oxygen and acetalene tanks

[sam5570]

Well I just got my rent statement from the company that I rent my oxygen and acetylene and they want $470.00 for 5 years and that's to much. Where is the best place to buy my tanks from? I have seen some from $150.00 up to $800.00 and will I have a problem getting them filled. I had read something a long time back about companies not filling some tanks refresh my memory please.

 

[Shield Arc]

My welding supply told me if you rent for 2-years. You might as well buy the tanks. When I go in to get new tanks, the guys don't even come over to help. Just have to make sure the full tanks have a "P" on them. I just go inside and tell the counter guy what I loaded up. Been doing it this way for about 20-years.

 

[Clint S]

Same here for my welding tanks they just swap out for a new tank and no issues. For the amount I use torches I borrow my buddies the less than one time a year I need them. I have ben thinking of buying a small set from HF though.

 

[Al 2]

For almost 20 years I've used oxy and propane. I used 2 large oxy in that time and they now are empty. Lets just say I own them and don't rent but still need them , mostly for heating. I also have a plasma cutter. One more tank should be all I need. Both oxy suppliers have offered to 'slip ' one into the system for me on another account and I would be happy to pay whatever they ask but the companies are very strict as to what bottles they will accept and right now I don't have one that they will take.
Al

 

[Big Barn]

Well I just got my rent statement from the company that I rent my oxygen and acetylene and they want $470.00 for 5 years and that's to much. Where is the best place to buy my tanks from? I have seen some from $150.00 up to $800.00 and will I have a problem getting them filled. I had read something a long time back about companies not filling some tanks refresh my memory please.

I wish I had access to those lease rates. The best I can do locally for my limited usage and "medium" sized tanks is $200 a year (including taxes) I THINK that's the same price for bigger bottles which I don't need.

The only bottles I can "buy" are small ones. Rates and policies seem to vary region to region and company to company.



Terry

 

[Stimw]

My bottles have this ring on top marking them as customer owned.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Hardly anybody rents/leases tanks anymore except large users that turn them around fast like steel shops and structural steel contractors. That way they do not have to store them after needed or worry about damage or retesting. Acetylene is fast going out of style due to cost and being replaced by propane and natural gas. Propane in the field NG in shops, Acetylene is only required if you are welding steel w/a torch or need more heat value for some odd reason. I keep an acetylene tank for the rare times I torch weld steel. I remember the days when the primary source of Acetylene was generators using carbide and water, long gone except in museums. My dad and I used one for years. The welding school I went to as a teenager had a huge generator. That was the first thing we learned was servicing the generator. It took 100# of carbide per filling (about a weeks worth of gas).

Ron

 

[Fallon]

No issues here with customer owned in Colorado. Bought my Argon tank from a local shop in Colorado Springs. They swapped it once to fill it. Had it filled by a new place here in Denver. The latest fill got hit with $10 to re-certify the tank for it's 7 year inspection. I upgraded to the bigger tank for an extra $150 or something too.

Think AirGas & some of the other big chains have issues with other people's bottles, but not most local welding shops.

Nobody has ever even asked about ownership on mine. Don't remember if they are painted or stamped customer owned.

Generally they swap out the bottles out rather than fill them. Especially ascetelene as it's finicky & special. So you own a bottle, just not a specific bottle.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Hardly anybody rents/leases tanks anymore except large users that turn them around fast like steel shops and structural steel contractors. That way they do not have to store them after needed or worry about damage or retesting. Acetylene is fast going out of style due to cost and being replaced by propane and natural gas. Propane in the field NG in shops, Acetylene is only required if you are welding steel w/a torch or need more heat value for some odd reason. I keep an acetylene tank for the rare times I torch weld steel. I remember the days when the primary source of Acetylene was generators using carbide and water, long gone except in museums. My dad and I used one for years. The welding school I went to as a teenager had a huge generator. That was the first thing we learned was servicing the generator. It took 100# of carbide per filling (about a weeks worth of gas).

Ron

I wish that was true. I'm forced to rent bottles. $800 for a ten year lease plug gas for a typical acetylene-oxy bottle set-up. I own my argon and argon/CO2 bottles but my welding supply complains about them.

 

[Oldoak]

No issues here with customer owned in Colorado. Bought my Argon tank from a local shop in Colorado Springs. They swapped it once to fill it. Had it filled by a new place here in Denver. The latest fill got hit with $10 to re-certify the tank for it's 7 year inspection. I upgraded to the bigger tank for an extra $150 or something too.

Think AirGas & some of the other big chains have issues with other people's bottles, but not most local welding shops.

Nobody has ever even asked about ownership on mine. Don't remember if they are painted or stamped customer owned.

Generally they swap out the bottles out rather than fill them. Especially ascetelene as it's finicky & special. So you own a bottle, just not a specific bottle.

That is the way it works around my neck of the woods also, without any problems, just swapping tanks once one is purchased for the first time.

As far as acetylene goes, even the welding or retail outlets don't refill their own acetylene tanks or any other gas and oxygen tanks. Full tanks are refilled strictly by one or two major distributors accept for propane which many smaller retailers refill on-site.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

That is the way it works around my neck of the woods also, without any problems, just swapping tanks once one is purchased for the first time.

Same thing here too...

SR

 

[Turbys_1700]

Same thing here too...

SR

Yep...
Same here too...

 

[bspeedy]

Ditto.

One tip that may be helpful. If you can get (or already have) a small bottle, look at upgrading when you need a refill. Filling large bottles costs about the same as small bottles and lasts much longer. You will pay extra for the 'steel' as they call it, but it is very worth it most of the time. Typically you get the gas for free when upgrading, also. At least, that's how it works at my LWS.

 

[Fallon]

Ditto.

One tip that may be helpful. If you can get (or already have) a small bottle, look at upgrading when you need a refill. Filling large bottles costs about the same as small bottles and lasts much longer. You will pay extra for the 'steel' as they call it, but it is very worth it most of the time. Typically you get the gas for free when upgrading, also. At least, that's how it works at my LWS.

Same, which is part of the reason I upgraded. It costs them the same labor to fill a small bottle as it does a big bottle. So the gas in big bottles ends up running a LOT less per cubic foot than it does in small bottles.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

You folks that don't need to lease your tanks are lucky.

 

[BukitCase]

You got that right Eric; at Sam's rate, my #5 acetylene and "T" oxy tank would've cost me $3660 by now, instead of somewhere around $200 (in 1978) -

If I ever start needing to heat a bunch of stuff I'll probly trade the Acetylene tank for a couple more Oxy's and swap what I need to for changing to propane - already have 4 25 gallon propane tanks that don't get used much at all, so the only cost would be new hoses (need 'em anyway) and a few torch parts.

Been DECADES since I've actually WELDED with torches, now with mig/tig/stick/plasma available it'll probly be NEVER... Steve

 

[sam5570]

Well guy's here is where we are at now called my welding supply he gave me a price on 2 small tanks for $250.00 and I just take them back when empty trade for full sounded good right, so I load my big tank's take off to supply long story short he tried to pull one on me and it didn't work when he fixed my bill it was $476.65 I said how did you arrive at that number well this tank is this price and so on. Isaid to him you priced the tank's on the phone for $250.00 and now your wanting me to pay over double that, so now I have no tank's at all. The guy told me that they would not fill any customer owned tanks bigger than the small he was going to sell me. Thanks guys for all the info i'll keep looking at my options and come up with something[ARC3] is the supply company I was trying to deal with.

 

[sixdogs]

No prob around here with owned tanks and you can even buy them used at auctions or estate sales and big welding shops honor things and refill.

I know why ACY should go out of style but what else can you get the heat from to heat steel hot enough to melt or burn parts off, etc? I didn't think propane could get that hot.

 

[sam5570]

No prob around here with owned tanks and you can even buy them used at auctions or estate sales and big welding shops honor things and refill.

I know why ACY should go out of style but what else can you get the heat from to heat steel hot enough to melt or burn parts off, etc? I didn't think propane could get that hot.

Yeah i'm in the dark here I was not aware that they were using propane to replace acetylene. Our problem is we only have one supplier here.

 

[BukitCase]

Here's a couple articles that'll explain this - the first one you owe it to yourself (and heirs) to read THOROUGHLY (spoken by a 72 year old who NARROWLY missed being dead at 20)

The second will clarify the differences between acetylene and propane, including technique changes for propane...

Fuel your safety knowledge - The Fabricator

Gas Welding – Acetylene vs Propane

HTH... Steve