Steve from Ohio
11-01-2010, 10:48 AM
I posted recently about the DHC Cobra 2000 torch. Great torch and was glad that I was open minded enough to try it. I'm an old school type welder but I am open to suggestions. I love to weld with gas.
I am so open to new ideas that I decided to but a Meco Midget torch. So I got one the other day and did some work with it.
Here are my comparisons between the two torches.
The Cobra 2000 has the ability to cut steel which the Meco does not. The Cobra cuts steel like butter. I love the setup of the separate oxygen and flame tips. After practicing with it, It can cut almost as good as the plasma cutter. It is awesome on cutting sheet steel. Fast and uses a lot less gas than a standard cutter or torch. Cutting thick metal is limited to dragging or pulling the torch towards you. Cutting thin sheet is limited to pushing the torch away from you. Not a big deal and after a while you get used to it. Cuts are clean and very smooth with no bubbling. Very little grinding after a cut. The Cobra will not cut aluminum.
The Cobra 2000 welds very well. Extremely well. As you can probably tell, I love this torch. It is limited to how thick a metal to weld. I like to keep it under 3/16 inch for max thickness. Anything thicker and I'll mig, tig or stick weld. The Cobra on thin aluminum is very good. Need to use flux with aluminum but for thin aluminum the Cobra is great. The flame can be adjusted to be very soft and so the aluminum puddle will not easily blow through unless you want it to. Anything over 3/16 inch and I'll go with TIG or MIG.
The Cobra 2000 seems to get up to heat better. Not sure if it is the advertised hotter flame due to the mixing chamber design or not. The Cobra got the metal hotter faster than the Meco.
The Cobra is kind of heavy, but, after a while you get used to it. I like to grab it at the end of the torch on the flame arrestors. Makes it feel more like a standard torch and keeps my hands away from the heat. I also have found out that you can grab it near the tip for precision welding of very small parts.
Now on to the Meco Midget.
It does not cut. But what it does it does very well indeed. The Meco Midget is like having an extension to your fingers. It is very maneuverable and so light and small as to be almost unbelievable. (Get the extra light hoses). For it being so small, it really does a fantastic job on welding sheet steel. I would mig or tig anything over 3/16 inch. The Meco Midget also does an awesome job welding aluminum (with flux). The flame can also be adjusted to very soft so it will not blow through aluminum as like the Cobra.
The Meco is very precise in its ability to aim the flame without getting tired.
It seems that the Meco Midget was designed specifically to weld. Period. Because of that, it is a better overall welder than the Cobra but not by much. The Meco is way better when it comes to welding into very confined areas just because it is so small.
The Cobra is like in one respect all the other torches available as it can cut along with weld.
I love the Meco too. I will keep both as they different enough to warrant keeping both of them. Both will save you on gas usage. They are very stingy on gas.
Here is the differences between the two as short and sweet as possible. The Cobra 2000 is like having a torch at the end of your arm and the Meco is like having a torch at the end of your finger. The Meco is better overall at welding but the Cobra is really close and can cut.
If I had to chose one, it would be the Cobra because it can cut steel. If I did not need to cut steel, it would be the Meco but only by a small margin.
I've owned several torches over the years and these two for me are the top two I've ever owned. Either one you can't go wrong.
I am so open to new ideas that I decided to but a Meco Midget torch. So I got one the other day and did some work with it.
Here are my comparisons between the two torches.
The Cobra 2000 has the ability to cut steel which the Meco does not. The Cobra cuts steel like butter. I love the setup of the separate oxygen and flame tips. After practicing with it, It can cut almost as good as the plasma cutter. It is awesome on cutting sheet steel. Fast and uses a lot less gas than a standard cutter or torch. Cutting thick metal is limited to dragging or pulling the torch towards you. Cutting thin sheet is limited to pushing the torch away from you. Not a big deal and after a while you get used to it. Cuts are clean and very smooth with no bubbling. Very little grinding after a cut. The Cobra will not cut aluminum.
The Cobra 2000 welds very well. Extremely well. As you can probably tell, I love this torch. It is limited to how thick a metal to weld. I like to keep it under 3/16 inch for max thickness. Anything thicker and I'll mig, tig or stick weld. The Cobra on thin aluminum is very good. Need to use flux with aluminum but for thin aluminum the Cobra is great. The flame can be adjusted to be very soft and so the aluminum puddle will not easily blow through unless you want it to. Anything over 3/16 inch and I'll go with TIG or MIG.
The Cobra 2000 seems to get up to heat better. Not sure if it is the advertised hotter flame due to the mixing chamber design or not. The Cobra got the metal hotter faster than the Meco.
The Cobra is kind of heavy, but, after a while you get used to it. I like to grab it at the end of the torch on the flame arrestors. Makes it feel more like a standard torch and keeps my hands away from the heat. I also have found out that you can grab it near the tip for precision welding of very small parts.
Now on to the Meco Midget.
It does not cut. But what it does it does very well indeed. The Meco Midget is like having an extension to your fingers. It is very maneuverable and so light and small as to be almost unbelievable. (Get the extra light hoses). For it being so small, it really does a fantastic job on welding sheet steel. I would mig or tig anything over 3/16 inch. The Meco Midget also does an awesome job welding aluminum (with flux). The flame can also be adjusted to very soft so it will not blow through aluminum as like the Cobra.
The Meco is very precise in its ability to aim the flame without getting tired.
It seems that the Meco Midget was designed specifically to weld. Period. Because of that, it is a better overall welder than the Cobra but not by much. The Meco is way better when it comes to welding into very confined areas just because it is so small.
The Cobra is like in one respect all the other torches available as it can cut along with weld.
I love the Meco too. I will keep both as they different enough to warrant keeping both of them. Both will save you on gas usage. They are very stingy on gas.
Here is the differences between the two as short and sweet as possible. The Cobra 2000 is like having a torch at the end of your arm and the Meco is like having a torch at the end of your finger. The Meco is better overall at welding but the Cobra is really close and can cut.
If I had to chose one, it would be the Cobra because it can cut steel. If I did not need to cut steel, it would be the Meco but only by a small margin.
I've owned several torches over the years and these two for me are the top two I've ever owned. Either one you can't go wrong.