I've just started getting set up with a small TIG outfit and I need an argon flowmeter. I can get Victor, Harris and Smith in the local area, I'd just like some user opinions before spending money. The price range is pretty wide, about $60 for a single-stage on up to $250-300.
plastic flowmeters, other makes use glass. Supposedly, Smith has a special design so the ball doesn't stick. Any reason to go with one over the other?
Harris has a dual flowmeter that looks like it'd be handy for back-purging tubing and the like, that's something I'd be interested in. Somebody in an old post said you could retrofit most any flowmeter with a tee and an additional meter tube and valve segment. Has anyone done that with any of the makes above?
I guess the main question is do you get any extra performance as far as work quality for the extra dough at the high end or should I just get the cheapest model I can?
Delivery pressure is another thing, I've seen otherwise identical models with different preset delivery pressures, 35 psi and 80 psi seem to be popular, I've seen some with 50 psi. Any reason to go to higher or lower pressures, other than solenoid valve and torch pressure ratings?
Are there flowmeter tube protectors available? I envision something similar to a gauge glass protector like they used on portable steam engines, boilers and locomotives, a thick-wall metal tube with strategic slots milled in it so the ball level can be viewed, maybe with a mirrored back(LED lighting for dark spaces optional). Maybe it's an answer to a problem that doesn't exist, but that flowmeter tube looks a little fragile for an industrial environment.
Nothing like a few wide-open questions...
Stan