I have a century gs155 120volt 20amp mig welder and a lincoln 225 amp 220volt stick welder both I have been pretty happy with it so far it has tackled many jobs I thought it wouldn't be able to do...really the duty cycle is what you are looking for most of these base type welders have a cheap transformer that can only support part time usage at the higher settings...the hobart, lincoln, miller, and htp all have something that will work for you the more expensive the better the duty cycle. If your on a budget I know cambell housefield and craftsmen have a few inexpensive models that will do light stuff sheet metal some up to 3/8 inch for short bursts. If you have can hold out I would get one above what you can afford because the one you can afford sometimes limits the performance you want. I am sure you can look at a farm and fleet should have one in IA they have a great selection of Hobart welders and I think homedepot has some of the lincoln stuff they still sell the stick welder I have and it hasn't changed a bit in 20 years. Hope this helps