Gas weld and braze for a lot of stuff. Victor torches in various sizes: big nut and little nut and assorted tips. All the way down to tiny HVAC torches for fine work.
Started arc with old Miller BlueStar from late '70's with 16-hp Tecumseh engine. That little guy ran when nothing else would and helped us survive couple ice storms using hotplates. Had 3,000-watts aux power output. Sold it about ten years ago for $800 to kid to build a sandrail.
Upgraded to Lincoln (one of the several Ranger models) with all the bells and whistles and 12,000-watts aux power. Remote control, MIG and TIG capability, infinite arc and arc 'softness-crispness' settings. Mounted on wheeled cart with lifting lug. Got it off a Lincoln corporate showroom floor at a bargain. Never failed until mouse chewed fuel line once. Keep it on battery float constantly.
Miller MIG. Later model but don't remember the model number. Nice lash-up. Use it with 0.030 flux core wire and gas together and get great welds. Only thing I can't figure is why they left the lifting lug off the top. Have to stab it with forks to get it onto truck (driven by Lincoln) if want to use two MIGs in field.
Through a series of trades wound up with Lincoln cracker box AC-DC 225-Amp tombstone welder. Honestly it gets used around the shop more than any of the others. Older, with true copper windings throughout. Weighs a ton. Sits on an HF $7 on sale furniture mover.
Use Tweco quick-connects on all cables and leads so can stretch out to wherever is needed.
Also got 50-A pedestals all around the place so never too far from power. Use same break-out boxes with pedestals and also from engine-driven Lincoln when in the field for drills and grinders and whatever.
Auto-dark hoods are the way to go.
For a while for some reason RV-type 50-A cord sets were popping up at auctions for nothing: rarely paid more than $25 for 50-ft cable and have one 100-ft somebody dumped. Hugely heavy but handy for that bit of extra stretch.
Completely self-taught through oilfield until spouse and I together took evening classes at local vo-tech. Same training as at commercial welding school but for just hundred bucks each (three hours a night twice a week for four months just welding anything and everything). Learned a lot. Helps to have two capable welders depending on what we're doing. She's got a better weave in her hand than I do and can see better to boot. "Here, Hon, stick this together for me."