I just bought a bottle of acetylene today. $56 the last bottle was $28 about three months or so ago. New owners at the welding store where I have traded for the last 50 or so years. New owners doubled the price. Question if someone can answer from experience would a plasma cutter be more economical to run .
Plasma vs Acetylene
- Thread starter hurleyjd
- Start date
Redgully
Well-known member
Do you have to pay bottle hire? That's what killed it for us. Acetylene is much more versatile than plasma especially for heat bearings and the like.
M.Magis
Well-known member
Depends what you’re cutting and how often.
I own my bottles.Redgully said:
sim.-ang.king
Well-known member
Switch to propane, doesn't put out the volume like Ace, but it is cheap and works well for cutting and heating.
Plasma is quite a bit cheaper if you're just cutting steel. Just need air and electricity. You can also cut stainless, aluminum, pretty much anything that is conductive if you have a big enough machine.
Oxy/Ace is portable and more versatile for heating and brazing.
Oxy/Ace is portable and more versatile for heating and brazing.
Redgully
Well-known member
sim.-ang.king said:
Propane is good but still can't get that same heat acetylene gives you. Plus then you can't make acetylene bombs!
Redgully said:
You get the same boom with propane :lol:
I use propane to cut with. It gets the job done for sure and is cheaper and more convenient.
If you have a plasma cutter you'll still need a torch. Plasma doesn't like rusty metal either.
Nesikep
Well-known member
you need acetylene if you have to really heat large things... For cutting, Plasma is awesome (it's on my to-buy list)... I'm out of acetylene right now, and I"m using propane.. you need FAR bigger nozzles, and ideally you'd have propane specialized nozzles... I do oxy acetylene aluminum welding, and it doesn't work very well when I switch to propane, you need too much pressure behind it to get any heat, and the flame pushes your puddle around too much..
I just bought a nice TIG welder, I waited for 12 years to find the machine I wanted at the right price.. It's SO nice to be able to weld down to 5 amps :)
Before I buy a plasma, I gotta buy a milling machine though
I just bought a nice TIG welder, I waited for 12 years to find the machine I wanted at the right price.. It's SO nice to be able to weld down to 5 amps :)
Before I buy a plasma, I gotta buy a milling machine though
Another vote for Propane as I have used that for 20 years at least. You will have to get a different tip to use the propane. It seems to me propane is a little harder to light up and get going compared to Acetylene. Once going to me works just as good as I use a 20 lb. grill tank.
snoopdog
Well-known member
Where a plasma machine really shines , is on thin stuff, no warping. I'm always out of acetylene it seems.
What kind of regulator do you use on the propane tank looks like the threads are different.jltrent said:
Nesikep
Well-known member
Same regulator, there are two types of acetylene tanks, one is an internal thread, left hand, identical to propane, the other is an external thread, kinda an odd ball. you can change the connector on the regulator, it just unscrews.. Find one from an old propane BBQ, it's just 1/4" pipe thread
Thanks to you and Nesikep I looked at the propane bottle today and found female threads on the inside and male threads on the outside so I should be good to go.jltrent said:
ClodHopper37869
Well-known member
I got both, I don't even remember the last time I used the acetylene for cutting, I keep a rosebud on it.
Another vote for propane. Years ago while I was still employed in the fabrication business we switched our whole shop to natural gas since it was already piped to the shop. This eliminated 30 or so bottles and the rent that they came with not to mention the amount of time switching out empties.
The employees pitched a fit but after a week or so, everyone was used to it and I never heard another gripe. We used it for every gas cutting operation except when we had to camber large beams and we used MAPP gas on those.
The employees pitched a fit but after a week or so, everyone was used to it and I never heard another gripe. We used it for every gas cutting operation except when we had to camber large beams and we used MAPP gas on those.
Hardin Farms
Well-known member
Plasma Cutter Pros: Quick, Efficient, lower heat input, works on anything that conducts electricity
cons: expensive initial investment, consumables fairly expensive, must have compressed air and electricity, lose the ability to heat parts
Oxy/Fuel pros: portable, simple, can heat parts, bolts, bearing etc.., braze/solder, works on thicker metals
Cons: Good amount of heat input, tanks require refill regularly, dealing with hazardous gas.
Acetylene vs Propane... Propane burns colder, but less hazardous to deal with. Propane works for most "hobby" activities, but isn't as useful if cutting thicker sections of metal regularly.
Look in to MAPP gas. It will be stored in a hollow cylinder similar to propane. Cost a little more than propane, but has the usability of acetylene.
cons: expensive initial investment, consumables fairly expensive, must have compressed air and electricity, lose the ability to heat parts
Oxy/Fuel pros: portable, simple, can heat parts, bolts, bearing etc.., braze/solder, works on thicker metals
Cons: Good amount of heat input, tanks require refill regularly, dealing with hazardous gas.
Acetylene vs Propane... Propane burns colder, but less hazardous to deal with. Propane works for most "hobby" activities, but isn't as useful if cutting thicker sections of metal regularly.
Look in to MAPP gas. It will be stored in a hollow cylinder similar to propane. Cost a little more than propane, but has the usability of acetylene.
thanks for this thread, all. learning a few things. always wanted to learn welding. Father-in-law welded for IH long ago, husband pretty much sucks at it and I never learned. got a niece we raised taking classes at the local college, finally somebody in the family to fix my stock trailer. LOL
any tips for the kid I can pass along in terms of things to try to learn or places to try to get hired at? she should be getting a first certification (no idea what for, sorry) this semester. she had some samples of really thick curved steel like gas pipe she brought to show off the other day but unfortunately I just don't know enough to even know what I was looking at.
any tips for the kid I can pass along in terms of things to try to learn or places to try to get hired at? she should be getting a first certification (no idea what for, sorry) this semester. she had some samples of really thick curved steel like gas pipe she brought to show off the other day but unfortunately I just don't know enough to even know what I was looking at.
Hippie Rancher said:
Most of the money in welding is traveling and doing pipeline or refinery work.
A lot of my classmates went to welding school. They make a years salary in a few months and screw around for the rest. The shifts and work are pretty brutal. Suits some I suppose.
