Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Oxygen Acetylene Rig Worth Keeping?

I don’t have a torch or tanks and I’am constantly amazed how many times I have to go borrow my buddy’s set.

Keep it. Only thing I'll inherit from the old man is the honor and privilege of having to pay for his funeral arrangements. You got a useful item.

Before you go playing around with it, learn about flashback and how to operate the torch and safe operation of a gas rig in general. Be sure to keep the valves protected. I'd keep it so long as I could affordably refill the bottles. Some places only exchange bottles.

Keep. No question.

One of the most useful items on the planet.

Watch a youtube video or two. Cutting is pretty simple.

Was he a school teacher by chance?

Forced to own only one welding tool it would be an oxy-acetylene unit... a basic and most versatile tool.

I would keep it, when my uncle passed his went to my one brother, then when he died it and my uncles arc welder went to me, very handy to have, may not use much but nice when needed, i did put flashback protectors on my set though.

Yep keep it.You might get sticker shock when you fill the Acetylene tank. Last one I did it was $135. Well worth to have around.In-dispensable to me
You might pick up one of those 110V little wire feed welders from Harbor Freight. ($100.) Without the cover gas , you get some splatter,but sure is handy along with the torch

Keep it, I couldn’t live without mine!

Put a set of flash arrestors on the regulators at the hose connection, learn how to use it, and keep it.

https://www.airgas.com/Gas-Equipment/Welding-Gas-Equipment/Check-Valves-&-Flash-Arrestors/category/174?q=:topRated

dess pm me if you need more help or info been making a living with one for the last 40 years

They come in handy when needed.

I have some old Victor stuff and some firepower stuff.

The firepower was is cheaper but they work just as well.

I also have an older MECO torch that i use for propane,it still gets the job done.

Have looked at the backfire valves but have not bought any yet.

And there is a cheap and easy answer to that.

Buy propane tips for the torch and hook the regulator up to a barbecue bottle. Propane is dirt cheap and a barbecue tank will last forever on a cutting torch.

I ran a propane torch for many years cutting and fitting pipe from 1.5 inch to 24 inch. The ONLY time I needed to round up an Acetylene rig (higher flame temp) was cutting through half inch scale on or in the pipe, lots of rust, or punching holes through 1/4" wall or 3/8" wall pipe full of water.

Look into hoses and regulators for propane, they can be different

In case no one else has said so, ....keep it

Nope, Victor sells different tips to go on the same torch. The rest of the rig is interchangeable. If the salesman tells you that your acetylene regulator or hoses will not work on propane......he is simply trying to screw you out of the price of new regulator and hoses.

Propane gives you one additional benefit. You do not have to worry about propane detonating if the regulator gets set too high. That red mark on the acetylene gauge is there for a reason.

Depends on the hose.
One grade is acetylene only.
The other is all gasses. Including propane and acetylene, along with others.

If it was your dad's..
He probably had it for some time. Long enough where the firepower stuff could be much better than current homeowner type stuff.
The quality of old tools is not to be under estimated.

Keep it, when you go to refill the tanks, trade them for full ones! The gas company will recertify the tanks and fill them . They will go to the next customer! Buy, flashbacks and install them between the regulator and the hose!