Tom Stovall, CJF wrote:
A Henrob, or any other correctly adjusted O/A torch will make satisfactory cuts in ferrous metals, but won't quite cut "like plasma."
The cut made by a Henrob on ferrous metals has a very thin kerf - thinner than a hacksaw blade. So in respect to the fine cut vs. a sloppy cut a regular cutting torch is inferior. You can use the Henrob to burn cuts through thin aluminum as well, but it only works on straight cuts over a relatively short distance - like whacking off a piece of aluminum bar stock. It leaves about 1/8" kerf when you cut 5/16" aluminum - hacksaw or bar shear is a better choice for that stuff anyway (on the shoeing rig).
Plasma will cut anything that'll conduct electricity - e.g., steel, stainless, bronze, aluminum, brass, copper, zinc, body parts, etc. O/A is pretty much limited to steel - I've forgotten the chemistry, but it's something to do with the affinity of O2 to Fe.
Again, relative to a shop production environment the plazma cutter is superior. It just ain't practical for the portable shoeing rig.
The process is similar, but there's no inert shielding gas to protect the weld from oxygen embrittlement.
Henrob does a great job on stainless if you adjust it for a carburizing flame - sort of shields itself that way. For cast iron (with regular forge welding fulx) it does a nice job too. You have to pre warm the part when you weld cast iron . . . I have welded cast iron to steel using mild steel rod and Swan Magic Weld flux. No bead, just a clean blend. It helps to have shade 7 goggles when you are using flux.
For me, a Henrob wasn't nearly as versatile as a Victor Journeyman and O/A, but if everybody liked beans, there wouldn't be nearly enough to go around.
I had both setups on my rig with hose splitters on the Oxy/Ace regulators. For my fabrication needs (as a fully portable farrier setup) the Victor setup was less efficient. I donated the Victor setup to an auction to benefit the LA/Katrina farriers . . . Danny Ward bought my Victor setup - he loves it.
IME, the one thing a Henrob can do better than any other tool in one's box is filet braze - with a little practice and good fit up, one can join thinwall tubing with slick, smooth, seamless, filets that are completely without transition lines. Folks fabricating high end, filet brazed, bicycle frames love Henrobs.

I used it to rework my NC Tool anvil stand. The stand is 14ga square tubular steel. It welds the thin stuff like butter. Theres this video of a guy using a Henrob to weld a vertical bead of aluminum up the side of a soda can. I figure the guy is a brain surgeon or something. I drink way too much coffee to do that.

The guy I bought my Henrob from welded a borium cylindar on the heel of a shoe. The cylindar is about the size of a soda straw and about 2" tall. TOM, Imagine the
borium toe grabs you could weld on a half round with that torch!!! . . . sorry make that F@#$%^& borium toe grabs.