# Gaspony3 Gas Welding Combo - Opinions?



## cg 2005 (Dec 8, 2012)

I want to teach myself to weld using gas.  I have never welded before.  

The Gaspony3 set is a complete gas welding and torch setup with number gas cylinders included.  





The following is included:



(1) 75 cu. ft. acetylene cylinder 
(1) 80 cu. ft. oxygen cylinder 
(1) American made cylinder cart with tool tray 
(1) Medium-duty UL listed Victor Firepower 250 Torch 
(1) cutting attachment 
(1) welding torch with flashback arrestors 
(1) brazing/welding tip 
(1) cutting tip 
(1) oxygen regulator 
(1) acetylene regulator 
(1) 20.5 ft. twin hose 
(1) goggles - shade 5 
(1) flint lighter 


TSC has them for $799

What are your opinions of the Gaspony3 welding kit?


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## Old Iron (Dec 8, 2012)

Seems the price is little high to me But maybe not.

Gas and ox. Bottles full about 240.00

159.00 for the torch set.

May be 79.00 For the cart.

Figures out to be around $480.00. And I bet you can get it all for under 600.00 

If you have a Harbor Freight There torch is like a small Victor Set, And they have the carts also. The bottles can be gotten from the local welding supply.

Paul


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## Tom Griffin (Dec 8, 2012)

That's WAY too much money. That's a low end Victor torch, and it's available everywhere for around $170. That means you would be paying $629 for a cart and a couple of small tanks. Your local welding supply should be able to set you up with a nice brand name outfit for around $500. Name brands like Harris or Airgas are definitely the way to go when dealing with explosive gases, a poor quality import could be dangerous. Unless you are looking for portability, I would also suggest you jump up to the next size tanks. The small ones like that are nice to move around but you'll be filling them all the time.

Tom


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## Ray C (Dec 8, 2012)

Call around to your local refilling places and find-out their policies.  Some places only do exchanges on bottles and won't refill and return your originals.  Some places won't deal with small bottles like that.  Some places give you a little break on the refill if you rent their bottles... etc.  Get the biggest ones you can afford and handle comfortably.  And try to get a 1.5 times as much Oxy as Acy.  A 75 & 80 combo will leave you high and dry on the Oxy.

I get 300's or 330's and rent tanks at $3/month since I rent 5-6 tanks.  BTW, Tanks must be inspected and valves replaced periodically (think it's every 5 or 10 years) and if you own your own, the inspection charge is usually 50 bucks regardless of tank size -and you're not allowed to do it yourself. Renting is not that bad of an option...


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## Uglydog (Dec 8, 2012)

I use Gaspony for my Argon, Oxygen and Acetylene refills. I may pay a little more. However, I don't have to worry about inspections or cylinder maintenance. If I don't like the cylinder they try to give me. I just say no, and choose a different one. Additionally, they Gaspony distributor is open seven days a week, and late into evenings. 

As far as a set-up: initially, I owned an imported Harris knock off. Sold it quickly before it blew up. Ended buying a gently used Craigslist item. For 1/2 the price of new. It took some shopping and I had to check out a several as I didn't want to have it refurbished unless I got it cheap.  

Recommend you get a name brand Smith, Harris, Victor. Is there a local repair shop for any of those manufactures, should you ever have a problem? 

My opinion only.


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## jgedde (Dec 8, 2012)

I've seen that set and considered buying it.  It's VERY heavy.  And those tanks are quite large.

As it worked out, it's cheaper than buying the tanks, having them filled, etc.   TSC will take the empty tanks from the set and give you full ones for the price of the gas.  Most welding stores (at least around here) will just laugh you out the door when you bring in a new tank from a setup bought elsewhere.

*All, this is not the #1 size tank set we always see with the pony bottles (like the Victor and HF sets)*.  *Look at the size he lists...*  The set hes talking about uses #3 size tanks (about 3-4 feet tall).  A nice capacity, but not all that portable...  When I was at TSC, I couldn't lift the box with the wheeled cart, the tanks, and the torch setup.

John


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## Old Iron (Dec 8, 2012)

jgedde said:


> I've seen that set and considered buying it. It's VERY heavy. And those tanks are quite large.
> 
> As it worked out, it's cheaper than buying the tanks, having them filled, etc. TSC will take the empty tanks from the set and give you full ones for the price of the gas. Most welding stores (at least around here) will just laugh you out the door when you bring in a new tank from a setup bought elsewhere.
> 
> ...



John I don't know whats up with your welding supply. I own all my tanks I found some older one where the place went out of Business and I took them to my welding supply got them tested for free and I just exchange mine. I have around 25 bottles Although I don't use them only for myself since I retired.

Paul


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## Ray C (Dec 8, 2012)

Old Iron,

I think it's a regional issue.  Places around here check the date, won't fill it and will tell you to get it off their property ASAP if it's too old.  Of the 4-5 places near me, only one will refill tanks that aren't either rented from them or purchased from them.  They stamp the tanks with their name on it.  Last week Friday, a guy was kick'n and hollar'n about the $50 inspection fee while I was waiting to get refills on my propane and argon.  It's the way they do business here...

And here's a kicker...  I pay $100 for 100lbs of propane.  My sister in Illinois pays about 65.  -Too bad it's a 750 mile drive.

Ray


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## Tony Wells (Dec 9, 2012)

Here, if you lease/rent your bottles, you're married to the company you got them from, or whoever buys them. But it's a forever deal, no inspections to pay for or anything but the demurrage and the gas you use. I bought bottles, and the only difference is that they won't sell exactly the same sizes as they rent, so they can tell when you pull up to the dock what you have, and no demurrage. Since I own the bottles, I can choose to have mine filled (considerable wait), or just swap. It's a perpetual arrangement. I won't have to buy a bottle when "mine" expires, or do anything at all about inspection.


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## jpfabricator (Dec 9, 2012)

cg 2005 said:


> I want to teach myself to weld using gas. I have never welded before.
> 
> The Gaspony3 set is a complete gas welding and torch setup with number gas cylinders included.
> 
> ...



I would buy the cilinders(biggest you can afford) and the torch setup, but build the cart myself. It will give you a learning project that has a use, not a pile of practice pices that have no use. The cart project is light enough  to move around and turn so you can get the best weld angle, has the callenge you will face with every future project, and gives you the fredom to be as elaborate or bare bones as you want. (make every thing hang from the cart, The tooltray will gather alot of unusable junk.)


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## Syncrowave (Dec 9, 2012)

I bought that exact same rig with #3 bottles at Tractor Supply. I wanted Victor brand, and paid for it. (I think I paid about the same price about 3 or 5 years ago, so that's not bad.) I needed a refill of acetylene the other day, and it was $45.

Given the choice again today, I think I might go with leased bottles and either used Victor/Harris regulators/torches or new HFT or other torches/regulators that are Victor-compatible.

From what I understand, the Harbor Freight rig is all Victor-compatible, at a fraction of the price. 

If I'm repeating what others have said, I apologize, but I did not read the whole thread.


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## tduf (Dec 9, 2012)

i just set my self up.i bought victor torches on e bay then do buy the tanks on line too.Then trade them in at tractor supply for the thoughbred tanks that they sell,you exchange your new ones from e bay for the used ones at tractor supply then you own the tanks for ever and when you need more gas you just exchange them never need to lease them at 100.00$ a year.After six years or so they will pay them sefl's off free and clear you will save the most.I found the best prices were at Queen cylinder .Also there is a size limit on tanks you are aloud to own i think #4 for ox and a # 3 on acetyinene.I did all the reserch because I dont like to any extra money.


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## Uglydog (Dec 9, 2012)

tduf said:


> "i just set my self up.i bought victor torches on e bay"
> 
> While I'm a Smith guy. I suspect they will serve you well. Carefully examine them when they arrive ensure they don't leak. Consider purchasing new spark arrestors and anti-back flow valves. Treat them well, and they will be something tools your grandchildren will be excited to inherit.


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## jfcayron (Dec 10, 2012)

I bought a store-assembled kit at my local Praxair. It was the tote-type with the tiny tanks.
With both regs, the tanks, hoses and torch with #0 tip, the thing was under $400

The torch is Prostar brand, which is made by Victor for Praxair.

Later I bought 2 sets of 75-80 cylinders from a local guy who works for a testing facility. They arrive brand spanking freshly tested.
Finally I upgraded my regs on the big tanks to larger models, the old ones stay on the tiny tanks I use for jewelry work.

My Praxair store was fine with exchanging my own small and big cylinders, never a comment.
Of course you will bring your new or freshly repainted tanks and get dirty peeled-off ones in exchange. But they are safe and that's what we want, right?


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## Wagon173 (Dec 23, 2012)

Yea renting your tanks is definitely the way to go.  They have to go through a hydro every 5 years.  Hydro can get pretty expensive.  Just for my scuba tanks I pay about 50 bucks a pop for the hydro and that's if they are in good shape and don't need to be tumbled.  If your tanks fail hydro, they will either destroy them and give it back or they just keep it from what I've been told.  I've never had a tank fail hydro though so I can't say for sure.  I've never had any problems with the import torches either.  Like any other import machinery you may want to disassemble it and clean it out really good, make sure there aren't any burrs and so on.  And with any torch you get, I'd recommend putting an acetylene flash back arrestor on it.  Just a CYA.  I've had a few instances where I got distracted and let my hose run up against a red hot piece of metal.


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