Hey I want to get a welder so i can hopfully later try to make a canoe and eventually a boat.
dont no much about aluminum but what kinda welder you guys prefer or would recomend me getting. i dont want to pay an arm and a leg but just something that can make good welds
thanks

try northern tool. they have some good reviews on their machines. get one that you can put a spool gun on. that said you need a good machine to make some good welds on alum. look into a miller. get something with a long duty cycle cause you will be making some long welds on boats.

millermatic mvp 211 is a good welder and you can get the whole package with a spoolgun and cart for about 1400-1500 bucks.

i was hoping on keeping it a little cheeper than that and a used 1

I got a lincoln 180 with the spoolgun setup. Little closer to a grand if I remember right. I'm definitely a novice and wouldn't know the difference, but it's worked well for me. Pretty easy to get set right and lay a good bead. Couple of buddies that do welding work for a living have used it and both seemed happy with how it works.

Whatever you get, I would recommend a minimum 220v setup.

i only got a 110 set up right now but if it is that big of a must need i can get a 220 wired up

Craigslist. I bought a Lincoln PowerMig 300 with Python for next to nothing off Craigslist. It was in Oregon and I called the guy. They had bought it for a aluminum job and then shoved it in the corner when done. The guy was tired of moving it in their shop. I weld aluminum almost daily in my shop and have come to love this welder. There are tons of welders on Craigslist.
My suggestion is to go to someones shop that has a welder set up for alum. Ask them if they have any woulda's coulda's or shoulda's. Most wish they would have bought bigger welder. Have them give you a demo and let you watch them weld.
Don't buy a under powered welder to weld alum. You will be disappointed. You will always need a bigger amp welder for some reason or another.
My two cents.

See if you can't find a used miller 250, great welding machines. At the shop we have a 250 and a millermatic 252 with spoolgun and I love em both. I think the only difference is the 252 has a digital amperage and feed readout, compared to the turn knobs on the 250.

Spend the money once! Go with a miller you will be happier in the end

Its my kid who wants one... hes saved up like 500 i think.. he knows more about boats and rigs than i do and is interested in trying to try and make a canoe up to a boat so he dont have the money to spend on a brand new one

you want to spend a little extra money on it and get on that will weld long thick runs of aluminum. Miller is the way to go.