- Thread starter kptim
- Start date
hotponyshoes
Member
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- 7,947
- Location
- Somerset. Uk
Mulit-stage regs massively reduce the gas surge when you first crack open the valve.
So save you gas/money.
They also maintain the output pressure more consistently as the bottle pressure drops.
But, I don't think you'll be opening/closing the gas valves 100's of times a day like you might with tig/mig so you'll see minimal cost savings and you are unlikely to be running it for long enough in one go to encounter any flow change issues from a drop in bottle pressure (especially as the propane will freeze up before that point!)
You might see a small improvement in performance when you press the cutting trigger but I've never noticed any issues with a single stage regulator in that regard.
If money is no object then multi stage (although they are usually physically bigger)
Otherwise, I'd rather have better quality single-stage regs (especially for the propane) than cheap multi stage ones.
So save you gas/money.
They also maintain the output pressure more consistently as the bottle pressure drops.
But, I don't think you'll be opening/closing the gas valves 100's of times a day like you might with tig/mig so you'll see minimal cost savings and you are unlikely to be running it for long enough in one go to encounter any flow change issues from a drop in bottle pressure (especially as the propane will freeze up before that point!)
You might see a small improvement in performance when you press the cutting trigger but I've never noticed any issues with a single stage regulator in that regard.
If money is no object then multi stage (although they are usually physically bigger)
Otherwise, I'd rather have better quality single-stage regs (especially for the propane) than cheap multi stage ones.
Bouledogue
New Member
- Messages
- 50
- Location
- France
I use multi-stage on my oxy-actylene kit, and single-stage on my oxy-propane. I don't notice a great deal of difference, other than I tend to blow out the propane flame with the oxygen more often than I do when using O-A. I don't know whether the two things are related? Perhaps multi-stage on the oxygen would be smarter?
Either way, propane is cheap, and you're only cutting / bending. Either will do the job.
Either way, propane is cheap, and you're only cutting / bending. Either will do the job.
Erie Fred
Member
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- 6,700
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- Erie, Pa USofA
On your propane rig, did you switch the torch tip to one for propane ?
Bouledogue
New Member
- Messages
- 50
- Location
- France
Yes, I have an entirely separate torch on the propane rig, using only PNM tips. I have, however, made the mistake to which you allude in the past, and it is an absolute nuisance.
