How to transition to MIG?

BigBlue1 · Mar 9, 2020

So what was the price of C25 a few years back before these increases? I just got a tank on a 5 yr lease and I think it is about $62 for a refill of 172cuft (not including the lease cost). It's actually a bigger tank than I think I need but the overall cost wasn't much more than the two smaller tanks so I went with it. So was it like $40 for a refill back in 2016? Percentage-wise that's a fair difference but overall it doesn't seem too big of a deal, at least for hobby-level usage.

Rob

coxhaus · Mar 9, 2020

BigBlue1 said:
So what was the price of C25 a few years back before these increases? I just got a tank on a 5 yr lease and I think it is about $62 for a refill of 172cuft (not including the lease cost). It's actually a bigger tank than I think I need but the overall cost wasn't much more than the two smaller tanks so I went with it. So was it like $40 for a refill back in 2016? Percentage-wise that's a fair difference but overall it doesn't seem too big of a deal, at least for hobby-level usage.

Rob

How are you handling that big bottle? Do they deliver and pickup? I am getting old and can hardly handle my 125 any more. I also have midsize Oxygen and acetylene bottles to fill.

BigBlue1 · Mar 9, 2020

coxhaus said:
How are you handling that big bottle? Do they deliver and pickup? I am getting old and can hardly handle my 125 any more. I also have midsize Oxygen and acetylene bottles to fill.

It was heavy but not too bad. I brought a pallet along and lifted the cyl into the truck bed and onto the pallet, then strapped it down.

Rob

Big Barn · Mar 9, 2020

BigBlue1 said:
It was heavy but not too bad. I brought a pallet along and lifted the cyl into the truck bed and onto the pallet, then strapped it down.

Rob

Good plan

I use this with a strap over it. 80 cu ft in pic

Tank storage cage

dragoneggs · Mar 9, 2020

BigBlue1 said:
It was heavy but not too bad. I brought a pallet along and lifted the cyl into the truck bed and onto the pallet, then strapped it down.

Rob

I like using a pallet just to keep it from rolling around. Much easier to secure as well.

yomax4 · Mar 9, 2020

BigBlue1 said:
So what was the price of C25 a few years back before these increases? I just got a tank on a 5 yr lease and I think it is about $62 for a refill of 172cuft (not including the lease cost). It's actually a bigger tank than I think I need but the overall cost wasn't much more than the two smaller tanks so I went with it. So was it like $40 for a refill back in 2016? Percentage-wise that's a fair difference but overall it doesn't seem too big of a deal, at least for hobby-level usage.

Rob

I know larger manufacturers who are buying 300cf mixed and straight Argon for $21.00. It costs more than that for a poor retail guy to fill a 40cf. I know a recycle center who buys the K Oxygen for $6.00. I'm very grateful to get mine for free.

Tractor Seabee · Mar 9, 2020

Alas the result of monopolies, charge what the traffic will bear. I just filled a 120CF with Argon, almost $40. If they would just extract the co2 from the air it should get real cheap. A lot of liquid evaporated to gas is pretty cheap per cuft of gas output. In my pipefitter days it was common to use co2 as shielding gas and purge gas for SS tubing TIG welding. Any one tried it on aluminum? Steel it won't work.

Ron

dragoneggs · Mar 9, 2020

Tractor Seabee said:
Alas the result of monopolies, charge what the traffic will bear. I just filled a 120CF with Argon, almost $40. If they would just extract the co2 from the air it should get real cheap. A lot of liquid evaporated to gas is pretty cheap per cuft of gas output. In my pipefitter days it was common to use co2 as shielding gas and purge gas for SS tubing TIG welding. Any one tried it on aluminum? Steel it won't work.

Ron

Ron, where you do get refills... PWS?

yomax4 · Mar 10, 2020

Back in the day when I worked for a large LWS the pump guys always laughed that there was 12 cents worth of oxygen in the K tank and we sold it for $25 over the counter. Then they dreamed up the $2.00 Haz Mat charge that was supposedly for cylinder paint, hydrotest and training. That 1st year the company made 2 million just on haz-mat charge that was a cost to do business prior to. Then the $10.00 delivery charge that was no-charge one day and $10.00 the next. I think we made more off the misc charges than the gas and hardgoods we sold.