i bought the cheap little 110v flux core welder about 10 years ago, it's been a lifesaver more than a few times. the thing to remember is to keep the drive rollers clean for consistent feeding, otherwise they tend to slip.
would love to have a nice miller or lincoln, but as often as i use mine it's been just fine. you won't pretty welds like a mig because of the splatter, but it works OK.