Granted, Argon mixes can give a better looking weld for inexperienced welders but once you learn how to set up correctly with CO2, it's more than adequate for home use, particularly at a fraction of the cost of Argon mixes. Personally, I'd rather buy a decent 2nd hand machine than a cheap Chinese one. Main reason is that I don't have much faith in Chinese electrical goods as they use low quality components to achieve the low prices. I very much doubt a Chinese welder would last 20+ years but I'm willing to be proven wrong...