So, and I know it's intimidating, but I was shocked by how cheap and easy welding can be.

I got basically the bottom of the barrel welder, about equivalent to this:

https://www.harborfreight.com/flux-125-welder-57798.html

(But we don't have harbor freight)

For a project where I built a large cantilever gate. I had never welded before. But a friend showed me the ropes and within a few minutes I was making atrocious ugly welds I could then make look halfway decent with a grinder.

And that's the thing. Between a welder and a grinder, you have basically unlimited redoes.

Now I thought it would be a one and done, but I've actually used the welder several times since (far more times than the significantly more expensive router I have). It turns out it's pretty handy to be able to basically glue metal back together.

And of course there are a few tricks and safety concerns but this is true with all tools. But fixing a simple weld that broke? Well it was a welder just like this that likely made it in the first place.

At the price, it's cheaper than a drill, which no diyer would bat an eye at purchasing. Mines very compact and just plugs into any wall outlet. A bit of training and you'll be making sloppy welds which can be made to look nice using a grinder in no time.