Propane or Acetylene Torch

[Whiskeymike]

Looking to get a torch for cutting and heating. Welding is interesting, but I just got a Hobart Mig setup recently, so I don't expect to weld with this and could switch over if I got to that point. I've read quite a few threads suggesting to go with Oxy/Propane instead of Oxy/Ace because of the Kentucky plant explosion, but that was years ago.

My shop is primarily home DIY and fabbing stuff for Jeeps. Which should I get?

 

[Tronyadorable]

Acet. If you want clean brazing, silver soldering and rosebudding to bend and straighten things, Acet.
Propane cuts as well once you get the hang of it but the ability to weld is a deal breaker for me. I do a lot of detail brazing and the fine tuning of the flame with acet. is fantastic.

 

[C96]

Acetylene

 

[dr_clyde]

I use acetylene. The cost savings is really only realized if you run a large scrapping operation or are just running rosebuds all day. The versatility of acetylene far outweighs the extra cost, IMHO.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Acetylene torch setup is a lot more expensive, but having a light, small torch on the end of a hose is SOOOOOO much easier to deal with than a cheapo propane torch, that does not have as much heat, on a bottle.

 

[RustnGrease]

My experience is mostly limited to propane and propylene(mapp) gas. Since your only cutting and heating either of these should work fine for your application. I would recommend propane since it's much more readily available and the cheapest option. We run Propylene at work and i have propane that i use at home. I don't do much if any brazing, but it has worked for me in the past.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Acetylene torch setup is a lot more expensive, but having a light, small torch on the end of a hose is SOOOOOO much easier to deal with than a cheapo propane torch, that does not have as much heat, on a bottle.

I think he is talking about running propane tips and gauges on a "real" torch, not a cheap plumber setup....

I run acetylene for the heat but I also do not use a ton of it. For a DIY, go acetylene.

 

[bob15]

I prefer acetylene. No reason other than that is all i have really ever used and owned.

LPG isn't bad, but using it would be a learning curve if you have always used acetylene. If I were in your shoes, I would to your local welding shop and see what they recommend and what they carry for bottles and tips (LP-wise), as it might not be a bad idea to start with LP from the beginning.

 

[Mike007]

Propane may be more ideal for large heating jobs with a big rosebud. It has no limitations in the speed you pull fuel out of the bottle.

 

[Herod]

Acetylene. If there are any benefits to be had from propane, they're so small I've never heard anyone say.........HEY.....have you tried PROPANE YET??!!!

 

[just a noob]

Propane if you want to run big rosebuds all the time, otherwise acetylene is going to be the better option

 

[zkling]

I switched to propane a few years back and am very happy I did so. The cost and worry of acet was getting to be too much. All I use it for is heating, brazing and heavy cutting. Lots of large scale operations have been switcing over to propane for fuel gas. Acet is going by the way side IMHO. Small inverter tigs have really bit into their market. Only the bike and airframe guys will probably hold out.

 

[dr_clyde]

I can't remember the last time I gas welded something. I do use my TIG for that. And I have a fairly substantial plasma cutter for the day to day rough cuts.

To me, the ability to flame straighten smaller weldments with the torch pays for the acetylene alone. The pinpoint heat, and FAST makes it totally worth it.

I do love the ability to braze and silver solder small things with an air acetylene rig. Add oxygen for the big stuff.

I want to say my last acetylene exchange was less than $50, so I'm keeping it. A cylinder will last me a year or so.

If I was cutting scrap all day, or preheating big castings, absolutely a propane rig would be worth it. It all comes down to how you intend to use your torch.

 

[AndyA]

Both!

You probably already have a BBQ bottle sitting around. Buy the extra regulator, the tips, and make sure you have the hose rated for both.

You "can" run the same regulator if you check that the seals are ok with propane. Some safety nazi is sure to argue about this.

 

[RustnGrease]

Both!

You probably already have a BBQ bottle sitting around. Buy the extra regulator, the tips, and make sure you have the hose rated for both.

You "can" run the same regulator if you check that the seals are ok with propane. Some safety nazi is sure to argue about this.

I've done exactly this when we ran out of propylene. Works just as good for what i've used it for.

 

[Boilerhouse]

My last exchange on an acetylene B tank was about $100.00 In our area, the price has gone up significantly the last few years. Ironically it was the supplier who recommended I switch to propane, saying that they had done so for their own shop. They tell me the only thing I need are different tips and a BBQ bottle. Still under consideration.

 

[TexasT]

We sell a lot of acetylene and propylene. Propane imo is for forklifts and grilling. It just doesn't get you the heat you want.

I like acetylene but if you just heat things propylene does a good job. For cutting and welding, acetylene is king of the gases, and it heats too.

 

[sberry]

An LP bottle is so much cheaper going in and a 20# goes a long way,,,,,,,,,, and,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, you do have to worry about the withdraw rate. In the winter this means about a number 2 cutting tip unless you go to larger bottle. We are back to acetylene now but back in the day before plasma we cut a lot on LP and my bud in auto repair made it 30 yrs on 20# lp and using a 80 cf O2

 

[bobcatdan]

With the exception of my department shop which still has glorious acetylene, the intire foundry is propylene. I still hate propylene even after I got the hang of how to light the **** sucker. Propane is for the grill, not the torch.

 

[justme-]

I learned Acetylene torches as a kid from my ol man (he still has his aircraft torch setup) but we rarely used it because of the o2 consumption and the smaller size of the tanks.
I again learned acetylene in high school shop class (essentially a refresher for me) by a teacher (accomplished fabricator) who liked to shut them down by popping them to avoid cleaning the tips.

I've had few real needs for such heat and the one time I did I bought the little bernzomatic propane/o2 portable torch setup and ran mapp (then, now new mapp) with it and accomplished everything I needed. I brought that rig into work in my first few months and used it several times - major drawback is the o2 consumption, but it gets nuts cherry and let me secure a replacement bucket tooth.
We have a couple acetylene/o2 rigs in the shop - belonging to one mechanic or a former who has not collected it yet. The company has a setup that is running propane/o2 because, well, that's what they set it up as when it was bought (the then head mechanics preference) as well as the fact we sell propane so a 30 second walk and the tank's full again.
Propane is only a couple hundred degrees cooler (300-500) depending on the source, and with a large welding tip will put out more than enough heat (more btu's per unit in propane than acetylene). Unless you want to weld there's little to fault propane... and welding isn't an issue from the temp, but as I understand from the chemical makeup of the gas leading to a poor weld.
Our setup is in disrepair because who knows how many hands without any real idea how to use it have handled it, not only in trying to use it but in moving things around in the shop. That's a major problem with rental companies - high turnover or inexperienced mechanics. There is only 1 person at work I would trust with Acetylene (who also happens to be a blacksmith and is very experienced with it) and only he and I run the propane 02, the other guys only get a mapp torch. If that's not hot enough they need to find one of us.
Can't risk over draw on the acetylene or improper reg settings especially after seeing a couple of them trying to cut plate steel with the propane/o2 running 20psi.

 

[skruft]

Acetylene - but I did many simple things with an old Mapp torch and the old Mapp lasted a long time, much longer than propane.

 

[sberry]

Propane is easy and cheap. A bottle is cheap and easy to fill. With sales and used parts the hardest part is an O2 bottle. could rummage some equipment and get a set together. Been in the welding biz 35 yrs and still use it occasionally.

 

[AndyA]

I've tried welding steel with propane/oxygen. When using acetylene, you adjust the gas mixture by watching the "feather". Propane doesn't have this feather. So you don't have any idea if the mixture is rich or lean. If it's lean, then you'll oxidize the steel and have a weak weld. If it's rich, you can add carbon to the steel and make the weld brittle. So it's not that you can't weld with propane, you'll just need a multi-thousand dollar gas analyzer to set the mixture properly.

As many have said before, propane is great for big rosebuds. You can draw all the propane you want, and all you'll do is freeze up the tank.