[cashiusclay97]

I need to weld alot of 1/2in low carbon steel to some equally thick mild steel. Whats the best SMAW machine for the money? My budget is 250.

[jpence38]

It will be difficult to find a quality welder for that price. My suggestions would be a Lincoln AC 225 or a Miller 225 Thunderbolt. You can probably find either one around your price range on Ebay if you look.

[kermdawg]

If your willing to spend another hundred dollars you can get one of the everlast dc machines. Is this a one time deal or are you planning on using it alot after the current job.

[av8r]

I need to weld alot of 1/2in low carbon steel to some equally thick mild steel. Whats the best SMAW machine for the money? My budget is 250.

If this is a one-time use, you may wish to consider renting. Red-D-Arc, a partner of AirGas, rents welders. The XMT304 or ES300i that they rent would probably serve you well. I think a month rental would be $250. Those are 230/plug-in machines. They also have gas powered machines available. A PipePro304 might be $700 per month. I considered buying a used XMT304 from the Red-D-Arc Chicago location. I ended up buying the XMT304 from Stumpf''s (near St. Louis). Stumpf's also rents equipment of all types.