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I'm new here so I apologize if this has been discussed before. I'd like to hear your experiences with using propane in place of acetylene for cutting steel. Is there a cost savings? I do a bit of processing on truck frames and axles, just enough to get the stuff on my 18' skid loader trailer.
i have a small accetlyne bottle in my shed and if i need to fabricate something i will use it.i seem to get cleaner cuts with it.as far as cutting metal for scrap i used acetlyne a few times when i was very young and didnt know i could use propane.once i discovered i could use propane ive never looked back.i can cut anything i need to with propane.and nine times out of ten i get propane for free.i keep all the gas grill tanks i come across that feel part way full.i have a large propane bottle i take and get filled also but i save it back just in case i ever run out.it seems like i can get through 1 to 2 bottles of oxygen for every part ful gas grill tank of propane i use.i have a tip for you that may help with cost.around here i fill my oxygen at the junk yard for 50 percent less than i can at the gas company.they allow you to swap your empty cylinders for full ones when you come in at there cost.as long as i bring them scrap they dont mind.maybe your yard will do this it wouldnt hurt to ask
Propane - cheap fuel uses lots of oxygen
Accetylene - more expensive fuel uses less oxygen.
Pros and cons each way, I run acetylene. I bet piston will be chiming in on this too.
by the way i forgot to mention,you have to get a torch tip for propane cause the acetylene tips wont work with propane,you can use the acetylene gauge on propane just fine it works ,i dont think the pressure readings are 100 percent accurate but i just set it by feel,it only takes a minute to get it werte you need it at.most of my regulators have bolts were the gauge part goes anyhow were ive broken them over the years. i hope this helps
Ask your gas supplier about using 'propylene'. It burns about as hot as acetylene and much hotter than propane. It's also quite a bit cheaper than the acetylene. My gas guy recommended it to me last fall, just to try it, and it's great. You have to use a propane tip in your torch.
is the propalyne cheaper than propane ?
It actually might be, as it lasts longer than propane and cuts faster (hotter) too. I had never heard of it until last year when it was recommended to me. Upfront cost is higher than propane, but if you're cutting anything more than sheet metal, it's worth it.Quote:
Originally Posted by wadarbr549
ill look into it.i cut house trailer frames and dump trucks with the propane alot and it is rare that it presents a problem.sometimes when im cutting the hydraulic shafts on dump beds i do wish i had a bit more heat
My good friend is all about propane cutting. Not sure if he has calculated oxy cost with ace vs prop. All I know... Propane is something a scrapper doesn't have to pay for :) If your busy enough with heavy iron to use the torch all day... you can afford whatever gas ya want. I don't personally have a torch set up. I keep forgetting to pick it up. I have given away tons of propane in the last year. Thinking about it... Why am I using gasoline in my truck?
I have often considered switching to an alt. fuel on my torch but considering the fact most alt. fuels use more oxygen than accetylene I don't see much benefit. I'd buy one of this setups if they won't so expensive Cutting Torch Systems | Oxy-Fuel Cutting Alternatives | Petrogen Cutting Systems