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So I drive all the way into town last week to fetch spare C25 and Argon bottles for my new IronMan 230...Plus whatever, including tig gloves and filler wire and whatever else......It turned out to be $800 trip and almost nothing to show for it.New "policy" in these parts from my old LWS is "They no longer sell any size bottles to anyone"...So ok, i travel over to Red Ball, and they only sell up to 80ft bottles for $286 each filled...so I get one of each plus the other crap I needed....At least Red Ball has decent showroom and selection.Just venting, and letting others here know once again that you never know what the policy and prices will be when it comes to bottles.,,A few years ago here in this area I bought 4 125/150 bottles full of C25, Acet, Ox, Argon for $138 each...Now, you lucky to get 80ft bottles at twice that price.
Reply:Here we can still buy up to 150 cf tanks but anything larger has to be rented. It is hard to justify the prices they get anymore. I leased a 330cf tank so I do not have to go to town so often .
Reply:what is the given reason that suports this raquet of not being able to buy anything larger than 150? terrorism ?Last edited by 123weld; 11-01-2015 at 11:42 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by 123weldwhat is the given reason that suports this raquet of not being able to buy anything larger than 150? terrorism ?
Reply:i meant to "terrorism" as the reason, for not being able to issue the bottles. i'm thinking it wont be long before we need to pay for a background checks to go get a oxy acet bottles
Reply:Well 123weld, I can share a funny here as well since you brought up terrorism. I had some students a few years back who were wanting to make some bells from some of the old condemned bottles. They went to our local Airgas distributor to purchase some. They were told that due to 9/11 that they could no longer sell these bottles to the public. At the time all of us found such an irony with this answer: you can't sell us an old empty condemned bottle, but we could buy a "fully pressurized" new one to do the same sort of thing with. WOW! Yes, we do need to be careful or we "WILL" need to go through the same sorts of checks and such to buy a bottle if we even can. Best regards, Allanaevald
Reply:Yup, if you still have a wife that cooks and cans food, don't you dare allow her to shop for a pressure cooker on the web, or especially pay cash for one at Target....LOL!But I can still go into Academy and buy cases of Tannerite with cash....hmmmmm
Reply:Yes wornoutoldwelder, I haven't quite figured that one out, but don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I first found out about that stuff from my son and a U-Tube video, a stuffed chicken, a coyote, I believe you get the idea. Coyote goulash in the end. Best regards, Allanaevald
Reply:Originally Posted by aevaldWell 123weld, I can share a funny here as well since you brought up terrorism. I had some students a few years back who were wanting to make some bells from some of the old condemned bottles. They went to our local Airgas distributor to purchase some. They were told that due to 9/11 that they could no longer sell these bottles to the public. At the time all of us found such an irony with this answer: you can't sell us an old empty condemned bottle, but we could buy a "fully pressurized" new one to do the same sort of thing with. WOW! Yes, we do need to be careful or we "WILL" need to go through the same sorts of checks and such to buy a bottle if we even can. Best regards, Allan
Reply:Originally Posted by 123weldwell, maybe thats how they got those buildings to come down the way they did. used old airgas bottles, stuffed w/ thermite, and planted them on time delay w/in the inner columns.
Reply:Well........At least my new bottles are actually new.....and they got pretty paint.....And they got threaded neck rings and protective valve caps unlike eBay bottles, so my LWS guys will at least accept them.You revolutionists guys need to understand, there ain't no way I'ma gonna pack these expensive new little bottles with explosives even tho I could....They suddenly mean too much to me.
Reply:Originally Posted by 123weldwhat is the given reason that suports this raquet of not being able to buy anything larger than 150? terrorism ?
Reply:Originally Posted by thegaryThe reason given to me is theft of large tanks off construction sites. They figure that it will stop if people can not get them filled anymore.
Reply:Originally Posted by wornoutoldwelderWell........At least my new bottles are actually new.....and they got pretty paint.....And they got threaded neck rings and protective valve caps unlike eBay bottles, so my LWS guys will at least accept them.You revolutionists guys need to understand, there ain't no way I'ma gonna pack these expensive new little bottles with explosives even tho I could....They suddenly mean too much to me.
Reply:Originally Posted by Mark's WeldingYeah wornout, but when they are empty and you go to get um filled they'll give you some old dirty 3 colored painted tin can unless you have your own bottles filled.
Reply:At my locally owned LWS in Colorado, General Air, I have been told that 80 cu ft is the maximum for ownership; all my bottles are that size. I have not gone out and polled other welding stores. The Airgas in town has high refill prices, so I am glad that I have an alternative. Conveniently, both of those stores are about 15 minutes from my shop, so no big deal if I run out of gas during business hours. I can't say that I am surprised about $200 plus prices for tanks, especially full tanks.General Air will let you trade in a tank. That is, if you have a 40 cu ft tank, and want a bigger one, they will give you credit for the smaller tank, making the price of the upgrade reasonable. Airgas will not do trade ins. I have done a trade in once or twice, to get to an 80 cu ft tank. You might be able to buy a small tank on Craigslist, and use it as trade in, and save a few bucks.The main thing that I have learned, from my own experience and that of others, is that every LWS has different policies on tanks, and probably different prices as well. If you are thinking about buying a tank, it will pay you to make a few phone calls and ask a few questions.Sculptures in copper and other metalshttp://www.fergusonsculpture.comSyncrowave 200 Millermatic 211Readywelder spoolgunHypertherm 600 plasma cutterThermal Arc GMS300 Victor OA torchHomemade Blacksmith propane forge
Reply:I have a customer owned 250 and a 150 from General Air (Colorado Springs) Norvell is the guy I deal with there. Sounds like they make up the rules as they go along like many LWSTiger Sales: AHP Distributor www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P, Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma. For Sale: Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun. Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Originally Posted by rafergusonThe main thing that I have learned, from my own experience and that of others, is that every LWS has different policies on tanks, and probably different prices as well. If you are thinking about buying a tank, it will pay you to make a few phone calls and ask a few questions.
Reply:Do any of you guys deal with "PraxAir"?
Reply:I had C25 300 exchanged at Airgas for $137.00 two day ago ( MN )Last edited by tlsmith; 11-05-2015 at 03:44 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by Mark's WeldingDo any of you guys deal with "PraxAir"?
Reply:Originally Posted by 123weldwe have a praxair, there not quite as bad as airgas, but a close running second
Reply:I tried trading in MC and B tanks at several places in N.E. Dallas metro area and none would give me any thing. A couple offed $10 each trade in for 20cf oxygen tanks. Thinking I might swap some in for full one's at Home Depot then try and sell them to a plumber or hvac guy at bargin prices. If succesful,I'll do the same with rest of them.I believe it will get worse before it get's better. As privatly owned suppliers are bought out,coraprate lobbys are hard at work incouraging state and federal lawmakers to increase insurance and licenseing requirments. Cost of doing business will eventualy make it unprofitable to operate 1 to 3 locations while large corps cover dozens of locations under the umberella of one liability policy and one license for each state.
Reply:I guess I'm lucky to be in Washington, and not somewhere out east!I just had a 125cf Argon with no neck markings swapped, as well as a 250cf Argon that had Air Force markings, now swapped for a clean neck ring. None of the local shops, either chain or private, have had any issues from my 5 and 10lb CO2, various sizes of Oxygen and Acetylene, C25, or my larger Argon bottles. Paying ~$65 for 250cf is the main reason I pursued the big bottle, otherwise lugging that heavy sucker around wouldn't really be worth the aggravation as a hobby welder. Paying almost the same on my 125cf the prior fill made me hunt one down, quickly.
Reply:Glad to hear you guys posting swap prices....But my post was about BUYING bottles and their ever-increasing prices and policies with same.Yeah, there fersure is lots of variation in refill/swap pricing depending on where you live....And I tend to agree with the guy here that stated it's due to in increasing 'corporatism" including new bottle sell price and policy, plus refill pricing.It just seems that in every industry now-a-days, the little guy supplier, and the little guy welding/fab shop, gets forced out by the big guy supplier that only caters to the big guy shops.Hell, by the time the little guy pays the big materials and big consumables guys, and the big insurance guys, and the permits/licensing guys...he's working for minimum wage....Where the little guy keeps the big guys in business and they all wear suits where we all wear raggedy Carhart and boots with round heels....my local distibutors have a waiver paper you sign when you bring in another companies bottle. if it has someone elses name on it, you sign a simple paper, stating that you the customer own the bottle outright, and they exchange the bottle. some of these stories you guys are telling sound like a conspiracy against the consumer
Reply:Bought the 250cf for $100 on Craigslist, took it directly to the LWS to get it swapped for a full one.Not sure how the break down goes with the little shops around here, mostly chain stores from Praxair, Airgas, or Central Welding/Pacific Welding (same company, just merged a few years back).My favorite is a little shop, but trying to get there while they're open is an adventure, just due to my work hours and commute distance. Hobby welder, it's not my profession.
Reply:A couple years back I found a couple K-size (250cf) bottles at a garage sale. I just happened to be riding down that street on my motorcycle and saw them standing up. I immediately stopped and asked if I could take photos of the necks (no embossing, etc.). LWS says they're fine, so I immediately brought my truck down.I gave the owner $60 for the both of them, and ran 'em down to my LWS and swapped 'em for filled bottles of gases I wanted (Ar and Ar+CO2). Total thing cost me maybe $250, and now I have two large cylinders that last a fair while. That, though, was a freaking steal.I should try to find another small bottle for portable MIG jobs one of these days.
Reply:Originally Posted by brandonsmashA couple years back I found a couple K-size (250cf) bottles at a garage sale. I just happened to be riding down that street on my motorcycle and saw them standing up. I immediately stopped and asked if I could take photos of the necks (no embossing, etc.). LWS says they're fine, so I immediately brought my truck down.I gave the owner $60 for the both of them, and ran 'em down to my LWS and swapped 'em for filled bottles of gases I wanted (Ar and Ar+CO2). Total thing cost me maybe $250, and now I have two large cylinders that last a fair while. That, though, was a freaking steal.I should try to find another small bottle for portable MIG jobs one of these days.
Reply:Portable and dirty steel MIG is why I have the 5lb bottle of CO2. It started as a fire extinguisher that had an obsolete valve head that the local shop wouldn't fill due to no replacement seals for it. Getting the valve replaced with a standard CGA320 valve and a hydro test left me with a 5lb bottle for whatever, that just happens to have a pretty red paint job.
Reply:Originally Posted by Hey_AllenPortable and dirty steel MIG is why I have the 5lb bottle of CO2. It started as a fire extinguisher that had an obsolete valve head that the local shop wouldn't fill due to no replacement seals for it. Getting the valve replaced with a standard CGA320 valve and a hydro test left me with a 5lb bottle for whatever, that just happens to have a pretty red paint job.
Reply:Recently swapped 80 cf argon for 24$ Quote to upsize to 125 cf with trade was 75$ @ Arc3 gasses in Greensboro nc |
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发表于 2021-8-31 22:24:11