Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, a portable wire feed electric arc welder, including a cabinet, a welding gun connected to the cabinet through a flexible conduit, and a supply mechanism to continuously feed the wire to the welding gun. There is a mechanism to receive either AC or DC power into the welder and a selector mechanism to selectively switch between a first mode of operation in which welding is performed with an external DC source, a second mode of operation in which welding is performed with an external AC source, and a third mode of operation in which welding is performed with an internal AC source. The internal AC source includes a step-down transformer connected to a conventional 115 VAC power source.