Unless you need to weld long runs of 1/4"+ plate for.. whatever reason, you don't need a 230v box. Those are industrial units and you just don't need them for around-the-house or small racecar fab jobs.
I picked up a house brand 135A MIG from Northern a couple of years ago, and it's worked fine for everything I've needed to do since. Sheet metal repair, exhaust, random shit I've fabbed for the house, some stuff for work. I've done 3/16" bar/plate with plenty of penetration and I didn't have to crank the output all the way up.
For your first box in particular, I would not lay out the big cash. Train & get comfortable using a smaller/cheaper 110v, cause it'll probably be all you need anyway.
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