MAP-Pro gas or Propane gas...I need suggestions please

[talvare]

A certain amount of success is dependent on the mass of the items being soldered. I have silver soldered some items with oxy-acetylene that I couldn't imagine trying to accomplish with a propane or MAP torch.
Just food for thought.
Ted

 

[MikeInOr]

MAPP (5300*F)
MAP-Pro (3730*F)
propane (3600*F)

MAPP gas was worth the extra cost. MAPP Pro gas is just silly!

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

IMHO, I don't find much of a difference with the MAP-Pro @ 3,730ºF VS or Propane @ (3,600ºF), and at more than twice the price, so I just use propane. If I need hotter, I got Oxy-acetylene. The real-deal MAPP was much hotter and was worth the extra cost, too bad it's not available anymore.

I herd there is no real mapp gas available any longer?

 

[GrifterGuru]

MAPP (5300*F)
MAP-Pro (3730*F)
propane (3600*F)

MAPP gas was worth the extra cost. MAPP Pro gas is just silly!

One of the component gasses of MAPP, Propadiene has become far more valuable in the plastics industry than the gas industry, so that may be one reason for discontinuatiuon, but the sole manufacturer quit manufacturing the gas without stating any rhyme or reason for it, yet I think we all know that "money talks BS walks".

MAPP was MethylAcetalene-Propane-Propadiene

Map-Pro (same as Votex Map-X) only contains Propylene and Propane.

 

[MikeInOr]

I herd there is no real mapp gas available any longer?

I "believe" the one and only MAPP gas factory burnt down and it wasn't economical to rebuild... whether that is true or not you are correct, true MAPP gas is no longer produced.

 

[Eddyde]

I herd there is no real mapp gas available any longer?

Real MAPP Production ceased in 2008. From what I heard, it became no longer economically viable to produce. Basically, it never caught on and became widely used at an industrial level. The selling point that MAPP was safer than Acetylene didn't outweigh its increased cost and lower combustion temperature. Apparently, the small cylinder sales just weren't enough to keep the plant in operation.

 

[Advil]

An empty Coleman tank and one of those cheap refill adapters. Presto. Lifetime propane supply for your torch.

I have no problem heating small parts glowing red for silver soldering or Cherry Red case hardening with a TS8000 torch on a refilled Coleman tank.

EDIT - brazing? You're probably going to need oxy-acetylene for anything of any size.

 

[GrifterGuru]

EDIT - brazing? You're probably going to need oxy-acetylene for anything of any size.

Not necessarily, I have done a lot of brazing with an OxyTurbo kit which uses Oxy & a fuel gas (Usually Map-X gas) with not a drop of acetylene in sight.

 

[WobblyHand]

I have a couple of B acetylene tanks and a Prestolite torch. Great for plumbing and brazing small stuff. Bigger things I use oxy-acetylene. With oxy you have to watch your heat or you'll melt the base part!

Remember the plumber coming in and watching him working and noticing how fast he could sweat pipes. He had a B tank of acetylene. I immediately switched over from propane and haven't looked back. Soldering with acetylene is so much faster. Sweating pipes is pretty easy. Dry the pipe, clean the fittings, flux it and heat the coupling - solder just wicks in with a nice ring all the way around. It gets more fun when water has been there, but there's work arounds.

Major downside for acetylene is cost and you do have know to limit the flow rate from your tank. In practice that means no huge rosebuds on tiny tanks. Drawing too much flow from a tank can cause the acetone to be drawn from the tank which ruins the regulator and the acetylene can become unstable. Both can be hazardous. Like all the "toys" we deal with, we need to know how to handle them safely. Same with acetylene. Last fun fact, acetylene has a very large explosive range when mixed with air. This makes leaks quite hazardous. I believe the explosive limit range exceeds that of natural gas.

 

[woodchucker]

I use both. mostly propane, but when I need a little extra the mapp.
Yesterday I fixed a friends aluminum chair. It need the mapp, it was a big heat sink.
Used Hobart AL low heat brazing sticks.
Problem with this one was heat, I couldn't get it to stay proud on top, it kept undercutting, due to running out the bottom. Declared it good enough.