Best Oxy/Acetalyne torch outfit?

[willam]

I'm looking to purchase a torch outfit in the next month or two and need a few opinions

Primary use will be for light duty cutting and lots of heating/bending. I'm working on getting my old heap up and running and have come to the conclusion that a torch is in order for bending things like brackets, fabrication etc..

What brand/tank size would give me the biggest band for my buck? Looking for quality first and a little bit of overcapacity (I don't know if this applies to torches, but most tools and machines last a long time if you only use them at 75% capacity instead of buying the smaller one and run it at 110%, which will burn it up in short order)

Thanks, willam

[urbanmuddboger]

victor thats it

[Todd W]

Back before there were companies like RuffStuff Specialties (http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/index.php) that sell every type of bracket you can think of for a reasonable price I made my own brackets. Not once did I use a torch or wish I had one. Sawz-All, and a welder to connect them, and then weld to vehicle, then eventually portaband.

IMHO if you are getting a torch to bend brackets, and the occasional cut your money is better spent elsewhere.
$300-$500 for a good torch setup will get you every bracket for your rig and then some.

I now have a torch, plasma, etc, etc, and the torch only gets used for cutting certain things off, or the occasional bending of metal. Most of the time I use the torch to heat something to unstuck it, etc.

[Todd W]

If you don't have many tools yet I suggest a welder and a portaband! You can cut tube, steel, and then weld them together for your brackets.... + The Portaband can be used for TONS of other things, it's one of my now most commonly used tools. THe sawzall is rarely used.

[dcmopar]

the victor journeyman torch outfit is the best all around set up. there are lots of off brands that will probably work for you, but as far as finding tips, parts, accessories or service ANYWHERE. victor is it.
for occaisional use a harbor freight kit with the small tanks will probably do ok with a much smaller investment. Doug

[Hackfabricaton]

If I was looking for a new set it would be Victor.

I've got a Linde-Purox...Which is now owned by ESAB. I've owned it since the 70's.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r320/HackFabrication/JeepCJ5.jpg

You can just see it in front of the heep. It's been in that location for two years. Which is about the last time I used it.

But, I don't use it to cut things, other during tear downs. I use it more often to heat up stuck bolts/nuts. I would highly recommend that you purchase a separate heating tip along with the basic kit. If you intend on doing a great amount of cutting, then get the biggest O2 bottle you can. And either find a place along the wall to secure it, or invest in a two wheel cart to store it on.

Don't want/need anything that big? Go get one of the smaller portable models.

[BumpyDodge]

You can't really go wrong with any of the 3 major brands : Victor, Smith, or Harris.

My opinion:
Victor has the best parts availability and lowest priced tips. Smith has a lifetime warranty and great customer service. Harris has the best heavy duty cutting torches.

Only thing you may want to look out for is if you buy a *used Victor cutting torch or cutting attachment* pay a lot of attention to the tapered seat where the tip seals. They sometimes get damaged from abuse and won't seal properly after that.

[PTSchram]

I got my torch in 1980 and used the shit out of it for 10-15 years. As I got older and more skilled, I realized the torch is a pretty crude and brutal tool that slowly got replaced by sawzall and cutoff tool.

In the new millenium, a torch would be one of the last tools I'd consider to be critical. In the days when MIGs, arc welders and plasma cutters weren't as common, maybe they were more necessary, but not now.

[willam]

Where to start? I've got a fair collection of basic wrenching stuff and have only recently branched out into looking for fab tools. I have a small 110 volt Miller mig, teaching myself to use it as we speak. A few different drills, low amp/used Milwaukee sawzall and beast of a 12 amp grinder. Been using the dremel for a cut off tool (It’s slow but works)

Working with the BFH, vise and anvil has provided limited success. I keep running into the need to heat something so I can bend/twist it so it'll do what I want. The heating tip will see the most use.

I've looked at a lot of used stuff and came to the conclusion that theirs a lot of people who want big bucks for their broken junk.

I've looked at the small portable unit's and was a little concerned about burn time. I don't want to be filling the bottles after 20 minutes.

I picked up this project as something to do/keep myself busy as I continue to rehab from some old injuries. I'm on the low side of low budget and try to invest in the absolute necessities. The torch is something that will probably see limited use, but when needed will be indispensable (especially when dealing with rusty old junk)

I've got a lot more stuff on my list to get but ran into a roadblock with seat brackets last weekend, hence the need for a torch.

In speaking with dealers they all run down the competition, I can't get an honest opinion out of any of them. Everyone here is saying decent things about Victor; I like the idea of parts/service availability just about everywhere.

I'll be looking to buy my own tanks; I don't like the idea of being tied to a leased tank. What size tanks would be best? I know I'll be going through a lot more Oxygen then Acetylene. Thanks for the responses, lot's of food for thought.

[nate379]

4.5" grinder with cut off wheels is what I have used for 99% of my cutting.

I think a small torch setup is a great investment for heating metal, and also great if you need to go cut something quickly. Like if your pulling an axle out at the junkyard, cutting scrap metal up, etc.

My Dad has a small setup, the tanks are about 3 feet tall and he ends up filling it about once a year or so.

I think the best thing is small portable torch kit for heating metal/bolts, etc and then a plasma for cutting. If you get the Harbor Freight torch and than the Divtech Plasma, you'll be pretty much at the cost of a good torch and large bottles.

[dcmopar]

I last used my torch about a month ago to straighten a frame horn, which is a job that you can't do with a MIG, arc welder, or plasma cutter.
It's one of those tools that when you need it, you need it. there are substitute and even better tools now for some of the jobs that we used to use a torch for, but a torch still works if you can't afford a plasma, or if you are working where you don't have the power available to run one. a torch is also a tool that is sometimes difficult to find to rent, and not cheap when you do.
The decision to buy a torch is usually based on how many times you were doing a job where you wished you had one, or where you had to borrow or rent one.
the amount of use you expect to get out of it should determine what torch and what size bottles to get. Doug

[bjb]

I got a small victor set 30+ years ago and it has done every thing I've needed it to. It has single stage regulators and the tanks are 2-3 feet tall. If ya ain't bending 1/2"+ plate the cutting tip works like a rosebud and the tanks last plenty long for any home projects. And I can get tips at the local ace hardware.:smokin:

[Devil Dog]

i've got a HF set.. had it for 3 years now.. works just fine for a home fabber.. keep it clean and it cuts as good as anything else... i use it every weekend.. and it was 75 bucks for the kit.. with guages.. and everything.. all i had to do was buy the tanks..

[dcmopar]

hf sells the small tanks too, the small backpack size set.
they come empty andf you need to get them filled.

[willam]

Something like this?

How long would the tanks last? The price isn't too ugly and it's a Victor. Would I get 45 minutes of continuous use out of it? The only reason I haven’t jumped on something like this is the tank size, although as an entry level I'm sure I could find larger tanks later. Would it be able to heat frame and spring bolts hot enough?


http://cgi.ebay.com/VICTOR-GENUINE-PORTABLE-TORCH-KIT-CUTTING-WELDING_W0QQitemZ330187636474QQihZ014QQcategoryZ67 057QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Todd W]

If you are going to do any type of heating (rosebud tip) you want bigger tanks.

[brewchief]

Something like this?

How long would the tanks last? The price isn't too ugly and it's a Victor. Would I get 45 minutes of continuous use out of it? The only reason I haven’t jumped on something like this is the tank size, although as an entry level I'm sure I could find larger tanks later. Would it be able to heat frame and spring bolts hot enough?


http://cgi.ebay.com/VICTOR-GENUINE-PORTABLE-TORCH-KIT-CUTTING-WELDING_W0QQitemZ330187636474QQihZ014QQcategoryZ67 057QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Don't expect to much run time out of that, I use almost the same thing at work, (different brand but same size tanks) and get ok run time, with a welding tip, with a cutting tip you will be out of gas every time you turn around and the little tanks aren't very cheap to fill.
The regulators on those sets are set up for the little tanks, you could adapt them to a bigger tank, but there still small, low flowing regulators.

My advice is to buy a decent mid range set of torches and get the biggest tanks you can afford, remember many gas suppliers will let you change tank size by paying the difference in cost.

Rosebud heating tips need a certain size acetylene tank to work correctly, this way be a factor for you as well.

Brewchief:D

[cj7jeep81]

don't know the cost (couldn't find it), but my local tractor supply just started carrying a pretty nice setup. had a victor torch, cart, and two bottles (believe they were 40cf) in a package deal. would have liked to know the price, but i thought for home use, it would be a good comprimise between a big setup, and the little portable tanks like in the link above.

[Hackfabricaton]

...My advice is to buy a decent mid range set of torches and get the biggest tanks you can afford, remember many gas suppliers will let you change tank size by paying the difference in cost.

Ditto. Look at it as a lifetime investment, as the normal home wrench working of his own junk, isn't going to wear these things out. And nothing short of a carbon arc will put out the heat that an oxy/acet unit will when you need to 'break loose' that rusted fastner.

Like I posted, mine is over 30 years old. Yeah, I keep saying I'm going to send the torches in and get them rebuilt...But I never do. Still works fine.

[BumpyDodge]

I got my torch in 1980 and used the shit out of it for 10-15 years. As I got older and more skilled, I realized the torch is a pretty crude and brutal tool that slowly got replaced by sawzall and cutoff tool.

In the new millenium, a torch would be one of the last tools I'd consider to be critical. In the days when MIGs, arc welders and plasma cutters weren't as common, maybe they were more necessary, but not now.

Depends on what you do. If you're fabbing everything *from scratch*, you won't need a torch very often. If you work on old crap all the time, it's hard to get by without one. To illustrate my point:

Ever try washing off frame rivet heads with a plasma cutter? I can take out an OEM frame rivet with *no collateral damage* in about 30 seconds with a "crude" cutting torch and an equally "crude" air hammer. If you install lift kits, you're removing factory frame rivets pretty often. A plasma cutter is NOT the best tool for the job. If you want to fart around removing rivets with a grinder - have at it. Some people get paid by the hour.

Remember too, that you're in Cali. When was the last time they salted your roads? Everything on the right coast over 10 years old is rusted together. We're torching off stuck bolts and "unsticking" parts all the time. If cousin Bubba's old trailer hitch ball has rusted itself solid onto the hitch and you want to replace it, what tool are you going to reach for?

I spent a lot of years earning my keep as a professional mechanic - not once did I *need* a plasma cutter.