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Hi, Rob My experience with wire feed is too limited for me to have a useful opinion about best. I'm sure you'll get some lively discussion here, from people who generally know what they're talking about. Something which may not come up, or not get the emphasis I feel it deserves, is the duty cycle. Since, unlike stick, it's possible to run weld with wire feed for as long as there's metal in front of you, the duty cycle is more than just a matter of convenience---it can have an impact on the life of your machine. Lincoln and Miller are quality machines (Hobart will have to prove itself since it's now the low end of Miller) and may not suffer from repeated thermal overload. Then again, they might. I've heard that the cheap machines like Century and Chicago Electric become more sensitive to thermal overload the more times the breaker trips. I realize that wire feed machines start getting expensive once you get above 200 amps, but it might be worthwhile to shop for the lowest duty cycle you think you can live with, rather than the lowest power. If you knew that you'd never need more than 125 amps, for instance, you still might not be satisfied if your machine could only deliver that amount at a 10% duty cycle. Having the use of stick machines with unlimited duty cycle at the trade school where I spend a lot of time, I find myself impatient with the limited duty cycle of the buzz box welders I have in my home shop. Something to think about, at least. All the best, Stan
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