Harris or Smith propane/oxygen torch set

[Bill Barrett]

Victor and Harris is what I have seen around here. Never even heard of Smith until I started looking on the net. Smith does have a lifetime warranty on their torches. plus they are made in the good old USA. Found Smiths website and it has a lot of information about their torches.

Smith Equipment. Cutting and Welding Equipment: Cutting Torches, Welding Torches, Brazing Torches, Gas Pressure Regulators.

Smith is big around here. I have some 40 to 50 year old Victor stuff that was from the Navy, its work of art, Oxy regulator is heavy as my whole Smith set! Meybe the age and was Mil spec.

 

[AlanB]

They are all good, kind of like the welder debate, lincoln, miller, hobart.

That said, When I had to buy a set, I bought a Victor because in my area, there was the most variety of tips etc for it. Not like I have had to buy much else, but it is nice, if I have a tip problem, to be able to get replacement tips etc. easily.

 

[bjcsc]

I have the Smith HD-510A set and it works great. We have a hand-me-down Smith at our shop that is decades old (and gets lots of use). I've never used their propane setup...

 

[bota7800]

Thanks Bill and Sandman. That is what I thought but wanted an opinion. I guess I will buy the tanks. I probably won't weld with it much, though. Primarily cutting and preheating for stick.

I was on a welding forum discussing this topic and several posts seemed to like their Smith units and parts availability.


AlanB has a good point about tip availability. Both shops near me sell Victor but I haven't checked about Smith.

 

[mopacman]

check out the price to fill bottles. I find it is about the same amount for big bottles as it is for the smaller ones......Larry

 

[xlr82v2]

Victor, Harris, Smith all make good equipment, and you won't go wrong with any of them. I'm kind of partial to Smith, because I like their Mix-In-Tip design, I just think it's safer should you have a flashback occur. But they're all equally good.

The little portable mini-torch units are great if you need ultra-portability, but like the others said, you have to really be conservative with your oxygen, because that little bottle won't last very long. I definitely wouldn't recommend one for a shop torch, just too expensive to operate. Like somebody else said, it's almost as much to fill that little bottle as it is to fill a large one. You're paying for the service, not the gas.

 

[MJPetersen]

I guess I will buy the tanks. I probably won't weld with it much, though. Primarily cutting and preheating for stick.

At the beginning you mentioned cutting with the Oxy and Propane. If you are going to weld at all with it you will need to use Acetylene. Although I have not tried, I understand that you cannot weld with the propane. It has gotten me curious and I will have to research why now.

Mike

 

[bota7800]

At the beginning you mentioned cutting with the Oxy and Propane.

Mike

I did??? If I said propane it was a mistake. I am looking at O/A

Sorry if I confused anyone.

 

[dirt ditch]

I am getting a Oxygen/Propane torch set for cutting not welding. Already have a mig welder for most of the thin stuff. Its been 30 years since did any welding with a torch and that was to pass the brazing test in high school shop class. If I ever did need to weld with a torch then I can use my fathers Oxygen/Acetylene set.

 

[chickenman]

does anybody have any experience with the Petrogen gasoline/oxy setup?