Originally Posted by
honesthans
The only place I see where I could really shave anything off is by buying the Gentec torch tips instead of Victor, and I wonder if anyone can tell me if there is any noticeable difference in quality or results between the two?
Gentec tips are not quite as nicely made as Victor tips. Whether they are good enough is still kind of an open question with me and would depend on the frequency of use. The main difference is that on the Gentecs the inside step down orifice diameter (right beyond the threads that attach it to the UN-J elbow) is slightly cone shaped like the angle on the tip of a drill bit. The Victor ones are a square 90º. The issue is that unless the Gentec tip is really tightened hard with a wrench on the UN-J, flame can come out of the back of the tip. If you only have one UN-J and are constantly changing tips this can become an issue with wear. When I see flame coming out where it isn’t supposed to I don’t like it.
To avoid flames coming out of the rear of the tip, I really tightened down my Gentec 3-TEN tip on my Victor UN-J. They became stuck together (probably because of the differences in manufacturing tolerances between the two companies) so now they are permanently joined.
If one is changing tips very often than having a mixer/elbow for each tip is faster and safer. One can change the UN-J from the torch handle by hand because they are designed to work that way with the help of a rubber O ring as a seal. The TEN tips need to be tightened with a small wrench onto the UN-J because they don’t have any seal help.
One interesting difference between my Gentec 3-TEN tip and my Victor 3-TEN tip is their body size. The Gentec is smaller like a 2-TEN and the Victor larger like a 4-TEN. Tips can get pretty hot so the extra size can theoretically be better for longer brazing times.
Victor no longer makes a 0 or 1-TEN tip. I like a 1-TEN for fillet brazing better than bigger sizes. This is a personal preference and will vary a lot between builders. The other point I should make is that pro users can easily adjust to using the same tip for various situations. For beginners it helps to have the right tip on for whatever they are doing. The fewer the challenges, the better the results are likely to be. In class I am changing tips often for students and have every tip size combined with a mixer elbow for convenience and safety.
Last edited by Doug Fattic; 08-30-15 at 01:03 AM.