HF Welders Advised Against (Chicago Electric 80A, older 225A, MIG 170, 120V Titanium as MIG-only, Vulcan MigMax 215)

Chicago Electric 80A stick welder: genuinely limiting amperage for anything beyond thin material. Older/transformer-based 225A stick welders: bulkier, more outdated controls than current inverter designs. MIG 170: limited settings. 120V-only Titanium machines used as MIG-only picks: real, well-understood duty-cycle/penetration limitation on thicker material vs. 240V-capable machines.

Vulcan MigMax 215 is flagged mainly for price — independent hobbyist forum discussion (Hobby-Machinist) largely corroborates it's a well-regarded, proven machine on merit, so this reads as a budget objection rather than a quality complaint.