If you didnt have a welder or easy access to one - Had very occasional need for one and limited skills - would this be worth having in the garage or would it be better as scrap metal ?

http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/special_buys3_15678.htm

[Edited on 18/9/10 by karlak]

Keep yer money.
Unless you really want an arc, but for hobby a mig is a more flexible option

arc is good, once you learn.

Its very agricultural though, very very trickey to do car thickness metal.

Still good for other stuff (expect to go through a pile of scrap learning...)

MIG is much better for car stuff.

Arc is ok for thicker metal eg. box-section on locost chassis. It's much easier with an auto-darkening mask though. I got mine an old British made one for 25 quid. I think this is a much better bet than getting a new Chinese made one(eg. the Aldi one) as it's likely to last a lot longer.
As already stated a mig-welder is easier and cleaner and probably the best way to go if you're welding body panels.
Again I'd rather get a good s/h one than a cheap new one. I was lucky with my mig cos someone gave me it. I'd already got large CO2 bottles and suitable guages from my fish tanks so only had to buy a new liner, shrouds and tips.
Whichever way you go it's good fun learning.

I've got one from a previous year - its still in its box. I got it in case i want to weld something like cast iron / thick and ugly. Everything I can do on the mig .... i do on the mig.