September 14th 10, 01:14 AM
On Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:10:03 -0700 (PDT), "
> wrote:
>Howdy,
>
>I did a bit of welding in highschool, and would like to refresh the
>skills. I figure I'll order a 4130 mixed bag, and get a little gas
>tote rig.
>
>I checked at air&gas, and they want 150$ for two tanks, 20cf, and 10cf
>oxygen and acetylene respectively, filled. I could get this plus a
>chinese guage and torch set off ebay for about 100 bucks. Add a pair
>of flashback supressors, a dolly, (doesn't come with a tote) and
>shipping and I'm looking at around $355 before buying safety gear.
>They exchange tanks, so I pay for new tanks and get... old ones. (Not
>stoked about that.) That would give me a "medium duty" rig (medium
>likely refering to both capability, and quality control) with 3 tips,
>rosebud, cutting torch hoses and guages.
>
>I'm a south paw, and after poking around on the net I found the meco
>midget, which I really like the look of. This torch is ambedexterous,
>and looks like it would be great for getting in small places. But she
>sho' ain't cheap, and with a gauge set and tanks she breaks the above
>price by at least an extra $100, and probably closer to $200, since
>your really can't buy regulators inexpensively by themselves. And
>frankly I do kinda want the cutting torch, even if I only call on it
>once in a blue moon, so I'd be looking at more than that. (Amazing how
>many uses you find for stuff, when you already have it)
>
>I've shopped around for complete tote rigs, and they vary in features
>and prices. The cheapest is HarborFreight at $275. I haven't heard
>anything about this rig, and would be interested in hearing any
>comments.
>
>I try and avoid buying anything from Home Despot if I can possibly
>help it. Fortunately in this case their stuff, (as is often the case)
>looks like it has been returned about a dozen times and there is parts
>missing. So if I was going with them, they'd have to order it, and I'm
>not waiting around for the staff to learn how to do their job. I
>looked at Lowes too. Better, but not good. In both cases their prices
>did not compare favorably.
>
>Tractor Supply has a Victor Cutskill tote rig for $300. It is light
>duty, has one welding tip and a cutting torch. They also fill tanks,
>and are closer to me than air&gas. (though air&gas fills tanks
>cheaper). This would be about $350 total after they filled the tanks.
>The down side is just one tip.
>
>Smith has a nice looking tote rig, it is more expensive at over $450
>off ebay. Their cutting torch has the oxygen valve canted instead of
>on the left side of the torch. As a south paw that means I don't have
>to reach across the torch for adjustments. However, for the price I
>should get more than one welding tip IMHO.
>
>At this point I'm leaning towards the Victor Cutskill from Tractor
>Supply. It is light duty, and by the look of it is probably pretty
>decent for tube welding. It is made by a company that is American.
>While this doesn't neccessarily mean that it is more safe than a
>generic rig, it does mean that there is a company within the domestic
>jurisdiction to sue in the event that it blows my shed to the moon. So
>there is more impetus for safety, which _hopefully_ means there is
>better QC. And frankly, Tractor Supply has good customer service,
>which I try to reward if I can.
>
>Any comments or recommendations? What rigs have you used for aircraft
>welding, and were they worth the price compared to the others? Anyone
>had safety issues with the cheap torch sets off Ebay?
>
>Thanks in advance!
Nobody ever got fired for buying Victor.
> wrote:
>Howdy,
>
>I did a bit of welding in highschool, and would like to refresh the
>skills. I figure I'll order a 4130 mixed bag, and get a little gas
>tote rig.
>
>I checked at air&gas, and they want 150$ for two tanks, 20cf, and 10cf
>oxygen and acetylene respectively, filled. I could get this plus a
>chinese guage and torch set off ebay for about 100 bucks. Add a pair
>of flashback supressors, a dolly, (doesn't come with a tote) and
>shipping and I'm looking at around $355 before buying safety gear.
>They exchange tanks, so I pay for new tanks and get... old ones. (Not
>stoked about that.) That would give me a "medium duty" rig (medium
>likely refering to both capability, and quality control) with 3 tips,
>rosebud, cutting torch hoses and guages.
>
>I'm a south paw, and after poking around on the net I found the meco
>midget, which I really like the look of. This torch is ambedexterous,
>and looks like it would be great for getting in small places. But she
>sho' ain't cheap, and with a gauge set and tanks she breaks the above
>price by at least an extra $100, and probably closer to $200, since
>your really can't buy regulators inexpensively by themselves. And
>frankly I do kinda want the cutting torch, even if I only call on it
>once in a blue moon, so I'd be looking at more than that. (Amazing how
>many uses you find for stuff, when you already have it)
>
>I've shopped around for complete tote rigs, and they vary in features
>and prices. The cheapest is HarborFreight at $275. I haven't heard
>anything about this rig, and would be interested in hearing any
>comments.
>
>I try and avoid buying anything from Home Despot if I can possibly
>help it. Fortunately in this case their stuff, (as is often the case)
>looks like it has been returned about a dozen times and there is parts
>missing. So if I was going with them, they'd have to order it, and I'm
>not waiting around for the staff to learn how to do their job. I
>looked at Lowes too. Better, but not good. In both cases their prices
>did not compare favorably.
>
>Tractor Supply has a Victor Cutskill tote rig for $300. It is light
>duty, has one welding tip and a cutting torch. They also fill tanks,
>and are closer to me than air&gas. (though air&gas fills tanks
>cheaper). This would be about $350 total after they filled the tanks.
>The down side is just one tip.
>
>Smith has a nice looking tote rig, it is more expensive at over $450
>off ebay. Their cutting torch has the oxygen valve canted instead of
>on the left side of the torch. As a south paw that means I don't have
>to reach across the torch for adjustments. However, for the price I
>should get more than one welding tip IMHO.
>
>At this point I'm leaning towards the Victor Cutskill from Tractor
>Supply. It is light duty, and by the look of it is probably pretty
>decent for tube welding. It is made by a company that is American.
>While this doesn't neccessarily mean that it is more safe than a
>generic rig, it does mean that there is a company within the domestic
>jurisdiction to sue in the event that it blows my shed to the moon. So
>there is more impetus for safety, which _hopefully_ means there is
>better QC. And frankly, Tractor Supply has good customer service,
>which I try to reward if I can.
>
>Any comments or recommendations? What rigs have you used for aircraft
>welding, and were they worth the price compared to the others? Anyone
>had safety issues with the cheap torch sets off Ebay?
>
>Thanks in advance!
Nobody ever got fired for buying Victor.