Do you have an Oxy/Acetylene torch?

[mikey]

I have full sized tanks with Victor regulators and torches, too. I only use that torch when I need a lot of heat, though. The Victor is heavy and unwieldy in the hand so 95% of the time I use a Meco Midget to gas weld steel or aluminum, braze, silver solder or harden something. For hardening small stuff, I mostly use a Mapp gas torch or two.

I think the choice depends on what you expect to do with it. If you plan to work on big stuff, do a lot of cutting, bend heavy work pieces or preheat large cast iron or aluminum parts then a full sized set up is a no brainer. However, for the vast majority of work in a small shop, I think smaller tanks and a Meco Midget (uses a lot less gas) is more practical. For myself, I haven't used my full sized Victor torch in over 20 years.

 

[pontiac428]

I love to have the capacity to run a big honkin' rosebud tip to heat with. I rarely weld with gas unless the work calls for it (brazing), so most of what I do is heating. I do most of my cutting with plasma (I have a 70 amp machine and multiple torches) so heating metal is my primary use. That changes my rate of oxygen consumption. Hose lengths are available for any reach you'll need, but I prefer not to lay a lot of hose on the floor for safety reasons. I think I would avoid anything but Victor for compatibility, universality, versatility, and availability. That's a lot of -litys for one recommendation.

 

[shell70634]

I've got both victor and harris sets. I have found welding and brazing tips and initial cost for the harris to be quite a bit less than victor. Both work great. The larger tanks are easy to move with a good tank dolly.

Shelly

 

[nnam]

I got a used victor cutter torch that I didn't use yet. I bought a new claim to be a real victor set that I don't even know it's fake or real since it was cheap. It works very well though. Then I bought a load of Smith torches and gauges that I will need to check seeing if they work or not.
Tank sizes, if not moving, get the biggest ones you can find, better refill price I believe. That is the highest cost.

If I can, I use propane to reduce cost.

It is really nice tool to have though.

 

[Ken from ontario]

I love to have the capacity to run a big honkin' rosebud tip to heat with. I rarely weld with gas unless the work calls for it (brazing), so most of what I do is heating. I do most of my cutting with plasma (I have a 70 amp machine and multiple torches) so heating metal is my primary use. That changes my rate of oxygen consumption. Hose lengths are available for any reach you'll need, but I prefer not to lay a lot of hose on the floor for safety reasons.

The main reason for having an Oxy/Acet. torch in my shop is for brazing and heating but not huge parts like tartor pumps or anything like that so heatin/brazing small parts is what I have in mind.

I have full sized tanks with Victor regulators and torches, too. I only use that torch when I need a lot of heat, though. The Victor is heavy and unwieldy in the hand so 95% of the time I use a Meco Midget to gas weld steel or aluminum, braze, silver solder or harden something. For hardening small stuff, I mostly use a Mapp gas torch or two.

I think the choice depends on what you expect to do with it. If you plan to work on big stuff, do a lot of cutting, bend heavy work pieces or preheat large cast iron or aluminum parts then a full sized set up is a no brainer. However, for the vast majority of work in a small shop, I think smaller tanks and a Meco Midget (uses a lot less gas) is more practical. For myself, I haven't used my full sized Victor torch in over 20 years.

The ideal torch would be something small enough for brazing heating small objects like small anvils or cast iron brackets.

I started looking at these torches when I worked on small copper parts so the closest torch that's much hotter than my Mapp torch was Smith's "the little torch" which can produce up to 6.300°F heat, but I doubt very much is a proper tool for restoring, brazing cast iron (I.e. vise or anvil) so my next size will be something I could use to heat/braze that size projects. I can get a medium size Smith (medium little torch set ) in Canada but again I may regret paying that much for a torch that's too small for the type of work I have in mind.

That MECO MIdget is very close to what I can buy here under the name HOKE jewel torch but again, it's designed for jewelry /smaller project.
I fully understand you point though, if it's not practical to use a torch that's too big for my hands or the job, it will just sit there and not get used.

 

[mikey]

For doing a vise or anvil, a full sized torch would be needed, Ken.

 

[Ken from ontario]

I got a used victor cutter torch that I didn't use yet. I bought a new claim to be a real victor set that I don't even know it's fake or real since it was cheap. It works very well though. Then I bought a load of Smith torches and gauges that I will need to check seeing if they work or not.
Tank sizes, if not moving, get the biggest ones you can find, better refill price I believe. That is the highest cost.

If I can, I use propane to reduce cost.

It is really nice tool to have though.

I read a few debates on propane VS Acetylene, the conclusion was, Yes, Propane is cheaper and readily available but a set up like that uses 3-4 times more oxygen and the heat produced often is not high enough for welding , in my case it might not make a huge difference though.

 

[Bob Korves]

My torch set is a Victor 300 series set. Not tiny, not huge, but can handle bigger work. I would think for all around use in a machinist shop a model 200 or 300 series set would be a good choice.

 

[Winegrower]

I have a Miller 185 MIG welder and a number of Victor torches, tips and tanks of big and little size. Perhaps because I am a terrible welder, i rarely even think of welding something. I have used the oxy rig for some heat treating, some flame polishing of glass rods and a little brazing of cast iron. The MIG I have used mainly for sticking angle iron pieces together where I can’t figure out conventional fasteners. I am getting better to the extent it usually stays stuck.

It just seems like MiG and oxy are technologies that occasionally they are the only way to achieve an end goal, so that’s why I keep them around.

 

[Ken from ontario]

My torch set is a Victor 300 series set. Not tiny, not huge, but can handle bigger work. I would think for all around use in a machinist shop a model 200 or 300 series set would be a good choice.

That helps a lot Bob , I was recommended on the welding web forum to get a medium size torch or bigger oxygen tank but without reference or model # didn't know what to look or ask for.
I