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Just had to pick between a cheap welder and a decent one for my garage project

I chose the $400 Miller instead of the $150 Harbor Freight option and after building a gate frame that actually held together without warping I'm glad I did, has anyone else regretted going budget on a tool purchase?
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3 Comments
dianaanderson
Learned that lesson on a flux core welder once, took me three tries to get a shelf bracket to hold. Sometimes paying more upfront saves you from buying the tool twice.
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jana_hart18
Remember that cheap welder is basically a gamble every single time you pull the trigger. You saved some money upfront but you end up spending twice as much time fighting with inconsistent heat and wire feed issues. The Miller pays for itself in the first few projects when you don't have to grind down bad beads or redo joints that didn't penetrate. It's like buying a cheap paint sprayer versus a good one - the frustration alone is worth the extra cash. People forget that their time and materials have value too, not just the tool price tag.
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craig.john
craig.john12d agoTop Commenter
Used to think cheap was fine, but you just sold me on that.
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