propane acetylene oxygen

[performance]

Propane cuts slower and the flame is much cooler, so much that it is not able to gas weld. You use more oxygen as well.

[Rodsmachineshop]

with the rite tip it cuts good and fast , have to use a propane cutting tip not a standard tip . worked good at the wrecking yard must be he had the torches fit with propane tips

[performance]

I've cut with propane, and have the tips...It requires a longer preheat time than OA as well.

[Brian Ski]

I tried that once... Since Propane is cheaper than acetylene. I got the right tip... Still have it somewhere. Usually the junk yards use propane because it is cheaper. Propane is a lot cheaper per tank, but propane does not seem to last as long. Usually I would go through 2 grill tanks for 1 acetylene. So if you use a lot it would benefit you. It didn't take more than a couple tanks to have me switch back. It didn't seem worth the trouble. IIRC the tips were more expensive and harder to find. I think I may have had to order one in. I think it was a 2 piece tip.

[Rambozo]

Once the cut is started, the fuel is irrelevant and can even be turned off. It is the oxygen that does the real cutting. Try it sometime.

[zoama]

Once the cut is started, the fuel is irrelevant and can even be turned off. It is the oxygen that does the real cutting. Try it sometime.

I've finished lots of cuts on steel after the acetylene ran out. Once that happens it helps to angle the torch toward the cut on thinner metal to get some preheat that the fuel would've provided when cutting normally.

[welderdude]

I too use propane with my victor torch. I haven't used either gas enough to figure out which one is cheaper or cuts quicker, but I do like the fact that propane is cheaper and much easier to get if you happen to run out. As long as I set the flame right, I cant tell much of a difference between the 2 gases. I usually use a #1 propane/CNG tip for cutting 3/4 inch plate. It cuts through it like butter. Also, I like to use an oxidizing preheat flame because it seems to start much faster. the only down side is that the tip will get hotter.

I have also used propylene and really liked it. It burns a bit hotter than propane, but is way too expensive to use.

The thing I hate about propane is that its a bit harder to light when its windy and you cant light it with hot metal like you can with acetylene.