What to do:Lease or buy gas cylinder.

[jake98]

I bought a nice old welding cart (complete except for the torches) from a guy clearing out his father's shop and when I took the first empty in, the guy at the industrial supply exchanged it but mentioned that the numbers said it was not an owned bottle. I kept going back and exchanging them for years. The last time I did it (a few weeks back), I got a new guy behind the counter and he really balked. I told him I'd been exchanging the bottles there for years. He let me have another and told me it was going to be the last one. He quoted me something like $.35 per day for just the oxygen bottle. I'm going to try to nurse this one for years if I can. I'm mainly brazing these days, but I put on the rosebud now and then to heat something. Big tanks and small tips if at all possible. Dang!

I don't see how they can tell, if they exchange them all.. I just 'bought' an 80CF tank from Airgas, and it looks like it's fifty years old. I don't think they keep them in different piles..?

 

[deereman75]

When I bought the tanks for my O/A torch at air liquide, they just went to the back and found the tanks in the best shape for me, both the tanks were painted red, and one has the name of a big tool store painted on the side, so they sure wernt new.

 

[Short Game]

I don't see how they can tell, if they exchange them all.. I just 'bought' an 80CF tank from Airgas, and it looks like it's fifty years old.

I have to wonder if they're having me on. Next time I have an empty, I'm going straight to Airgas in Washington, who I believe delivers to the industrial supply I go to in Oregon. They've had my business for twenty years on lots of things I use. I didn't like the feeling of being cornered. Over $250 per year for both tanks? Nice if you can get it, I guess. For crisake, that's about what I pay for car insurance.

They get to sell the gas. But that's not enough. Let them pass the costs of testing their equipment onto the suckers. It looks like the market has failed once again. They need a little competition and let it be someone that they are not colluding with. Looks like just another Mafia operation.

I don't think they keep them in different piles..?

I see them all standing on the Airgas truck together, new and old alike.

 

[jake98]

The Airgas guy pointed out on the receipt where it said I bought it, and told me to make sure I save it for future reference. Corporate probably leans on them to recover some of the stolen lease tanks, I guess.. In the 'big city' those things probably walk off all the time.

 

[Jim in ICT]

See if you can set up an account with your distributor, either cash or charge. Then they can "load" your account with the customer owned cylinder. This way there's a record on the account that you own the cylinder if there's ever a question.
As for new vs. old cylinders in stock, as long as their half-way presentable, they may not be repainted until they go back in for hydro testing.