oxy acetylene tanks

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i'm getting a victor torch outfit from a buddy of mine he's giving me everything but the tanks i was thinking about what size tanks to get i know most welders in their home shop have an 80 cubic foot oxygen tank and a 75 cubic foot acetylene tank but i was gonna get two 40 cubic feet tanks off ebay then i thought about renting tanks from my local airgas but i would like to own my tanks what does everybody think i would like some feedback thanks.
Reply:Depends what you plan to do. A 40 CF acet is very small. If you look at the flow requirements for most cutting and welding tips, a 75 cf Acet cylinder usually barely covers the 1/7th rule for withdrawl rate. If all you want to do is torch off or heat a few small bolts, you can get by with a 40. If you want to do any moderate cutting though, you will need a larger cylinder to stay under the withdrawl rate. Even a 75 is too small for most of the medium to large cutting tips and rosebuds. Those need a lot of gas flow and you need BIG cylinders for them..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:We rent about a 200 CF acet tank and a pretty big oxy tank and they are small in the grand scheme of things."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:I have a 125 Oxygen and approximately 80 Acetylene.  It has worked for me for over twenty years.  All depends on what your LWS sells, every one and every locale is different.
Reply:Don't waste your time with small tanks that will leave you without gases on a weekend or holiday.  Cutting uses a lot of oxygen and small tanks run down pretty quick.  Look at a 285 oxy tank as it can be loaded at higher pressure than the smaller tanks.
Reply:Also, refill charges will be much less per cu ft on the larger tanks than the smaller ones.  And you have to haul them in for refill less often.
Reply:Also, be very cautious on buying welding or any compressed gas cylinders. The DOT is very regulating on compressed gas cylinders. They must pass inspections such as hydrostatic to make sure they are safe.  When you rent , buy or lease tanks from your LWS they handle all those regulation issues. If you own a tank you bought from Joe Blow and you take it in to LWS and it's out of the hydro date they will not fill it. They might offer to have it hydro tested. Hydro can cost anywhere from 40 to 100 bucks. Typically it is good for 5 years. Also, if the tank is not one of theirs they may opt not to fill it (liability issues) or they may tell you to leave it and come back in a day or two. Filling a compressed gas cylinder is not like putting gasoline in your car. They have to fill it slowly and takes a while.  In my opinion and experience it's better to get situated with your choice of LWS and build a relationship.  Finally, some LWS's won't allow you to obtain the largest cylinders privately so you would have to go with largest they will give you. You can make up a company name to get around that detail . That's what I did.  Be advised of a thing called demurage (spelling). Basically it's a monthlly rental you can get tagged with on , I think, the larger cylinders. It helps the LWS pay for hydros and other hidden fees.   If you ever have to buy straight helium as a private individual be sure to take some KY or petroleum jelly with you.   Pricing on helium to private users is pretty much whatever they can rape you for.Good luck.Last edited by rcs9250; 02-24-2013 at 12:09 PM.
Reply:A couple of things to consider:With some LWS, even though you "buy" the tank, when you take it in to fill it, they just swap it out for one of their's that's already filled.   If your LWS does that, then you don't have to worry about the inspection issue.If the LWS swaps the tanks, then you may be limited in options for filling at other places, either for convenience, or if the LWS goes out of business.I understand that not all LWS are like my local one here.
Reply:Originally Posted by Mig welder95 i was thinking about what size tanks to get i know most welders in their home shop have an 80 cubic foot oxygen tank and a 75 cubic foot acetylene tank but i was gonna get two 40 cubic feet tanks off ebay then i thought about renting tanks from my local airgas but i would like to own my tanks what does everybody think i would like some feedback thanks.