If you had a choice

[woodlandfarms]

So here it is, The wife has allowed me to pick up a new metal working toy. $400 to $500 max. I make implements for my tractor, would love to do more (art, home, fun stuff) but I am never, ever ever going to be as good as you guys. I don't have the time or a way to properly learn.

I have a lincoln AC DC tombstone. I have a Dewalt Chop and a few angles. My next project is a road grader / land plane.

I would love 3 tools, a wire feed welder (MIG) A Oxy or popane accet set, and a Plasma.

Right now I am leaning toward the Oxy. I have no way to cut metal rapidly or large sheets so either the Oxy or the Plasma would be great. The plasma won't help me bend metal, which I have some projects that would be nice to heat stuff up.

But, it would also be nice to do a better welding job than i do with the stick. And if I play my cards right, I might get lucky with Longevity deal and 40% off would get me a good rig.

So, If it where you, what way would you go. The Oxy will have to be used, and that will be my next question to the forum.

Carl

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Keep leaning that way. You cannot replace an O/A setup no matter how hard you try. If it is down to a few hundred dollars in your budget, make sure you get a cutting torch...You'll need the O/A when you hit your first stump or submerged object with the land plane to bend it back straight. Ask me how I know. The other thing you'll need is an icepack when your head hits the steering wheel when it comes to a dead stop, unless you are lucky enough to have made some crummy welds.

 

[Shield Arc]

I would get a torch before a plasma! Unless you plan on doing a lot of work with thin material, stainless steel or aluminum, do you really need a plasma?

 

[RoMad]

I would get the torch also. You already have a welding machine. I dont' think you make "better" welds with a wire feed, just faster. As for the plasma arc, they are nice for thin stuff and I would make that choice number two, for when you get the next okay to add to your equipment.
Also, if you are going to do art type work, you may want to learn to weld with brazing tips on your new torch.

 

[deereman75]

I wouldnt even want a plasma. After seeing how easy it is to make really nice cuts with the torch, and since I never do anything with alum or stainless, I have no need. (I have seen plasma cuts done at school 10x uglier then my torch cuts, one of those idiots actually melted the plasma torch)

 

[lostcause]

i've had oxy/acet for 20 years, but lately i've been toying with replacing it with plasma when my 5 year bottle contract runs out next year, if not sooner.

the two big name gas distributors around here are not offering multi-year contracts to individuals anymore - i guess there have been too many people skip town and never return bottles. one of them told me they are only offering longer contracts to businesses with 10+ bottles. single year contracts are about $45 a bottle if i remember correctly, so $90 a year. the last time i filled both bottles: 250cf oxy/118cf acet it was close to $100, and I heard the price went up recently. if you only went through 2 sets of bottles a year you'd still be in for $1450 for a 5 year period. there is an independent gas dealer about 3 miles from me and his bottle and gas prices are substantially less, but i would still be in for at least $1000 over a 5 year period.

i have wanted a hypertherm 45 plasma for a couple years now, but lately i've been thinking about the everlast supercut 50p. it's a little less machine at a 5/8" recommended maximum cut, but it's also 1/3 of the price of the hypertherm. with an entry price of $500 there's a lot of room for electricity and consumables before you get to the $1000-$1500 cost of torches over a 5 year period.

granted, a plasma isn't as versatile since it isn't as easily portable as o/a, and you can't heat with it. at the same time plasma will cut aluminum and stainless, which o/a won't. for me, i have had portable (20cf/mc o/a) bottles that i have owned forever, so when i go to plasma i will just pay to get them recertified and keep them as a backup for when plasma won't work.

 

[Jeepnford]

I have an oxy torch setup but I got it for an unheard of low price from a retired mechanic. Anyway, I would like a plasma someday but it will never replace the torch. Since 99.9% of my work is mild steel it does most of what I need. Every once in awhile I need to make a 'special" tool which I wouldn't be able to do with a plasma. I've also used it to heat and bend. The tank suppliers are easier to deal with too than what lostcause has to contend with.

 

[Groo]

you can't get a good MIG for $500.

I'd go for a torch setup, but if you buy a mid sized bottle, you can't get that either, or at least I couldn't


I'd love to eventually get a CNC plasma cutter some day, but that is many dollars down the road.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Go with the OA torch. You can get a new Victor rig complete with welding tips for around $300 at most major hardware stores like Lowes. Of course you still need the bottles but leasing them is less outlay in the beginning. So for your $500 budget, I would look at a new journeyman Victor torch set and lease the bottles in the beginning. Go to your LWS rather than places like TSC who only accept bottle from them and their prices (at least in my case) were higher than my welding supplier.
The one that I have is the smaller version of the Victor Journeyman torch that is about 3/4 of the size of the journeyman that will cut just as well as the big one. I cant recall the model number, but look around at your local welding supply. I dont think they are much difference in price but they are nice to use since they are much lighter.

 

[monckywrench]

The Smith Equipment MB55A-510 Toughcut is a good unit and US-made with a three-year warranty. They survive student abuse well (I used to run a welding school toolroom) and the regulators are capable of feeding much larger torches. Throw the included goggles in the trash without even putting them on and get a tinted face shield. MUCH more comfortable and better vision.

They go about 220 bucks online, and you can buy LP cutting tips for them if you want to cut startup costs to an oxygen cylinder. Many folks have several BBQ LP jugs handy.

I have plenty (thanks be to Ebay and scrounging) of Victor, Smith, and Purox/Oxweld/etc torches. All good gear.

Leases are evil because one tends to forget about them and payments add up. I used to lease, then I watched Craigslist hard and have more cylinders than I need for stupidly cheap. I buy cylinders, promptly exchange them, and often before they run out I find more cylinders which I buy and exchange. I can always sell them if I need to, so it's all win.