[Andreas]

I have only been mig and teg welding for a few years but for what it is worth i started welding with the bottle (co2/argon mix) and when the bottle ran out i refused to lay another weld. it may be technique or lack of skill on my end but with the bottle my welds are respectable and without i wouldn't claim them as my own work. tig welding can be hard enough by itself and i wouldn't subtract the crutch from the equation. oh and tig welding is a lot more difficult than mig welding. mig welding is walking and chewing gum. tig welding is hopping on one foot, rubbing your stomach and patting your head. hope that helps.
over hear the bottles are like $100 and once you own the bottle i think that refills are only like $40.