Changed my tune on that portable forge after a wet spring

I always thought a portable propane forge was a luxury I didn't need, sticking with my old coal setup in the shop. This past spring was so rainy here in Kentucky that I lost a bunch of work days because I couldn't get a good fire going outside for corrective shoeing. I finally bit the bullet and spent about $600 on a decent propane rig. Having that steady, clean heat right out of my truck bed let me finish jobs on the spot instead of rescheduling. It paid for itself in maybe two months just from keeping clients happy and not losing appointments. The control is different, but I'm getting the hang of it. Has anyone else made the switch and have tips for working with propane on the road?

4 comments

4 Comments

iris9273mo ago

Oh man, welcome to the club! Keep a spare tank and regulator in the truck, you'll thank me later. The heat's way more even once you get used to it.

taylor.reese3mo ago

My old man ran a propane forge for forty years without a single backup. The one time his regulator failed mid-project, he lost a whole day's work waiting for parts. That spare setup is cheap insurance against dead time.

simonp763mo ago

Spare tank's smart, but regulators rarely fail like that.

betty_wells1mo ago

Swap the regulator out every couple years even if it looks fine, that's what I do now. @simonp76 you might be right about them not failing often, but when they do it's always at the worst time. I keep a whole backup kit in a milk crate, tank regulator hose and all, cost me like sixty bucks at a garage sale. Saves me from cussing at 6am on a Saturday when something decides to crap out.