henrob 2000

[jake72ss]

I would like to know if anyone has had any experience with the Henrob gas welding system, I have some experience with oxy/acetylene welding and have tanks and victor torches. I dont have any experience with mig or tig welding and was thinking that if I bought this setup I could do some sheet metal repairs on my '70 vw bug a little more confidently than if I went out and bought a mig welder and have another learning curve to overcome.



Thanks,
Jake

[Jim Nilsen]

It takes practice just like any other welder to use but they have the advantage of not needing electricity. They can put down good welds if you can.

The one thing that is not desirerable is the amount of heat when welding around other items. That is where a mig or tig really shine. Being able to get comfortable and in position before you strike an arc is very inportant sometimes. With the henrob you have to put the torch in and get back out without putting the flame on anything.

For fabbing up items off of the car they can do really well and if you can sheild the area you are welding well it is good then too.

They can do disimilar metals easier, weld cast, and they are one of the best cutting torches around for intricate parts. They cut almost as good or better than a plasma.

I have one because of the fact that I wanted to be able to weld in an emergency without electricity wich is not very often but who wants to plan to have an emergency.

For the money they are worth adding to collection of welding and cutting equipment in any shop. A good 2 stage torch will cost you more.

So get one and try it, and if you don't like it you can shelve it and get a mig.

[fordsbyjay]

They can put down good welds if you can.

This says it all right there. I am not very good with mine but I have minimal gas welding experience. The only downside I would have is the cutting attachment. It works ok when cutting a straight line but I found if very difficult to do any type of curve or circle.

For ease of operation for someone with little welding experience I would buy mig welder first. Now in the hands of the right person they can weld just as nice as tig.

[John Wright]

I agree with Jim...the excessive heat is not always a good thing, especially with sheet metal....but with a really small tip, you may be able to keep the puddle small and use your filler rod to help control the amount of heat by dipping it into the puddle to cool it back off...wet rags soaked with water to help keep the panels cool to control or minimize the warpage.

It's not the tool of choice, but I don't see why you couldn't get by with it, if need be.

[Jim Nilsen]

I should really clarify something about the heat involved.
The henrob actually puts less heat into the actual weld than any other welder. It is also very close to the same look and talent as welding with a tig.

The main problem with the heat that I have encountered is when trying to weld areas that are already painted and you don't wan't to disturb it. The flame heat that comes from a Henrob is on going into the task and coming out. Not having the instant on and off makes it trickier to do but it can be done with practice.

I have seen aluminum welded with one that was to thin to be welded with anything else.

A lot of aviation people use them instead of tig and swear by them as much as others swear at them.

[LSXfan]

I should really clarify something about the heat involved.
The henrob actually puts less heat into the actual weld than any other welder.

how is that possible with an open flame heat source ? The HAZ looked huge on the sheetmetal welding vid

[Jim Nilsen]

how is that possible with an open flame heat source ? The HAZ looked huge on the sheetmetal welding vid

The actual temp of the flame is less than an arc of electricity. Even though the heated area may look bigger it is actually a lower temp. that is why it tends to put more heat to exposed areas when going in and out as it takes a bit longer to start the welding.

You can only get as hot as the source but that doesn't mean you can't stay there longer and add heat everywhere.

The way the Henrob welds takes some getting used to and can make your old habits hard to break. It has been said that a person who has never welded before can pick it up and do better than some guys who weld for a living.

These welders have their place and are hard to beat for a cutting torch setup.

The one thing that sells them is the amount of gas they can save over a standard torch setup and the savings in electricity vs gas.

They are not what I would use all of the time but I am glad I have one.

[John Wright]

how is that possible with an open flame heat source ? The HAZ looked huge on the sheetmetal welding vid

One of the variables for determining the heat input is travel speed, the slower the travel speed, the more heat that is input into the material. Mig is going to input much less heat because you travel so much quicker and will give you a narrower HAZ than using a oxy/fuel torch to weld with.

Arc temp vs Flame temp...yes, the O/F torch flame is much cooler than the arc(which is why the travel speed is so much slower).

[Mathius]

You can do a lot of things with a henrob according to what I've read. If you really want to learn the extent of what you can do with one, check out metalmeet.com's forums. Those guys are masters of working with any type of sheet metal and they use henrobs to weld anything from copper to aluminum to steel.

Mathius

[John Wright]

Here are a few videos of this Oxy/Fuel torch

http://www.cut-like-plasma.com/info_video_library.htm

[LSXfan]

cool, thanx for the insight fellas ! I'm very interested in them but will be awhile before the pocket allows a purchase

[jake72ss]

Yes, I also appreciate all of the input and possibly will purchase one when $ allows,
Thanks,
Jake