gas welding question about gauges

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New Smith complete with torch,hoses etc. MB54A-510 for $175.00vs.Rebuilding my garage sale Victor gauges for around $ 150.00, which leaves me still needing torch, hoses goggles etc. http://enet.smithequipment.com/publi...2D510&Country=Little background, I'm new to gas welding and just getting my set up together. Mostly hobby stuffwelding patch panels on cars, some fab work not a full time welder.Love to have input on which direction to go.Thanks!Middle age newby
Reply:$150 to rebuild 2 regs sounds a bit high to me unless the regs need all new gauges. You might check with these guys and see what they want for the rebuilds. The only thing I'm not sure about is if shipping both ways won't eat up the savings.http://www.regulatortorchrepair.com/repairservices.phpIt is not uncommon however for less expensive regs to be more expensive to rebuild than replace. In some cases it can be cheaper to buy a "kit" than the individual parts simply because of the way they are marketed. Smith makes good torches. The only thing to think about as far as brand ( Smith vs say Victor etc.) is how well supported they are locally if you need new tips etc. Buy something the local supplier doesn't stock parts for and your only choice is to wait for the parts to get shipped in.Last edited by DSW; 03-02-2012 at 05:39 AM..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:X2 what DSW said....also you can ask your LWS....they run specials all the time doing trade-ins on old gauges and they often can do it to include full kits with torches etc included and then you will know that the parts and service aspect will be covered as far as a local distributor goes....
Reply:WHICH Victors are they? That matters.I'd buy the Smith kit at 175. They are excellent. (Throw the ghastly, horrible, awful, and bad included goggles in the trash and get a tinted face shield.)If the Victors are 450/460s, keep them if you might need larger regs in the future. If smaller, sell them or barter. Cores don't go for much.
Reply:If you don't have cylinders yet, I'd suggest just looking for a complete set on CL. Around here they pop up pretty often and will run about $300 (though less if you're patient) for a full set with 75cf acetylene and 80cf oxygen tanks. Sets with larger cylinders won't usually cost much more, though I've heard not to go larger than 150cf as you might have issues getting them filled. Buying just the 75/80 cylinders new from Airgas was something like $450, and I don't see too many used 75/80 cylinders that don't come with the regulators/torch...That being said, I have the Smith MC-510T setup, which came with the same regulators as that set, and I really like it.
Reply:Hey nonHog, just a dumb question, but if you don't have a torch yet, how do you know your regulators need to be rebuilt?  Just curious.That said, the Smith torch kit is a good price for what it is - a good medium-duty all-arounder.  If you're anticipating mainly welding light stuff on cars, you might also end up hunting around for a used Smith AW1 airline handle and the smaller tips that it uses - much lighter on the hands and forward controls make it more convenient for welding.  To my knowledge it isn't sold in kit form like the larger torches are.