to me, AFA what ive used thus far
#1 tig miller - any size, process, etc
#1 wire based welder feed (any process, any size range, seperate wire feeders included) lincoln - worst miller
#1 plasma hypotherm by a fucking mile. lincolns are always broken, millers just suck.
#1 stick super old miller transformers or newer lincoln MP power supplies.
#1 saw lincoln (only miller i ever ran for abit stayed fucking broken - boards fucked)
AFA esab. the only esab welders ive EVER used were all gigantic 50 year old transformers and either tig/stick welded peachy, or sucked from their age. swear to god, i just never see esab shit down here in the south. (tho they did mail me a free heat treated skull cap lol)
thermal arc... every now and then i might see a TA wire feeder, but lincoln dominates them.