Tractor Supply for C25 or Argon Gas?

[Sarge338]

Good Morning Everyone!

I am wondering if anyone has any experience with Tractor Supply’s shielding gases for their welder(s). I have been renting bottles for a few years (1 I have no choice but to rent), but I am looking to move to smaller, owned bottles. Since I know no one will swap another vendor’s bottles, and welding supply shops aren’t open on the weekends, I was considering TSC. Their prices aren’t great, but being able to swap bottles without having to take vacation time from work would be nice. I just wasn’t sure what the availability is. Can you just walk in and swap a bottle? Do you have to give them a bottle to send off to refill? Do you have to give them x-days notice to have one on-hand? And quality… if you have used their gases, have you had any issues with bad gas?

I would really like to get away from bottle rental, but that only solves half of my problem if I still can’t swap the bottles on the weekends. I don’t necessarily trust reviews on a vendor’s site, so I thought you all would be the best group to ask for real information.

Thanks!

 

[5030]

I get my shielding gas as well as my acetelyne and oxygen from Air Liquide and I own my tanks. You can buy tanks online from Indiana Welders Supply and have them shipped to your door.

 

[Sarge338]

I get my shielding gas as well as my acetelyne and oxygen from Air Liquide and I own my tanks. You can buy tanks online from Indiana Welders Supply and have them shipped to your door.

That’s good to know, but where do I get them filled? Filling, rather than swapping is a multi-day event at a welding supply house. And no place will swap a bottle that didn’t come from them.

 

[WranglerX]

My go to gas/consumable supplier is a "LINDE" dealer (previously Praxair) never have problem purchasing bottles or getting exchange refills, only negative is closes on saturday/sunday... BUT I'm retired so weekday trips are not a problem...

 

[paulsharvey]

I've been curious, as I really only need argon and a flow meter to try scratch start Tig, But the local "Throughbreed" vendors, Ace and TSC, don't carry 100% Argon. To top it off, the purchase price for their 120cf tanks is pretty dang steep.

You probably should make sure they sell the gas you need. Other thing, if they decide to quit carrying them; your stuck with an expensive bottle that noone will fill. Also, the gas is pretty expensive through them; but I like the idea of a 15 min drive to pick it up.

 

[Harry in Ky]

Good Morning Everyone!

I am wondering if anyone has any experience with Tractor Supply’s shielding gases for their welder(s). I have been renting bottles for a few years (1 I have no choice but to rent), but I am looking to move to smaller, owned bottles. Since I know no one will swap another vendor’s bottles, and welding supply shops aren’t open on the weekends, I was considering TSC. Their prices aren’t great, but being able to swap bottles without having to take vacation time from work would be nice. I just wasn’t sure what the availability is. Can you just walk in and swap a bottle? Do you have to give them a bottle to send off to refill? Do you have to give them x-days notice to have one on-hand? And quality… if you have used their gases, have you had any issues with bad gas?

I would really like to get away from bottle rental, but that only solves half of my problem if I still can’t swap the bottles on the weekends. I don’t necessarily trust reviews on a vendor’s site, so I thought you all would be the best group to ask for real information.

Thanks!

I have two bottles for my torch and one argon mix for my small wire feed. I bought one of each many years ago. I refill all of them at TSC now, and have no problems. They charged a one time certification fee or some such, on each of them (because they weren't painted their shade of blue). It wasn't all that much as I recall. The local store stocks all the sizes I have and I just trade them out as needed. I don't know if the prices are all that much different from the welding supply companies or not, but for as often (or seldom) as I need one the price difference isn't all that important. The bottle sizes and prices are listed on their website if you care to look.

 

[paulsharvey]

I have two bottles for my torch and one argon mix for my small wire feed. I bought one of each many years ago. I refill all of them at TSC now, and have no problems. They charged a one time certification fee or some such, on each of them (because they weren't painted their shade of blue). It wasn't all that much as I recall. The local store stocks all the sizes I have and I just trade them out as needed. I don't know if the prices are all that much different from the welding supply companies or not, but for as often (or seldom) as I need one the price difference isn't all that important. The bottle sizes and prices are listed on their website if you care to look.

So Harry, they swapped a Non throughbreed cylinder for one of theirs, for a fee? That's awesome.

I have two large O2 tanks, Well out of cert, but still in good shape (both partially full), and might ask if I could swap those for AR for a fee.

 

[5030]

I'm a nal about beat up exchange bottles. That is why I bought them new and have the filled and all mine have my company name on them as well. Turn around time at the local Air Liquide dealer is one day because they are also a compressor station so they extract the various gases from the air right there.

 

[Harry in Ky]

I wouldn't know about that. I bought my bottles a couple years before we moved here from Idaho. Had probably only exchanged the oxygen once, the others were still half full or so. I took the first empty one to TSC one day and they traded me a full one the same size for the exchange price (whatever that was) plus the recert fee (and paint job) with no hassle. I did them all as needed with no issues. That was over fifteen years ago now and I've probably swapped out 1/2 dozen times between them all.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, first of all; around here, it's Thoughbreed, at TSC, an Ace, and I gather Northern Tool; but I dont 100% know that that's the same exchange service in all parts of the country; and second, $500 for the bottle, and $80/fill seems High for 125 CF 100% Argon; but it is dang convenient.

Amazon has a Full 125cf 100% Argon, free delivery for $359.

If TSC could get the initial bottle purchase price down; I almost wouldn't mind the high refill price, with as little as I would plan to use.

If they would take an outside owner bottle; at say, $50 extra fee; that would make them more interesting.