Considering an oxy/acetylene setup.

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Thinking about getting an oxy/acetylene torch  to be used for cutting, maybe play with it later on to try to weld with it.   I have a miller 211 mig i use for welding.    I use it mostly for repairs on small  equipment and fixing things here and there and building brackets etc.  Mostly a hobby, not commercially by any means.  Im looking at getting a setup for cutting thinker steel  and rusted bolts and brackets off.  Getting tired of grinding wheels and  sawzalls.  I've used my neighbors in a pinch with a real small "M" tank that didn't last too long, but i would like to get a setup of my own.  My question is how much would a decent setup run?   Whats the deal with the tanks as far as a decent size and the buy vs lease.    Avg cost to fill each tank?     Iv looked at the plasma cutters but i don't have an air compressor and i don't think they work well with rusted metal?  Thanks
Reply:You may not think this is much help, but it sounds to me like a trip to your local welding supply might be a good investment of time. Costs for tanks and filling them can vary alot depending on where ya live.  Good luck, man.  I inherited mine and sure enjoy them.(Retired) Professional firefighter, amateur everything else I try to do...Oh yeah:  Go Big Red!   (You know: one of the 12 members of the Big 10 cuz we left the 10 members of the Big 12...)
Reply:If you are comfortable with the valve sticking up in a kind of vunerable position I would suggsest the 40 cubic foot size acetylene bottle.  The 55 or most bigger ones have a more protected valve but were quite a bit more $ to buy.  I will guess they cost like $130 to buy full but last time I bought one it was a while ago and $79 or so.  I would say is costs about $35 to fill that bottle and you would get two and a half times as many cubic feet for the same money on a leased cylinder.  It is really variable not only from one place to the next but also from one customer to the next.  I guess there are some places that post prices but that seems to be the exception.  More along the lines of a plumbing first operation just getting into the gas business as opposed to a local welding shop.  It can end up in credit checks and deposits on new leases.  I don't even know about the oxygen, they kept raising it but last time there was someone else and I complained and they chaged less than half of  what they asked before I complained. I lease the biggest oxygen high pressure cylinder comonly available.What can get expensive is buying an assortment of new welding heads.  It isn't like the one or two in a set is a realistic set of tools.  There are a lot of different designs of cutting only or combination cutting/single flame/multi flame screw together stuff.  If the head is on a bit of an angle it is better (generally in my opinion) for cutting off bolts and nuts but worse for cutting pieces to dimention.
Reply:Gnarly,In a way, it's a good thing you don't have a compressor for a plasma as the O/A setup is more versatile.Ordinarily, I'd recommend buying used; but I think in this case you should buy new so you don't get screwed buying jacked-up guages and mixers or getting stuck with commercial tanks.  Make friends with your lws and have them set you up.Last edited by dubl_t; 03-05-2012 at 11:00 PM.Lincoln SA 200Esab Caddy 160Thermal Arc 201TSMiller Dialarc HFI don't like making plans for the day because then the word "premeditated" gets thrown around the courtroom....
Reply:Smith Toughcut with the CGA-510 fitting regulator, Google this:Smith MB54-510SP Medium Duty Toughcut™ Outfitso you can add LP cutting tips and run off a BBQ jug for cutting and brazing and heating with a rosebud. A small acetylene cylinder used with an adapter will allow gas welding.Get a tinted face shield such as a Jackson and throw the horrid goggles in the Smith kit away without even putting them on.
Reply:Thanks for all the replies.       Never heard of lp cutting torches. How do they work compared to the acetylene?    Im mostly going to be using this to heat metal  and cut metal.    Not really buying it to weld with.
Reply:Gnarly, do a search for oxy-propane cutting on this site.  You will get many hours of reading things many of us have contributed.  Suffice it to say that if you're not planning to weld with it, the best use of your money is to set yourself up with oxy-propane.  Basically all the same equipment except Grade T hoses and different cutting tips.Trust me, run the search.  There's reams of info here.