The Dialarc HFs are excellent machines. However they are very..very plain jain. No square wave at all and depending on his machine...the HF cap may need replacement before long.
For a beginners machine..they are very good. They will spin your meter like a top..but are nearly bullet proof
Lots of similar discussions on the net.
I have the same machine for stick welding..a Miller Dialarc 250 (without the Tig stuff) and Its been my stick welder for nearly 20 yrs with no issues. And it lives outside (under a roof but open to the sides...under my welding table) and HIGHLY recommend them.
I also recommend the old Lincoln Idealarc 250 or 300 machines
I think Iggies machine is a pretty darned good deal and while not as well equipped as a Syncrowave (post and pre gas settings etc ) its a good starter machine that you can do most anything on. They do NOT do small amps very well though. Get down below 15 amps..and they can..can be a little flakey. And a lot of that depends on the age of the machine. If its a fairly recent machine...its much improved over the older ones. The newer machines will have an adjustable gas time..the older ones do not. (on the front panel)
A "newer one"
An older one
One of the most important things...is you are gonna NEED a water cooler. Period. Particularly if welding aluminum. So get a machine with a working cooler, no matter the brand.
Hell..I gave away a Lincoln Idealarc 300 (with programming and digital read out) not long ago, complete and ready to rock and roll. A day late and a dollar short. Shrug
Gunner