You can also call Miller and Lincoln and speak with the Tech Dept. Ask them their suggestions and why. You can never have too much information (well maybe).
Based on what you're saying, I'd go with an AC/DC TIG welder, that way you can weld mild steel and Aluminum.
TIG is slower and in my opinion has a slightly steeper learning curve, but the results are nicer. Keep in mind, regardless of the process, anyone can become a good welder. All it takes is - practice - practice - practice.
If you're looking for a good TIG welder I'd checkout Miller's Syncrowave 200 (It's a TIG and stick welder.) Some old time welders will say, if you can stick weld, then you can TIG and MIG weld.....
MIG is the hardest process to learn to do PROPERLY. Now some people will think I'm nuts...but I'm not, sure baking 2 pieces of metal together with mig is easier than with TIG but actually doing it properly is not. With TIG (and foot or thumb control) you have full control over the priocess while welding, sure the adding of the filler rod is something you need to practice but with MIG you start with the settings and then are commited to lay down the bead w/ that setting. furthermore the weld pool is harder to see with the big gun in place and with the bright white weld pool the edges are also hard to see (that's just how your retina works), so making a clean weld with good penetration with MIG is much harder to do than with TIG.
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