Koike Handy Plus Torch

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I was looking for any thoughts on the Koike torch. This seems to be a good machine.
Reply:They make gas cutting child's play. Machine cut finish every time. Very easy to change from bevels to circles and ultra reliable. I had a price recently for a Chinese copy at $406 USD a few gays ago. Not sure how much the Koike machine is here because the sole distributor takes the piss, so no point in asking.
Reply:Koike makes good torch, but repair parts are hard to get and very expensive.JimOAdoctorwww.regulatortorchrepair.com
Reply:Pros:The torch is very well built and reliable.The accessory guides are top-notch.During long "push" cuts the operator's hand  gets a warm up when passing close over the just-cut line.Cons:During long "push" cuts the operator's hand  gets a warm up when passing close over the just-cut line.The cutting valve and travel speed adjustments are both on one stem and thus difficult to adjust on the fly; especially with gloved hands.Drive wheel - The drive wheel is serrated for drive traction on the work-piece, and for friction drive from the power head. The wheel is sensitive to  pick-up of dirt or popping slag. Any foreign material picked-up by the drive wheel -such as flying slag that can stick- will stall the cut. Also the wheel is sensitive to being overheated by the flame during cuts that require high heat and/or slow speed.Circle cutter - If I recall correctly, the circle cutters have a "blind spot" and won't cut in a certain range. The power drive will not work with smaller circles.All in all a very good tool. Myself, I would prefer a more conventional cutting O2 valve, which could be feathered or locked.Good Luck