chooseing a cutting outfit

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Hello to everyone.  I need help with picking a cutting outfit. The torch i will be getting is a Smith heavy duty cutting/welding outfit,  But I'm not sure what gas to run it on i have a chose of oxy/act or oxy/propane . I have lots of experience with oxy/act torch cutting and know how it works and can set it up safely. But i would be willing to try a new cutting method .I know with oxy/propane you would need grade t hoses and it takes a little longer to heat up and start cutting  and the tip has two pieces and i think you have it on a higher setting. Any help are ideas you have i open to them . thanks
Reply:Sounds like you've already figured out the basics - you need different tips and you really should use Grade T hoses for propane.  If you plan to weld with it, get acetylene.  Otherwise you're throwing money away in my opinion, and you should go with propane.  I have owned both, and switched to propane a year ago.  I would not switch back.  In relation to gases, I would also not consider any of the 'specialty' fuel gases like Propylene sold by the welding supplier.  I would either stick with the "real deal" acetylene with all of it's flame temperature and composition advantages, or I would go straight for inexpensive propane, which is available anywhere.  Anytime you can have several sellers with the same product competing on price, it's to your advantage.  And I don't mean welding suppliers - I have heard rumors of price fixing in my area on gases and cylinder rentals.  Another switch I made near the same time was to get rid of most of my combination torches and keep a straight torch (Smith SC229) hooked up on my rigs.  With propane's heat volume capability, there's no need for a rosebud for heating.  I now just use a heavy cutting tip for heating, and Smith does make the SC110 or 112 (one is for acetylene, one is for propane) heating tips for the straight torches also.  No more forward controls around my pivot hand, and one less joint for leaks to occur.  I do keep a couple MC509's on hand for jobs in tighter areas.If you have the option to buy used, I would consider it if I were you.  Especially on the torch - if you buy a leaking LIFETIME-marked Smith, just send it in to OADoctor on this board and it'll come back repaired.  Your only cost is the shipping.  Note that Smith has made and still makes plenty of non-lifetime-warrantied torches, so if it doesn't say "LIFETIME" on it, it's not.  Hope some of this helps.