oxy acet kits

I started out with an old Victor set that they quit making parts for. Moved on to Oxweld set, $135+/-. The bottles were leased for $20/yr. each. The prices you mentioned seem pretty high. My current setup is with leased bottles, $35/yr. maintenance fee and I just pay for the gas. Harris is an old company that makes all kinds of brazing and welding products. I see their ad on the right side of my screen. Bugs

example ?

Ouch! Usually those kits are more like $150, the mailorder outfits will have them at those prices. The kits usually include 3 or 4 welding tips, 1 cutting tip(either too small or too large, depending), cutting attachment, handle, hoses and single-stage regulators. The hoses are usually too short, too. For general work, single-stage regulators will work and will probably do for what you want. If you do a lot of heavy cutting, you'll want to go to two-stage regulators, maybe with a higher flow rate.

"Victor-compatible" sounds like a rebadged Chinese import to me, HF sells these cheap.

I've used both Harris and Victor equipment, the Harris handle my dad had is pretty heavy, the mid-sized Victor I've got is more comfortable in my hands for long usage. Both are decent quality units that should stand up to hard use, I wouldn't say one was superior to the other. The main difference is in availability of parts and accessories like tips, that's dependent on your local dealers. If you buy a kit, you're going to definitely want to get more cutting tips and maybe larger or smaller welding tips, depending on what you decide to tackle. Around here, Victor seems to have better parts availability. YMMV

Bottle exchanges rates around here have been running in the $15-20 range. You need to look at the fine print to see if you're actually buying a bottle, leasing for a fixed term(like 5 years), or what. The initial cost for the cylinders seems a little high.

Stan

The bottles should cost about $200 or a bit more which means that you're paying more than that for the torch and regulators. Considering that a good Victor set won't run that much, that is a bit overpriced.

-- Why isn't there an Ozone Hole at the NORTH Pole?

In the Twin Cities area, most dealers have a fall sale that ends 31 December. Some dealers also have a spring sale that probably starts about April. Sometimes you can get the most recent sale price if you ask for it and are spending a few bux -- as you are with torch set, bottles and gas. When I got my MIG I asked if I'd have to wait for the next sale, or could I take one home that day. The guy dug out the most recent sale brochure, said he was pretty sure he could do that but he'd have to clear it with the boss who'd left for the day.

I picked it up the next day. I think the discount was about 10%.

Victor and Harris both make good stuff. Sometimes it is easier to find Victor tips than Harris. But if you buy the "Victor compatible" Harris stuff, that is not a problem. Mostly comes down to what feels good in your hand and what is the best deal.

As you can see, refilling small bottles costs almost as much as larger ones. That is because most of the cost is in the labor, which the pretty much the same either way.

Victor and Harris both make different grades of regulators. Equivalent grades seem pretty much the same to me.

Harris does offer some things that Victor doesn't, like injector type mixers. They make it simpler to use alternative gases, like propylene, for cutting.

The prices you quoted for either the Harris kit or the Victor kit are more than I would be happy paying. Check around on the internet and eBay to see what they go for.

If you like Victor and are put off by the price, check out the Firepower line, manufactured by Victor in the U.S.A. But stay away from Harris and Victor knockoffs from offshore.

Local welding supply has Victor kits for $150, tank exchange $20.

Look in your newspaper. Also, check farm auctions.

i have to admit there seems to be a range of price on the Journeyman setups and i'm not sure why...I see them on ebay NIB for $300 or so, and in the welding store for $420-$630 list depending on the kit.

not sure but i think a Harris "victor compatible" is a lot different from those $70 ebay "victor compatible" specials, or the kind of stuff you would find at harbor or northern tools.

well my friend at work has an O/A he is going to let me use so that will get me past this hump and i will just keep looking around for deals or sales...the 40/35 cu ft. Harris would be nice setup for me I think!

Thanks, John