weeg I do this for a living , tig is not that hard to learn and you can get some pretty neat machines for under a grand second hand.my favourite is a little inverter welder that weighs around 15lbs,good for site work tig or stick up to 150 amps .Tig produces a smoother finish with less time needed for weld cleanup but is a much slower process,much the same as oxy/acetylene welding with less heat distortion around the weld area,very good for alterations to high stress parts.although if you are looking more
more to general welding such as chassis or panel work a mig is hard to beat get one with a pulse setting and you can spot weld with it ,just dandy when working with sheet metal,hardly any distortion at all