Buying oxy acetylene torch kit

[X83]

I'd find your tanks local on Craigslist and go with a new Harris steelworker welding & cutting outfit.

[Brian Ski]

So I called the Praxair close by and got the prices on leasing the tanks. It was $125 for 5 years per tank, which is only like $2 per tank a month.

Wow that is pretty high... I think there was someone posted a couple weeks ago they rented tanks for something like $75? for lifetime. Also when you rent or buy check out what it cost to fill the tanks. The price is all over. If you rent you may get a better price. Make sure you are comparing the price per cubic foot of gas. Price per cf is a lot higher on small tanks.

[Rodsmachineshop]

shoot you can buy a new B (40CF) ACETYLENE WELDING GAS CYLINDER TANK BOTTLE for only 97 dollars , how big a tanks are you renting for that price http://www.ebay.com/itm/B-40CF-ACETY...item20b6cdccd0 or http://stores.ebay.com/Welding-Suppl...34Q2ec0Q2em322

[bobwills]

Yeah it is a lot. And that is the price for any size. For oxygen it costs like $20-30 and $30 is like the big sive like 200cf. Acetylene cost bout 80 for a 130cf tank. Also its the same price weather you lease or own you own. Im planning on going as big as i can on tank size.

[DaveO]

you can buy a new B (40CF) ACETYLENE WELDING GAS CYLINDER TANK BOTTLE for only 97 dollars , how big a tanks are you renting for that price

True, but it also depends on what you want to do with it. B tanks are great for plumbers who mainly join copper tubes. I forget the exact numbers, but cutting with acetylene requires more "draw" than a B tank can provide. The acetylene doesn't have enough time to phase convert from liquid state (as stored in the bottle) to gas state.

[SeanMurphy265]

I owned this Gaspony / victor set. I picked up a second set set of bottles cheap. It's good for quick cutting, and to carry around to jobs. I bought a Harbor Freight Victor copy and an 80cf / 75cf set of tanks last August. The HF set of torches is just as good as the Victor set, but they are both small sets. I'm sure I could tell a difference with the large heavy duty sets. The Northern Tool sets seem to be nice sets as well.

[everlastsupport]

The HF stuff is not bad far as copies to be honest. I have used them and looked them over, own victor myself.. But they are fine.

I would not trust the rubber hoses though for too long. Just me maybe, but something about them make be nervous like they will not last long.

The gas reg (clarke knock off) is nice too (for MIG and TIG; CF scale).

On the O/A tanks. If you do go MC small tanks, go to a local AC warehouse and get the tanks swapped for 10-15 each, but they go fast for sure since they are so small. I was paying Prax twice that. Johnstone Supply is 1/2 the price, google them and see if they are near you but they will only do the AC/plumber small tanks. I have a rare need for O/A (heating things up) so I keep a small set only around now.

[bobwills]

Im not looking for small tanks. I need something that can actually cut. So under 80cf isnt in my interest. Was gonna go to a farm auction this weekend see what they have but was told about someone selling a whole set for $75. They said it aint the small plumber set. Might not be the 130 cf of acetylene and 230 or whatever of oxygen because its like $8 more to fill the big bottles. But if its $75 cant pass it up. Even if its not that big it may get me by. I was told it was pretty new only used a few times, said the person selling it has too much money and dont know what the stuff is even worth so im thinking ill go check it out this saturday im hopping.

[hooda]

I bought a Smith medium duty torch set about 10 years ago new, because I liked the shiny chrome finish on my Dad's new Heavy Duty Smith set. Shortly after, his torch handle exploded in his (luckily gloved) hand. I kept and used the set for about 8 years, but never trusted it. I sold the set for $175.00 (kept my tanks). I ended up restoring the Purox set that my dad had bought his Smith set to replace. (he kept the Smiths, and bought a new torch handle after the blowout, stubborn). Cool thing about the Purox set is that I can still remember being about 10 years old, and going to the LWS with him to buy it new, and I learned how to cut and braze with the set. So after 36 years, all it took was a new set of hoses, and a good used acetylene knob/valve. They still work like new after 36 years, and the brand new ones look almost identical. I can recommend Purox(now owned by Esab, but made in USA), but if I ran across a set of Victor or Harris for a good price, I'd jump on them.

[Jules The Great]

I would buy this in a heartbeat and may just do so as I have been watching it for a while and have never seen it on sale that low. Nevermind on the price there seems to be a glitch, if you do a search for it, it shows the price as being $159 but once you open it up it says $199 which is what the price is normally. I will still probably buy this set one day when I am in dire need of a nice outfit. You may be able to call them up and claim it is advertised at that price and convince them to let you have it for that.

http://www.harborfreight.com/industr...fit-92496.html

I would buy it for the same reasons I bought my Everlast welders because it is a lower cost alternative to the name brands of which a new equivilant would be $500? LWS told me $700 for a good sized Harris set which is what I would buy if I were rich.

The other thing about having a nice new set is the seats for adjusting the gas flow will be brand new. No PO has tightened them too tight and ruined them. If you buy a used harris set, just replacing the worn seats and other parts to bring it back to new will cost you around $200. I only know because I looking into parts to rebuild my dads set.

Jules

[Brian Ski]

I would buy it for the same reasons I bought my Everlast welders because it is a lower cost alternative to the name brands of which a new equivilant would be $500? LWS told me $700 for a good sized Harris set which is what I would buy if I were rich.

The other thing about having a nice new set is the seats for adjusting the gas flow will be brand new. No PO has tightened them too tight and ruined them. If you buy a used harris set, just replacing the worn seats and other parts to bring it back to new will cost you around $200. I only know because I looking into parts to rebuild my dads set.

Jules

One problem I ran into... I bought a regulator from Harbor years ago... It died... Seat went bad... I tried to buy another one. I track it down to the manufacturer in Italy. Yes they had the part but it was going to cost under $10 but the shipping cost a lot more than a new regulator. I went back to Harbor and bought another regulator... Getting over 10 years out of the first was still a lot cheaper than buying a brand name.