Best portable oxy acetylene torch kit | Equipment For Brazing

A portable oxy acetylene torch kit is a type of welding equipment that allows for brazing jobs outside of the workshop, on building sites, and in remote locations.

A portable torch kit with oxygen and acetylene tanks is easily carried by either a trolley or just a plastic tote.

Oxyacetylene works by combining oxygen and acetylene to either cut or join together various kinds of solid metal materials most commonly copper pipes, or copper artwork.

If you want to know what’s possible with copper art, have a look at these examples. 

Though most uses of oxyacetylene kits involve a range of metals other than copper, they are usually used for lighter applications such as metal-forming, heating, and brazing.

Because oxy acetylene torch kit is low-cost and the majority of the kits are portable, making them ideal for use in small shops and at home.

On the other hand, because of their utility, oxy-acetylene torch kits see optimum use by highly mobile professionals like plumbers and gas fitters.

The oxyacetylene welding process was discovered by French engineers Edmond Fouche and Charles Picard in 1903 and, to this day, remains one of the best heat-induced tools for cutting steel.

Ease of use. 

Portable oxyacetylene kits are lighter and easier to carry around compared to a standard-sized kit.

Although they have the same fundamental function and can get the job done without making you feel cumbersome, the tanks are just smaller.

Convenience.

You can bring them with you and increase your range of work without needing to go back and forth. Bring your kit to cut rebar right at the construction site.

Portability makes work a little bit faster and easier.

Flexibility.

Respond to clients or go out and do work at any practical time.

With a portable kit, you are not limited by a schedule on heavy lifting equipment or help.

While oxy acetylene does have large-scale industrial applications, it is more favored by hundreds of skilled workers handling copper brazing and smaller steel cutting jobs.

Being low-cost, oxyacetylene is more accessible, making it easily acquirable especially if you are a sole proprietor or the owner of a small business.

Oxyacetylene is relatively safe compared to other welding fuel compounds and burns the hottest, making it more effective and better-suited for manual use on small to medium-sized jobs such as customizing a car’s chassis or building a custom animal cage.  

Paired with a decent finger sander you can polish of imperfections left by welding, have a look also at my best file belt sander recommendation.

However, do not use this tool for cutting galvanized steel as it’s highly flammable.

For those who have to be mobile for their job, like plumbers, and gas fitters using a portable kit is also more beneficial as it allows time to move from one job to the next without as much hassle as bigger tanks. 

Experienced users also appreciate a portable kit simply because of the convenience, although we have to admit that they do lose out to the workshop counterpart in terms of overall tank capacity.

These kits always come with 2 tanks, 1 for oxygen, and 1 for acetylene.

Both tanks are usually made of steel, with the acetylene tank often including porous material like crushed firebrick and has acetone-lined interiors to better stabilize the gas. 

These tanks should always come pre-assembled with valves and regulators.

Valves and regulators are safety measures and help you watch, control, and adjust pressure and gas flow.

If any of these appear faulty or have visible damage, replace or have them repaired immediately.

The same goes for hoses and attachments.

Faulty or damaged hoses and the incorrect use of attachments can lead to gas leaks or pressure building up in the tanks; both of which are extremely dangerous, but avoidable with keen vigilance. 

Never interchange regulators and hoses as they are designed to work respectively with just oxygen or just acetylene.

Swapping regulators will give you false readings if it gives a reading at all and plugging in the wrong hose might cause an imbalance in pressure.

Fortunately, hoses are color-coded; with blue being for oxygen and red for acetylene.

Depending on what you’re working on, you’ll often be switching from lower pressures to higher ones.

To give an idea, if you’ll be welding 1/16-inch steel, you’ll need 8 – 20 psi of oxygen and about 5 psi of acetylene.

Likewise, for cutting up to 2-inch steel, you’ll need 40 – 50 psi of oxygen and 5 psi of acetylene.

Bear in mind that these are portable kits, so their capacity is not too large.

While 20/10 cu ft is enough to get most jobs done, the small size falls victim to constant refills and short continuous use.

What would be ideal for DIY and those in professional metalwork is a tank size of at least 80/70 cu ft.

It’s big and offers longer operational time without making you overburdened even with the increased weight. 

One last very important note to remember is to make sure that before you purchase, look to see if the tanks are DOT approved.

DOT-approved tanks are those that pass and comply with the DOT’s regulations and are deemed good for use in transactions.

Local shops might and can refuse service for non-DOT-approved tanks. 

Also, depending on the courier and mode of delivery, most of the time, tanks do get shipped empty to avoid any hazards, especially if they will experience changes in pressure during transport. 

The Victor ESAB 0384-0948 comes equipped with a 20-cubic-foot oxygen tank and a 10-cubic-foot acetylene tank, both of which are DOT approved.

Its J-handle torch is suitable for handling different light-duty tasks, cutting 1/2-inch-thick metal, and welding 1/8-inch-thick metal with ease.

The torch is also compatible with larger-sized tanks, providing more practicality and flexibility to the user.

The Victor portable torch kit with oxygen and acetylene tanks comes equipped with a light torch handle as well as a cutting attachment.

The kit’s hard plastic tote and comfortable grip not only make it durable but easy to carry around, making it ideal for jobs that require you to move to other locations.

While being the priciest kit on the list, the Harris 85601-200 has commendable features that distinguish it from the others.

First is its flame-resistant and weather-proof carrying case. This, along with its lightweight polycarbonate frame, shows that it is guaranteed to last you a very long time.

It features a heavy-duty brazing attachment and can cut through 4-inch plates and weld 1/2-inch plates without any troubles when fitted with larger tips.

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Like the Victor ESAB 0384-0948, the Thoroughbred GasPony1 also comes with its own ISO-approved tanks.

What’s different is that these tanks have a much larger capacity and are exchangeable for filled ones if you don’t mind shelling out a bit more money.

While most portable kits are meant for lightly-demanding tasks, the GasPony1 can effectively handle medium-duty torching, brazing, and welding.

It also comes with shade 5 glasses and is housed in an impact-resistant, freestanding plastic tote.

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The 9Trading oxyacetylene torch set is one of the more affordable kits on the market that still guarantees you satisfactory results. It comes in a lightweight, waterproof polypropylene case, making it suitable for on-the-go jobs.

It is capable of handling general brazing, cutting, and welding tasks without much fuss.

However, the downside that comes with this kit’s low price tag is that its tanks are not DOT-approved, so having them filled will be a challenge.

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It is possible to use other gases but it can only be done for specific uses, and the necessary precautions must be observed.

For example, propane and propylene are viable replacements for acetylene but can only be used for heating and cutting and not portable gas welding.

However, using these gases will require a longer time for preheating before the torch can be used.

• Never work in an enclosed area or somewhere with poor ventilation. Prolonged exposure to welding fumes can cause nausea and headaches as well as other, more severe symptoms and illnesses such as respiratory diseases.
• Condensed acetylene can drip from the torch and become a fire hazard. This can be avoided by restricting the rate at which the gas is released.
• Make sure that all the valves are tightly shut and excess gases have been vented from the hose before leaving your work area.
• Avoid standing near a regulator when opening a tank valve.

Dos

• Ignite the torch using the recommended long nose lighter. This is because matches and small lighters bring your fingers too close to the tip. 
• When lighting, keep it pointed away from your body so as not to expose your clothing to oxygen or acetylene.
• Make sure all valves are closed securely after use.
• If you need to drill any holes consider Aaron’s recommendation on drill bits for metal .

Don’ts

• Avoid using acetylene at a pressure greater than 15 psi.
• Do not smoke near the gas welder as it can cause a fire or explosion.
• Do not weld or cut containers that have been exposed to flammable materials.
• Never use oil or grease on your oxy-acetylene welding equipment because they can quickly ignite when exposed to oxygen.

1. Install reverse flow-check valves and flash arrestors on both gas lines. This is a good way to prevent flashbacks or backfires.
2. Be extra careful when handling a lit torch. Avoid pointing it at yourself and other people or walking around without putting out the flame.
3. Carry and transfer hot metal using pliers or tongs.

Overall, the Victor ESAB 0384-0948 is the best portable torch kit you can currently get, balancing price, quality, and functionality into an easy-to-carry package.

The Harris 85601-200 Port-A-Torch Deluxe may have a heftier price tag, but it is well-justified by its heavy-duty torch attachments and high-quality build.

With the exceptional value of the Thoroughbred GasPony1, you’ll be able to handle more moderately-demanding welding tasks without having to worry about portability or durability.

Finally, despite the drawbacks given by its relatively affordable price, the Colibrox 9Trading is still a commendable kit for its transportability and capacity to handle general maintenance work.