Eli the Bearded wrote:
I haven't tried looking in an actual welding supply store, but I
have been looking in larger hardware stores. I'm curious about
the usefulness of various lower end welding torches. I've had about
six hours experience using an oxy-acetylene torch, but I've
never owned one. My usage would be occasional art projects, nothing
regular. I am hesitant about renting cylinders since if they sit
there for a month without being used, I'll feel like I'm wasting
money.

At the really low end, of course, are the propane ones. Even the
oxygen-propane models I suspect are fairly limited and not going
be able to do much. I've heard they are okay for cutting, and
cheaper than oxy-acetylene for that, though.

snippage

DO NOT buy empty gas cylinders from a retailer without checking the
local gas suppliers' policies. You could get stuck, big time. Some
suppliers only rent tanks and don't fill anyone else's. Some suppliers
will take your new empty tank, put it in the pool and give you a full
used one. Some will fill your empty and return it, expect anywhere
from a couple of days to a week to get it back, though. If you're in
an area where rental or lease is the policy, you'd end up with a couple
of new tanks and no way to get them filled. You'd also hate to just
donate new tanks into a pool to get some rusty relic back. It all
depends on gas usage, for me the best way was to buy a set of bottles
out of the pool at one supplier, then just exchange when they become
empty. They take care of the hydro and marking as well as checking the
acetone on the acetylene.

You can also dicker with the guys at the weld supply, they'll sometimes
give you a break on list price for welding equipment, they're in a
razor and blade sort of business. You've got to get fills somewhere,
after all.

As far as tank size is concerned, unless you've got a Little Torch or
jeweler's torch, forget buying the dinky bottles. The cost of filling
is in handling the bottles and the insurance, the contents are fairly
cheap. It costs about as much to fill one of my 80 cu-ft. oxygen
bottles as it does to fill one of those dinky ones. I have a set of
small ones for the Little Torch, they're nice and portable, but only
last about 10 minutes with the Victor handpiece. With the Little
Torch, they last years, though. So my advice is to hit the gas
suppliers, see what their policies are and how big a set of tanks you
want to horse around.

For torches, you can probably pick up a Victor set without bottles for
just a little more than some of the import units. Again, check the
welding suppliers to see what makes they carry and have parts and
service. Eventually, you WILL need support, if for nothing more than
replacement tips. Most suppliers also carry tip charts for the makes
they sell, you will need those for setting up your regulators. Once
you know what's available in your area for service, look for those
makes at auctions and pawn shops. I was able to pick up the mid-size
Victor set for $60 at auction including regulators and hoses. Tanks
ran about $140, so it was $200 to start welding and cutting. Your
mileage will vary.

Stan