Everlast made good on the warranty and refunded the purchase price. After coming full circle, so to speak, the only things I would have done differently are:

1. Save the original box and styrofoam packing -- could have saved me 50 bucks. Then again, I overpacked the return to make sure it would arrive in the same condition as it left me.

2. I regret not pulling the cover off the machine and inspecting. If I know myself, it would have turned into a project unto itself so I decided not to undress her.

3. I didn't have a chance to try out the SMAW function, unfortunately.

So from the vantage point of a regular guy, I was bummed that the machine failed but Everlast took care of me. I got some good practice on a great machine and I wouldn't hesitate to order from Everlast in the future if it comes down to their warranty. For now, I slowed myself down and am checking craigs list, ebay, HTP and others regularly. I'm also going to be checking in with Everlast's new products occasionally and test the waters. I'm not in a big hurry so I can weigh the options and order when the time and deal are right. A 200DX is within my budget but something tells me to avoid Miller inverters. So many decisions but no need to be hasty.

Tom