If you're buying any set it'd be worth finding out where the internal components are made. Many makes use far east parts which are not reliable.
Don't be tempted to buy a scratch start set.
Miller and Lincoln seem to be the favourites on your side of the pond.
An Ac Dc set is great if you'll be welding alloys but a DC only set will save you a lot of money if you only want to weld steels.
Smaller torches such as wp17 and wp9 make life loads easier for more intricate stuff.
Perspex gas lenses that let you see more around the electrode are good but not a necessity, you can stick the electrode out far enough to see what's happening if your gas supply is set right.
Prepare to find out your eyesight isn't as good as it once was, 2.5 or 3 mag reading glasses or 'cheater lenses' that clip into your shield will sort that out though.
Choosing one can be a minefield, I bought a Brit assembled set from a firm over here called R-tech. They use Siemens components and give good guarantees. I've gotta say it's been fantastic having one of my own rather than farming out jobs. Lots of practice has paid off and parts which used to be fit for the bin can now be fixed as good as new.
Good luck with your search.
Last edited by Nick. C; 11/16/18 02:56 PM.
