What welder?

[jnwright]

I have never welded. I want to weld 14 ga. square tubing.
What welder should I buy? A local store has the Hobart Stickmate LX 235 for $209. Is that more welder than I need?
I won't be using the welder very much.
Thank you.

[Planet X]

If its thick go stick! 14 gauge is not super thin but I like to keep my stick welding to 1/8 and thicker materials just to keep things ez.
Bring some of the material you plan to weld together down to your welding store and demo your stick machine then demo a small mig say Hobart 135 or 175 pretty sure your choice will be crystal.
If your local store won't let you demo and you have the option find a new store because basically a welding store is a middle man and if they don't add a value to the product ie test demo's , service/support/ welding tips, etc. why spend your dollars there?
But understand not all shops even good ones are gonna let you weld with a new machine because if Joe Welder is going to spend $$ for a new machine they want a 'new' machine. But I bet they will have a couple of their own machines stick/tig/mig setup somewhere in back that they use personally and you will be able to get the same understanding of what stick welds like vs. mig.

[cope]

I would consider a 135 or 175 amp welder. The 135 would be more portable as its a 110 volt machine, but the 175 would give you enough amperage for heavier material. There could/should still be a stick machine in the future for heavier projects and outdoor welding. I have a 250 amp Mig and a 250 amp stick, but I wish I had a 110 volt Mig right now because I need to weld a fence for my mother-in-law and she doesn't have a handy 220 volt recepticle.

[Hobart Expert Dave]

Since you have never welded before then I would say you need to look at a wire feed welder. The Handler 135 or the Handler 175 would suit your needs as you say. The 135 will weld up to 3/16 material and the 175 will do up to 1/4 in a single pass. The wire feed welders are much easier to us as a beginer than a stick and I am sure you will be happier with it.
Thanks
Dave Evans