Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello everyone, I'm looking for suggestions and reviews on good dual flowmeters. Not looking for junk or cheap pricing just a good solid reliable meter than has provided good service is reliable, consistent, sturdy and accurate. So if you have experience with a certain type that has proven it self please help. Will be buying online and kind of hard buying things without having them in hand to examine.

I use a Harris #356, no issues at all sturdy and reliable.

I have probably 50-60 single flowmeters in use around the plant going 24/7 with Nitrogen purges on all the eguipment and 6 doubles. There is probably 10 different manufacturers names on them and I couldn't tell you one thing I like better from one to the other. Three of the doubles are Smith and two are Harris, with the last one being a Weldmark that someone picked up on a moments notice at the LWS.

That being said, if I was to buy one for my own use, I would buy a Smith 30 series for both price and quality. In fact I just put a single Smith on my welder when we were trying to eliminate the gas loss issue awhile back. They're pretty bullet proof and about half the price of the Harris, which I also own three of in singles.

Len

HTP has a dual for about $100. (usaweld)

I use thier singles and they work well.

I have the HTP dual flowmeter and it works great. It is rebuildable for a worst-case-scenario; HTP backs their flowmeters well.

Thanks for the replies so far. I got a stupid question and its not a really important one, but several years ago a place I worked at had regulators with a red balls in them instead the silver ball. I have no idea who made them was a little easier to see the ball. anyone have a clue.

I like the looks of the Harris looks pretty beefy. I did think about the HTP one. The 5/8 thread screws into it directly and adaptor for other sizes correct?

This Smith flow meter uses a red ball.
http://store.cyberweld.com/smflreh2.html

I have a 30 series Smith as well! Great Flowmeter! The Green tube with the ball is easy to see even at a somewhat distance. Never had one problem with em at home or at work. Very durable

I think, if I understand your question right, that most flow meters have a 1/4"NPT in the outlet and then an adapter to 5/8, but that's not always the case. I have at least one that has the body cut for 5/8 and uses no adapter, can't remember it's brand though.

Len

dirtmidget33 wrote:Thanks for the replies so far. I got a stupid question and its not a really important one, but several years ago a place I worked at had regulators with a red balls in them instead the silver ball. I have no idea who made them was a little easier to see the ball. anyone have a clue.

I like the looks of the Harris looks pretty beefy. I did think about the HTP one. The 5/8 thread screws into it directly and adaptor for other sizes correct?

The outputs are male 5/8" fittings. The included adapters allow hoses with male terminations to be used by converting the outputs to female.

Here we go again.

I built my own. Four of them so far, all for work.

I used surplus parts and paid nothing for them (at work), but the e-bay sources and prices suggest I could build it for under $30.

Here's a crappy looking example... http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/v ... ter#p15067

It's not hard, even with scrap parts and hardware-store fittings, as long as you have a solid "high pressure" regulator in front.

Steve S

Flow meters I've had (cheap ones, admittedly) all have 1/4" NPT from the regulator, and a BSP thread (non-tapered) on the outlet. So, it wouldn't take much to combine a pair of flowmeters off one regulator using a T fitting from the hardware store. The regulator output on mine have measured 25-50 PSI, so there's little hazard in this modification.

I think I've paid around $35-40 on eBay for a 2-pack of regulators, which would get you all the parts except for the T fitting.

Cheers,
Richard

Otto Nobedder wrote:Here we go again.

I built my own. Four of them so far, all for work.

I used surplus parts and paid nothing for them (at work), but the e-bay sources and prices suggest I could build it for under $30.

Here's a crappy looking example... http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/v ... ter#p15067

It's not hard, even with scrap parts and hardware-store fittings, as long as you have a solid "high pressure" regulator in front.

Steve S

This might be better...
http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/v ... f=5&t=2092

Thanks, John,

That post has the better explanation, for sure.

Steve S

All I have is the one that came with my set up from the local welding supply with my Lincoln Precision 225. Every time I start welding for the day I have to adjust the pressure because it is never consistently the same pressure. It's just the cheap round one not the tall clear glass with floating ball.