The switch from acetylene to propylene

[jeepinerdeep]

Have you done it? Was it a good move?

I am looking at making the switch from acetylene to propylene for my torch setup. I really just learned about this week and it certainly grabbed my interest. Feel free to share if you had a good or bad experience with propylene as the heating gas. Just cutting and heating.......

Here's my top reasoning....

1) I am looking to downsize but not eliminate my torch rig. Lack of use, lease costs etc.
2)I am switching LWS in May, and can buy outright the correct sizes. Timing is good. I am looking to cut the number of leased cylinders for long term cost savings.
3)I cannot buy outright acetylene cylinders large enough to run my current outfit. No withdrawl rate issues with the propylene.
4)It looks like I may be forced to convert from Purox to modern Victor soon anyway, as ESAB discontinued production as well as set an end date for W300 support. Spare supplies are already slim. Always fun to get new stuff. Might as well be a complete outfit.

Did I miss anything??

 

[fourjeepin]

I duuno about propylene, but my torch is propane. It was my grandfathers. I don't know if he used propane because of the cost or the size of the cylinder. Or it could have been a farmer thing. Either way, it has worked fine for me.

 

[laser3kw]

make sure you get "T" rate hoses
If you are going to buy a new cutting / heating torch set tell them you want it specifically for propylene.

 

[Boilerhouse]

Based on your criteria, you may be better off switching to propane. If you run out on a Saturday, you can grab the bottle from the BBQ. I am still on the propane fence myself. Even my gas supplier advises me to do it!

 

[LXCam]

By your description just how much gas are you using up a month? Sounds like you're running a multi man 40hr+ week shop? If that's the case sit down with your supplier and have their sales guy line out all the pros and cons.

 

[lotsoftools]

The welding school I went to switched over to propylene when I was there. I never had any issues cutting with it. It seemed to work just fine for all of our heating and cutting. We used it for beveling 1" plate for testing, and one time even cut some 1.75".

 

[MagKarl]

No way I could justify limiting the capability of my torch rig. If you haven't tried gas welding, you're missing out.

 

[jeepinerdeep]

Based on your criteria, you may be better off switching to propane. If you run out on a Saturday, you can grab the bottle from the BBQ. I am still on the propane fence myself. Even my gas supplier advises me to do it!

That's where I got the idea too! I visited 4 new LWS to get quotes this week.

By your description just how much gas are you using up a month? Sounds like you're running a multi man 40hr+ week shop? If that's the case sit down with your supplier and have their sales guy line out all the pros and cons.

Quite the opposite! I rarely use it and want to downsize to smaller customer owned cylinders. Everything torch related I have was passed on to me from my pap who was a pipe/structural rig welder-I still want to cut and heat when needed just not on the large scale he did. If I go too small on the acetylene tank size I can no longer use a rosebud due to over draw. The 2 new LWS I have it narrowed down to showed me the propylene option.

No way I could justify limiting the capability of my torch rig. If you haven't tried gas welding, you're missing out.

I'll be OK ! Haha

 

[sberry]

Before plasma used LP a lot. I had both, 100 ft of hose on each. 100# last a long time. I am back to acetylene on a cart for convenience. I cant even remember the last time I torch welded, I think it was 15 years ago when I was showing a bud. Wire feed has really made it obsolete, not because its not good or cant be done but because its so much easier cheaper and faster. Really better too if quality matters.
I still have it on my pickup. Its so super rare I use it could take it off, used it twice in 15 yrs, I have a full size service truck which I usually take for that kind of work.

 

[Furd50]

Things must be different away from here. I have a 125 oxygen cylinder and a 60 acetylene that my daddy originally leased in 1952 for a period of 25 years. The cost was a dollar a year for each cylinder. When empty he/I simply took the cylinder to the welding supply and exchanged it for a filled one, paying only for the cost of the gas.

That lease should have been up in 1977 but I have continued exchanging the cylinders, paying only for the gas, up to the present. Not "owning" the cylinders means I am not responsible for hydro testing or replacing of leaking valves. Last time I swapped the oxygen (a year or two ago) I noticed the original date on the cylinder was from 1945 and the last hydro was maybe fifteen years earlier. The guy at the store said they didn't care, all they wanted was a returned cylinder. I'll add that it isn't even the same welding supply anymore.

One more thing, the cost of the oxygen in 1952 was $2.80 while the acetylene was $4.00