Many different fuels are used in cutting, welding, heating, and other workshop needs. Each fuel has different strengths and weaknesses. Tradespeople and hobbyists should weigh these to decide which fuel they will use.
Nonetheless, there is a fuel type that most users favor then until now, and that is the combination of oxygen and acetylene.
Oxygen is used to weld, cut, and braze for small projects and industrial applications. With an oxy-cutting torch, the burning heat of the flame from the torch becomes hotter, allowing for the faster melting of the material being cut, brazed, or welded. Acetylene is the best fuel to mix with oxygen. The two fuels can create up to 3500°C or 6300°F of heat. The combination is called oxyacetylene, while cutting or heating metal is called oxidation or combustion.
This combination requires a unique tool, a cutting torch, and a specific cutting torch tip. You can choose the best oxy-acetylene cutting torch after checking these five models.
Zeus in Greek Mythology is a powerful god known for his thunderbolt. A glimpse of the SÜA Zeus torch will remind you of something royal and powerful. Indeed, the SÜA Zeus cutting torch can handle heavy-duty cutting activities.
You can use the torch for all your workshop needs. Choose the right tip among the 6290 and 6290NX Series models. With it and the proper fuel of either acetylene or propane, you can use the torch for cutting, welding, and heating.
If your welding supplies are from the producer Harris, this cutting torch is best for you as its tips fit the torches of the brand.
The SÜA Zeus torch is made of brass, ensuring corrosion resistance and durability. This cutting torch has safety check valves to connect hoses for oxygen and acetylene. For safety, it is best to have flashback arrestors for both hoses.
The needle valves are color-coded in red and blue to ensure that you turn on and off the valves correctly and avoid any fires or explosions.
If you use Victor tools, this heavy-duty torch tool is the best oxy-acetylene cutting torch as the torch fits well with the brand’s outfits. It can be an acetylene cutting torch, an oxy cutting torch, or a cutting torch for different fuels such as propane, butane, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas.
The advantage of having such a torch is it allows you to pick different fuels but uses the same torch. If you are doing high-end projects that need faster welding, heating, or cutting, you can go for oxyacetylene fuel. Suppose you need to travel and take the fuel with you. In that case, the handy liquefied petroleum gas can be an excellent choice as you can transport it easily and safely.
The stainless steel material used in this torch allows it to be corrosion- and heat-resistant. With robust alloy material and brass, the H&J 300 Series Torch Tool can stand the test of time and different project difficulties.
This cutting torch also has two needle valves for the fuels used in cutting, heating, or welding. Make sure to read the instructions on properly setting up, changing, and lighting up the torch for oxy-acetylene cutting torch settings and different fuels for safety assurance.
What’s great about this torch is that you can use different types of fuel such as oxyacetylene, propane, butane, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas. You do not need to switch from one torch to another if you use another fuel.
It is tried and tested, however, to use an acetylene cutting torch if you want your cutting to be faster. This fuel heats and burns faster, especially with oxygen. How to use an oxy-acetylene torch for cutting? Just make sure that you use a cutting tip to get the job done.
You also do not need to get separate flashback arrestors with this cutting torch as it has these built in through the 100FC handle. Reverse flow check valves are also built into the torch. These characteristics are known as Victor-style cutting torch handles.
The CA1350 cutting attachment has reliable strength and durability because it is made of a brass head and stainless steel tubes. These materials make the 8MILELAKE cutting torch corrosion-resistant. They can stand the heat, especially with different fuels passing through it.
The Harris Products Group is one of the most reliable brands for welding, cutting, or heating. The brand offers different products every tradesman would need, including cutting torches.
Harris has a heavy-duty straight cutting torch. It is an oxy cutting torch, but you can use different fuels like oxy-propane/butane, oxy-propylene, oxy-natural gas, methane, and oxyacetylene. Harris straight cutting torch enables the user to save fuel with fuel choice. The 62-5 injector mixer can produce scorching flames with less gas pressure. With the heat it produces, it can cut up to 12 inches.
Harris’s signature safety assurance is Flash Guard. These are stainless steel check valves that open with pressure and close when reverse flow occurs, ensuring that no fires and hazards occur in the workshop area.
There are many different variations of the Miller-Smith Straight Cutting Torch, and here are some of them.
If you are looking for a heavy-duty cutting torch that can cut up to 12-inch steel while ensuring your safety, the Miller-Smith Straight Cutting Torch is the tool for you. You have to choose which is most comfortable for use among the different designs.
This tool can use different fuel types such as oxyacetylene, propane, butane, propylene, hydrogen, and natural gas. How to use an oxy-acetylene torch for cutting? Just check the oxy-acetylene cutting torch settings and use the right cutting tip.
The tips of this cutting torch are easy to use and durable as it has the Graf-Tite feature. The materials used in the tip ensure durability.
The tip is designed to enable the mixing of fuels being used and avoid flashbacks that may cause work accidents. The tips are easy to attach and remove with a wrench or even by hand.
After knowing five of many, many choices, ensure that you know how to use the oxy-acetylene cutting torch correctly. How to adjust oxy-acetylene cutting torch? Here are five easy steps.
Aside from these steps, ensure that you are aware of and following the oxyacetylene safety procedures before using your oxyacetylene equipment. Ensure that you are also protected and the whole equipment and the work area are inspected before beginning your work.
It’s 2022, but oxyacetylene fuel remains the top choice among tradesmen for their cutting, welding, and heating needs. You can try it yourself to see why this is popular among hobbyists and industrialists.
Although it is a known fact that oxyacetylene fuel enables faster heating and faster cutting, it still pays to experience it firsthand. The faster work and clearer welds and cuts can help you decide whether this type of fuel is worth the price and the popularity.
Of course, using other fuel types is still welcome, especially for small projects and learning which fuel works for your needs and finances best.
The best thing about most torches these days is you can use other fuels provided that you have the right tip. If one fuel does not work for you, you can always try another. Just make sure to follow safety guidelines to ensure your protection while working.