULL THE TRIGGER.BADA BING
