Oxy Acetylene Equipment

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I am interested in getting together an oxy-acetylene setup.  I took a basic welding class - stick and mig - with a little oxy in there to try our for brazing.  I actually enjoyed the brazing a lot and would like to get together a gas welding setup.Sooo, the question is - My local shop carries ESAB Purox, but the Smith packages seem to be a good price and really good quality... an how about Victor?I'm a safety freak, and I would like to buy quality tools - stuff that's going to last for a long time... always seems like the best investment.Anyhow - what is the best company to buy?Thanks!
Reply:I personally prefer Victor,Smith is a good one. Both are usually easy to get tips,etc for. Never used Esab,so can't comment on it.                    MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:Smith is made in America with a lifetime warranty, and Victor is now made in Mexico with a 3 year warranty.Smith seems to be a good buy right now.Bill
Reply:Originally Posted by WHughesSmith is made in America with a lifetime warranty, and Victor is now made in Mexico with a 3 year warranty.Smith seems to be a good buy right now.Bill
Reply:Originally Posted by WHughes Victor is now made in Mexico Bill
Reply:Half the car is made in Mexico and soon to be China.
Reply:The little stickers that say "Made In America" are made in Mexico...If you don't have the time to do it right, then you definitely don't have the time to do it over.
Reply:Not that made in Mexico is a bad thing. I have a victor but the smith setup is very nice. Plus the lifetime warranty.Bill
Reply:The American flag bandana I bought was made in... Malaysia...
Reply:Well if you buy anything that's made in Texas it might as well be Mexico since they're flooding across the borders at the rate of 100,000 per month.
Reply:The factory in Mexico actually does pretty good work. Not quite up to China standards yet though !The company that just bought us has some factories in Romania - I saw a chart of labor costs, and Romania makes Mexico and China look very expensive. - John
Reply:Smith absolutely blows Victor out of the water in terms of quality and customer support.
Reply:i have an esab and personally i hate it says its a super precise outfit but what it means is its very hard to properly adjust im buying a victor in a month i just pray i dont have to use the esab agin.just my 0.02$
Reply:I bought a Harris and it works great, the only complaint is where I live victor is king so most of the tips I had to buy online. Cylinders. I bought small cylinders of oxy and acet. thinking I could trade them in towards larger ones. I just found out the other day that no one want's to trade them up. The tanks are from Praxair, so I'll have to call them to see if they will do it or not, but certainly my local gas/welding supply arent willing to even bother with anything less than an S tank. By the way where I screwed up was with the B acetylene tank (It's too small), the Q oxygen so far has been fine, but I mostly weld with it.