I am in search of a new welding unit, i am looking towards getting a plasma cutter and tig welder all in one unit but i have spoken with a couple of companies and they were a little to expensive for me at the time so does anyone know where i can start to look again for a reliable but affordable welder

Im a glass contractor and we use one of the smaller wire fed welders that I got at home depot for about 550.00. It works great on small items and is easy to use. It would be helpful if we new what type of welding and how much you were planning on doing.

There are lots of units available on E-bay starting out at around $500. The problem is they are odd brands, so dependability is in question.
Myself, i have separate units for cutting and welding and have spent a lot more money but expect them to last a lot longer.

 thank you for all the suggestions guys but I have decided to go with a company named longevity which had a great selction on welders and plasma cutters all backed by a 5 year warranty so I am going to post some pics of my work so be sure to let me know what you think.....

Pic 2 looks a little cold, pic 3 a little hot. wrap something around that tube to guide the side of the plasma head. That weld in pic 2 you probably could have done with little or no filler rod - just fuse it. Try it.

Barry, like GaryTJ said, he's giving good advice - When purchasing a machine, brand name (Lincoln or Miller) is the way to go. You can def. associate cost w/ value when considering the machine. Also bofahs is correct, in pic 2 either your too 'cold' or your not moving fast enough. That weld should be 'laying flat. You may want to experiment on another piece (part. if this is your final job) before you begin welding again. Additionally, to prove bofahs point/comment....you can 'slice' through the welded material (that is, take a cross section) and check your penetration - you will then see for yourself if you 'fusing' as it should be done.