speaking on the abilities of the little welders. i welded the receiver on my pickup after bought it new in late 99. pulled a 35 foot travel trailer. welds have held fine and i still own the truck. have a different welder now, still 110v but a lincoln 140 that I got for 200 used with regulator.
the real issue is, what are you welding and will the duty cycle work for you. these are not 100%duty cycle welders, in this voltage and price point, they are 20% typically, so think about 12 minutes continuous welding an hour. that is a bit unless you are very organized and thought out. Now, unless you are planning to make the world's greatest BBQ out of 30" .380 or .500 wall pipe or turning pro, you will likely never need more welder than the MM. my father was a Journeyman pipe welder and He used a lincoln s.a.200 pipeliner special. if you are planning heavy duty (for home) welding, you will want 220v wire or crackerbox and maybe even a used gas model so your electric bill won't enhance the sticker shock. i actually run my 140 off a portable genset if I have much welding to do. oh, unless you need a big hand grinder, I would at least 2 of the 4.5" inch grinders, one for grinding disk and the other for your wire wheel. I have three, one with grinding disk, one with wire wheel and the other is either a cup brush or cut-off wheel. good luck, 400 seems high, check craigslist and other online resources, like claz.org to see what they are going for locally. i would love a plasma cutter but they are not as versatile as a torch and i have other purshases more pressing. good luck!
one other thing about 'quality welds' and trusting these little welders, a quality weld is a product of the right preparation, proper heat settings, environment (wind is you enemy, along with contaminants and a hundred other things) and using the correct welding filler alloy. if the manufacturer such as lincoln or Miller claim the welder is appropriate formthe sizes and types of metal you are joining, then it is safe to say that poor outcomes are directly related to poor technique. if you are welding something where failure could cause injury and you are not certain of your skill or the abilities of the welder, then hire a pro. nothing, not vanity or dollars is worth getting someone hurt. on the other hand, proper technique and preparation should result in good results. now, i have watched a bunch of these car and bike fabrication shows where the workers tack, and sometimes seem to run a bead without protection is a disservice. i bought an auto darkening hood at HF of all places and with concern, tried it. it worked like a charm. do not be macho and risk your eyes, please. when I was an apprentice, there were times it was near impossible to avoid a corneal burn, that is a misery I wish on no one. i stopped pipelining in 84 but I still recall the nights in pain with burns and trying to sleep. I guess they think there is something macho about always showing folks welding without protection, if you cannot see, you are just guessing at the weld.
