Miller Thunderbolt has a mild edge because it has shunt rather than
taps. As Grant mentioned, detachable cables are very nice, I've
retrofitted my welders with them. No big deal, standard jacks and plugs
are $8 each at my local supplier. Check the cable lengths that come with
the machines. Lincoln, in particular, has very short stock leads.

As mentioned, www.craigslist.com tends to have some good deals. I bought
a decent Craftsman 225 amp unit for $50 (a buddy needed one so off it
went), Lincoln's go for $75 to $100 and up. The cheap units go VERY fast
so you have to watch the lists closely. The Craftsman seller had 3 calls
in 45 minutes, I picked it up within an hour of the posting time.

If you are buying new, the DC option is not that much more money so I'd
certainly consider going for it. Used machines will rarely have DC, no
one wants to spend the extra money for it.

IMHO, DC option is nice but no where near mandatory for a hobbist
welder. My two buzzbox welders are both AC only, run 6011 and 6013 with
ease, I've built plenty of things like Jeep bumpers, trailer hitches,
etc. Of course, I have access to a prototype shop with MIG, TIG, high
end stick welder, etc. for specialty things.

Jerry Foster wrote:
Now that I have adequate power to my new shop, I'm thinking of adding an
AC/DC stick welder. The ones I'm looking at are (and the prices from
various local dealers):

Miller Thunderbolt XL 225/150 ($541)

Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 ($449)

Hobart Stickmate LX 235 AC/160 DC

Has anyone had experiences, good or bad, with any of these?

Thanks.

Jerry