[rlitman]

I know I've made a post earlier about the composition of different grade hoses, but I cannot find it right now.
But here's my take on visible cracking (that I did not bring up before): Grade R hoses are rubber both inside and out (usually SBR). This material is prone to what amount to stress corrosion cracking due to its extreme sensitivity to ozone. Additives can be put into the rubber blend to improve ozone resistance, but it only helps so much. Rubber is also sensitive to oils and many fuel gases (which is why propane will damage it from the inside out, where the damage is not visible until it fails). This ozone cracking requires only extremely low concentrations of ozone to start the process, and happens, even in storage.

Grade RM uses an oil resistant outer layer, that is generally neoprene. Neoprene is also highly resistant to ozone caused cracking, so a grade RM hose used properly with acetylene should last a long time.
Grade T uses the neoprene on both the inside and outside layers. Again, it should not fail due to ozone cracking.

If you have a grade R hose that is severely cracked, I would suggest looking over anything else rubber that lived in the same environment (like brake hoses, fuel hoses on equipment stored in your shop area, even old power cords), to see if this problem runs deeper than just this one hose, since this cracking is environmentally caused.

 

[rlitman]

They sent 000-01-101 Victor acet tip, but invoice showed I was charged for propane tip...

FYI, the differences between an acetylene and a propane cutting tip are subtle, but you can work around them.
The propane tip has a small recess in it. If you use an acetylene cutting tip with propane, the slower burning flame will likely separate from the tip and blow out. The recess prevents this. People have modified acetylene tips to work with propane by wrapping them in a short length of copper tubing to replicate this recess (it only needs to stick out around 1/8").

 

[rlitman]

Ok......on the left is a new acet welding/brazing tip...a 00 size complete with mixer and tube for like 14 bucks off the Amazon, whereas the 'genuine' Victor from my LWS cost me 100 bucks to order, and I still ain't gone to town to pick it up, but I will sometime next week when I want a steak dinner.
...

Now here is my new question for you propane weldors/brazers here.......I been doing the Google thang and kinda-sorta think I discovered that the welding/brazing tip needs to ALSO be different like the cutting tip when it comes to propane....Is that true?...does a proper propane welding/brazing tip have to also exhibit a recessed tip or simply have larger and more gas ports in the mixer adapter to work well?

$100?!? Holy crap you're being raped. I've paid $30-40 for genuine Victor welding/brazing tips, and have seen them for as much as $50ish, but that's just nuts.

No, there is no difference between a propane and an acetylene brazing tip. It's just that you cannot weld with propane.
The FLAME characteristics are quite different, but the orifice is the same.