I think the Hobart 175 would be great especially if you have also have a standard stick welder. I used a borrowed Hobart 135 for about 6 months and was pretty pleased with it..

But when it comes to working with heavy 1/4" thickness or say 3/16" joints with lots of metal in the joint to be heated to guarantee deep penetration, or when out of position vertical welding is needed, I find it hard to beat DC stick welding.

The MIG really shines on the 3/16 and smaller metal and where you really want a nice looking joint.. Also less warping and pulling on the thinner gauge steels and no burn through on sheet metal due to the excellent finess on the heat control..