Smith or Victor...

admin

... for gas welding equipment? What's the general consensus on quality, replacement parts, etc... I'm looking to buy a set-up thru www.cyberweld.com and want to be sure I'm getting a decent set-up. TIA!!
Reply:You can't go wrong with a Victor. Granted, I have a Victor Knockoff, but parts are readily available if I need em.
Reply:i prefer victor..but smith are good.  ive seen more vic though in my timeIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Well, I prefer Smith.  I own one of their medium duty welding/cutting outfits and am very happy with it.  The price was right at $300 for a complete kit including regulators and hose.  They can be had for as little as $200 brand new on Ebay for $200.  Most Smith equipment has a lifetime, almost no questions asked warantee.  The medium duty regulators only have a 3 year.  The cutting torches leave a cut that rivals plasma in the thicker materials (1/4"+), under 1/8th of an inch is pretty rough even with the smallest tip.  The welding tips are thick with lots of copper to dissipate heat.  This means you are less likely to burn up a tip, especially if you are trying to weld into a corner or in a small hole.  No tools are required to change between welding and cutting and no tools are required to replace cutting tips.  All cutting tips have graphite seats so you don't have to crank down on them to get them to seal.  You can reposition a welding tip in the torch while the torch is still lit.  My only complaint is part availability.  I have heard it is better in the midwest and east coast, but there are very few shops around here that stock parts and most of what they have is just left-over.  Expect to pay $12-$15 for a cutting tip and $25-$32 for a welding tip.  I haven't had to replace a tip in more than a year since I bought the kit.If you're going to be working primarily with sheet metal, I suggest the light duty setup.  I have sucessfully filed large gaps in 22 guage steel with a MW201 tip in my medium duty torch (smallest available), but it was tricker than it had to be.  You have to turn the gas way way down which leads to popping.  You can get much smaller tips with the AW1A or AW10 light duty handles.Last edited by 76GMC1500; 04-03-2006 at 05:19 PM.