I used the Meco at a class Peter Tommasini held in PA this past fall and I loved. In fact everyone loved it. I just ordered one from TMTech myself.

Me Tooooooooooo!
 

I put a LOUD vote in for Kent's set up including the lightweight hose set up. I hadn't done any gas welding since 1962, yes that's before some of you kids were born. My first try I fit about 3/4 of it up really tight,16 ga iron, and had about a 1/16th on the rest. With a #1 tip, I used that one just because it was in the middle of the three I bought, I managed to fusion weld the 3/4 of the 24 inches and added a little filler for the rest. I do recommend the Green shade lens to anyone, no mater how pricy it seems. I still have a the full set of the victor, you'll need the rose bud for the Alum. That green shade takes all of the glare away and you see exactly what you are welding. Kent is a straight shooter and would never steer you wrong. He'll listen to you want to do and then give you the advice.

very appreciative
 

Guys, I'm very appreciative of all of your positive comments. Thank you everyone, very much.

The green lens was the first product I started my company with - and I learned quickly that I was also becoming responsible for the flux, the torch and the tips, and the "how to," as well.

Thinking back, I started torch welding with a little old Purox model in 1969 and then started using the Victors J-20/J-27/J-28 on a daily basis.

After four years' handling the Victor small J torches I bought a new J-40 and used that/those until I was introduced to the Meco in 1995.
Attachment 40221
L to R - Smith A1W1, Victor J-27, Victor J-40, and Meco N Midget, arranged for size comparison.

Tip varieties and longer necks needed improving so we added those and made improvements to existing parts, like adding our new ultralight hose for the small "welding only" torches.

The "economizer" or "gasaver" has been a venerable component of torch work since WW2 or even before, and it has become a fixture on one of my bottle sets, along with the piezo "sparkie' igniter.
Attachment 40222
The "eternal flame" is now replaced by "Sparkie."

Attachment 40223
It's easy to hose clamp on a length of 1X1 angle with a platform brazed on square to one end ....

For those wanting a very soft flame for brazing or welding at low temperatures (1000F to 1350F) these long tips are probably the best choice:
Attachment 40220
(Shown next to the standard "n" tip.)

These are just some of the soldering/brazing/welding products we offer.

Thank you, again.

Kent's light weight hose is a must have in my world. I used to fight with hoses weight tugging while trying to move smoothly and steadily along a weld. The super light flexible hose is fantastic product.

Thank you Kent!

Kent,
I noticed in your picture of your gas saver with your Meco hanging off of it that you have an additional hook on the Meco. You can eliminate the additional hook by reducing the included angle of the gas saver lever. 60 degrees works to keep my Meco on the hook with no problem
I will put a picture in my album.
Note: make the bend sharp.
Mike

thanks Mike,
...but I like my swiveling hook that enables me to hang my torch from any angle. Since I move a lot when welding I don't want to have to re-position the rig since I am too lazy to get up from my comfy seat ..... :rolleyes:

Kent,

Do you use the Meco when annealing aluminum? Or, do you prefer a larger torch with a heating tip?

What about body leading?

Thanks

After everyone's recommendations, I ordered a Meco today. Actually, I went ahead and ordered one of Kent's aluminum welding kits since it came with most of what I was going to buy plus a few extras.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

Do you mind if I borrow it for a while...?

Yes, I anneal my aluminum with a 2 or a 3 on the Meco. For larger flames I may go to a 7, and then to my big air-propane weed burner.

I use a 3 or 4 tip when doing autobody lead work, and set a big soft flame.
Sometimes if I am doing a large area I will use a 6 tip set small and soft.