Gentech small torch

Jewelry Discussion
1

Good morning,

Our Club workshop is looking at purchasing a couple of torches for
our shop. We have been looking at the “Little Torch” and the
equivalent in the Gentech brand. There is alomost a $100.00
difference in price. I would like to know if anyone has any
experience with the Gentech. We are looking at the oxy/propane
disposable tank units.

Thanks in advance
Gerry

2

I use a little Gentech torch and it’s great. I have heard that the
tips are interchangeable with Smith but have only used Gentec tips
so I don’t know first hand.

3 
We have been looking at the "Little Torch" and the equivalent in
the Gentech brand. There is alomost a $100.00 difference in price.
I would like to know if anyone has any experience with the Gentech.

Gentech torches are cheap knock offs of the items they copy. They
suffer from the same issues that most Chinese knock off products
have, bad design and poor manufacturing quality control. That being
said we have been hearing about hose problems with the Smith Little
Torch recently here on Orchid. So the question gets harder to answer.

James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

4

Hi Gerry;

We have been looking at the "Little Torch" and the equivalent in
the Gentech brand.

I bought one from Harbor Freight. The price is right, torch only
comes with 1 tip, hoses are flimsy and are easily pinched causing
leaks. The valves aren’t as precise and are too touchy. I’d spend the
extra money and get the little torch, unless you’re on a really tight
budget. A good inexpensive torch for a wide range of work is the Hoke
torch. But there are two version out there; a cheapo that’s worthless
and the original. You can get extra tips for a large range of flame
sizes. They’re a bit bulky until you’re used to them, but I’ve done
everything with them from melting fairly large amounts of metal to
the most delicate fabrication.

David L. Huffman

5

Hi Gerry

I’ve used both the Little Torch by Smith and the Gentec Torch. The
difference is the price and weight. The Gentec torch is all metal,
while the Little Torch is a combination of aluminum, steel, plastic,
and other materials. So far, the Gentec is a nice little torch, and
I have no qualms going to the Gentec when it comes to replacing my
Little Torch, which is very old. If you are looking to save some
money, then a Gentec would work while in a school envirnoment, which
is precisely why I got the Gentec for a school I work for. Add a
couple of Y-connectors, and you can easily rig up two Gentec torches
to one acetylene/one oxygen tank. Considering its all metal
construction, it may be a bit sturdier in a school envirnoment, for
students are brutal with the tools/equipment. It is a bit heavier
than the Smith Little Torch if weight is a consideration. Don’t
forget to add Gentec tips as well.

Joy

6

I have used both I like my little torch better but it is not much
difference… the valves seem to adjust just a little bit better for
me on the little torch… I do not use the disposable bottles… wast
of money in the long run… I have a set of ox and acy gauges which I
attach to a small Ox bottle and then the gas I just screw in the
gauge into my bottle for my gas grill… This set up last a long time
and is much cheaper then the little throw away bottles and cause a
lot less land fill.

Vernon Wilson

7

I have long been a proponent of Gentec’s…GET THE GENTEC…better
built, better everything… Smith is overpriced but popular gentec is
a better product. We have used them since they were introduced to
the market with zero problems out of the box on any single unit… one
thing to consider though is getting the units designed for regular
O2 and Fuel tanks…the disposable canisters are an expensive way to
go…rer

8

the harbour freight torch looks exactly like the smith’s…the
gentecs are solid body and come in various configurations ( # of
tips, regulator options, etc…) I suspect you bought the smith
knock-off although for a brief period around 2006 they did sell a
gentec… but discontinued them for the smith knock-offs…gentec’s
are solid brass coloured bodies, not the black bodies with red and
green knobs like the smith’s