bought a torch & regulators from a coworker a couple of years ago for $50,they looked to be in good shape & quality.finally decided to rent the tanks & try it out.imagine my surprise when i tried to connect the oxygen regulator to the tank only to find they both had external threads ! i brought the whole setup back to the local welding supply house to let them check it out.seems a nitrogen fitting had been installed on the regulator,but this was indeed an oxygen regulator.they changed out the fitting to the correct one,tested both regulators & torch (which needed a couple of o-rings) while i waited ! i can't say enough about dealing with the local small business.purchased new hoses,a new torch tip & a couple of quick disconnect/check valves to show my appreciation.tried it out yesterday afternoon,works perfect.guess that's why i got it at such a good price [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] revg62
I have considered a gas outfit for cutting and heating. I've seen used torches/regulators at yard sales and flea markets, but I've always been afraid to risk playing with them. Any possibility the used equipment could be so bad it would blow up in my hand? Or is it more likely to just not work? Any tips on what I should be looking for in used equipment?
steve,i suppose it's like everything else,you pays your money & takes your chances. i made sure i found a quality name brand that parts are available for & had it checked out before i ever tried to use it.i'd stay away from off brands your unsure of.i was surprised how well the shop checked it out,they actually let me watch.one thing you may want to check into is the price of renting tanks.the place i deal with lets you pay monthly or by the year.i chose yearly about $100,then you pay about $30 to fill both tanks.i probably won't use it that often,but like the rest of the shed full of tools i have,it's there when i need it. revg62
Buying used oxy-acetylene torches isn't too risky. The big problem is getting something so obsolete that you cannot rebuild the regulators or maybe get a replacement torch tip. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] I have put a zillion miles on various torches over the years, but my favorite is my Victor Journeyman set. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] That is one size below the big Victor. I use two backflash valves [img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img] where the hoses meet the mixer, and it gives me something to better hang onto when I am adjusting the torch. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I also use a 10-foot "whip" of smaller hose on the end of the std 25-foot twin hose. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] The ten-footer gives me more flexibility AND if I am cutting and screw up and burn the hose [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] I can drop the whip and couple directly onto my 25 footer and not have to end the job right at that point with a scowl [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img] on my face. On service trucks that is particularly important since you are always working "out of the shop". [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]
If staying with Victor equipment, what are the odds of getting something that obsolete? Just for the little bit of light cutting I'd be doing, I wonder if one of the small sets with the little tanks would be alright. Or is this one of those get it big because you'll use it more than you thought things?
Little torches and little regulators are fine for almost any non-commercial use. The only time you need high capacity is when you have a rosebud heating tip on there and you are trying to warm up a piece of steel the size of a Volkswagen. You will be able to rebuild just about any Victor torch. I have a pre-war cutting head in which I have replaced the internals a couple of times. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] The reality is that about 85% of the torches around are oversized. The equipment is too big, the tip is too big, and the operator wonders why his work always looks so "rough". I can easily cut 2" material with my Victor Journeyman, and it is considered to be a "small" version of what you see at work each day in industry. There is a lot of misinformation out there about torches because well, nobody really goes to skool for cuttin', they learn from their co worker and who taught him? [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
Thanks for the info. My use for torches right now is limited, but there's been a couple of times I wished I had the capacity. Do you thinks it's cheaper to buy useed a rebuild, or am I better off looking for new?
Victor has a "competitive" torch called a "GAS-PRO" that is hard to beat price-wise, especially for a Victor family tool. It is perfect for home-to-light industrial use in my not-so-humble opinion. There's always the possibility of nearly stealing a unit at a sale somewhere, but what I've found about auctions is that too many bidders want torches and they often sell for every penny of their market value at auction. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
OOPS!..... [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] .... [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] .....I meant to say: "SUPER RANGE" instead of JOURNEYMAN in that earlier post. The Journeyman is the big Victor, the Superb Range is the one I like to use, just one notch smaller than journeyguy. [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]
I've noticed that same phenomenon at auctions. Things often go for way more than they should. Then other things that should pull some money, nobody wants.
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