Cutting Torches - Oxy-Acetylene & Hand Torches

Cutting Torch

Harris hand cutting torches are essential tools for achieving precise and safe welding and cutting operations. By choosing the right Harris hand cutting torch and maintaining it properly, you can ensure superior performance and long-term reliability. At WeldingMart, we offer a comprehensive range of Harris hand cutting torches to meet the diverse needs of our customers. Explore our selection today and take your welding capabilities to the next level.

Cutting torches use a high-pressure oxygen stream to oxidize and blow away steel, making them the fastest and most cost-effective tool for severing structural plate, pipe, and heavy stock that would stall a plasma cutter or angle grinder. WeldingMart stocks Harris hand cutting torches and machine cutting torches for oxy-acetylene, oxy-propane, and natural gas fuel systems.

Harris hand cutting torches feature a one-piece design with positive-seal needle valves, a comfortable grip angle, and compatibility with the full Harris tip series. The 62-5 series covers light plate to 6 in. structural steel. Machine cutting torches mount to pipe cutting and beveling machines, track burners, and CNC flame cutting tables for automated straight-line and profile cuts.

WeldingMart carries replacement torch tips, cutting attachments, and torch bodies to keep your oxy-fuel station running. All orders ship free over $99. Call our team for help matching the right torch to your fuel gas and plate thickness.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does an oxyfuel cutting torch work?

An oxyfuel cutting torch uses a preheat flame—a mixture of oxygen and fuel gas—to heat the base metal to its ignition temperature (above 870°C / 1600°F for steel). Once at ignition temperature, a high-purity oxygen jet is opened and reacts with the hot iron to rapidly oxidize it, burning away a narrow kerf while the exothermic reaction provides enough heat to continue cutting. The torch body mixes gases for the preheat flame through ports surrounding a central cutting oxygen passage in the tip.

What fuel gases can I use with an oxyfuel cutting torch?

The most common choices are acetylene, propane, propylene (MAPP-type), and natural gas. Acetylene produces the highest flame temperature (~5600°F / 3100°C inner cone) and is the fastest for starting cuts on thick material. Propane and natural gas have lower flame temperatures and require longer preheat times but are less expensive and easier to store in large quantities. Use only tips and regulators designed for your specific fuel gas—do not interchange fuel-gas components between gases.

Can a cutting torch cut stainless steel or aluminum?

Standard oxyfuel (oxygen-cutting) torches do not cut stainless steel or aluminum well. The chrome oxide layer on stainless steel and the aluminum oxide on aluminum melt at much higher temperatures than the base metal and interfere with the cutting oxygen reaction—unlike iron oxide, which has a lower melting point than steel and flows away cleanly. For stainless steel and aluminum, plasma cutting is the recommended method. Special flux-injection OFC techniques exist for stainless, but plasma is more practical.

What pressures should I set on my oxygen and acetylene regulators for cutting?

For manual cutting with acetylene, typical working pressures are 5–10 psi oxygen and 3–10 psi acetylene for material under 1 in thick, adjusted upward for thicker plate. Never exceed 15 psi acetylene—above that pressure, acetylene becomes unstable and can decompose explosively. Propane cutting typically requires higher fuel gas pressure (10–25 psi) because it has a lower flame propagation velocity. Always follow the specific tip manufacturer's pressure chart for your tip number and size.

What is the right torch-to-work distance and travel angle for manual cutting?

For manual oxyfuel cutting, hold the tip perpendicular to the plate (or slightly tilted 5°–15° in the direction of travel). The inner cone of the preheat flame should be approximately 1/8–3/16 in (3–5 mm) above the plate surface for thin material; for plate over 1 in thick, slightly increase the standoff to allow more preheat. Move the torch at a steady, consistent speed—if the cut drags, slow down; if the cut blows forward of your torch angle, speed up or reduce oxygen pressure.

How do I light and adjust an oxyfuel cutting torch safely?

Always use a friction lighter—never matches or a cigarette lighter. Open the fuel valve slightly, spark the lighter at the tip, then adjust the fuel valve for a proper flame size. Introduce oxygen gradually to adjust to a neutral or slightly oxidizing preheat flame. Before opening the cutting oxygen lever, confirm the metal at the starting point has reached ignition temperature (appears bright orange-white and starts to look 'wet'). Never leave the torch lit unattended and purge both hoses briefly before relighting after any extended pause.