What size Argon/CO2 tank ? I am guessing I will weld about 2 hrs/yr trigger time.

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Ok, so now I got the MIG and I need to get a tank.  125 cu. ft. or 150 or larger?   BTW, these things are not cheap - I bet some of you pros have many tanks so the cost just disappears within the thousands of dollars worth of equipment and resulting revenue produced.  One guy told me, "the bigger the better" but geez, it has to fit on the cart!Btw, if you just want to send me to a thread where this question is already answered please do so.Is my trigger time guesstimate embarrassing?  I have been stickwelding up until this point for the last 18 years - tractor repairs, etc..  I am not an artist, it is not my trade thus the reason for so little time.  However, I was thinking of a couple of nice projects like an arbor for the garden, a giant heavy duty pool side unbrella (the ones I have purchased for $300-$500 break after a year or so from the slightest wind) and a couple of other things.One quote from AirGas was $275 filled (75% Argon, 25% CO2) and it was a 125 cubic foot unit.  Then, the same day another guy quoted $210 and a $30 fill (so, $240).  What a difference.The harder I work the luckier I get!  It is nice to be important but more important to be nice.  The best way to predict your future is to create it.  My three mottos.
Reply:i would say to get the largest tank you can. possibly 2 of them. it's gotta be cheaper that way besides you know the tank's going to run dry just when you need it most.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:Welcome. Its pretty easy to figure your usage. If you typically run 30 cubic feet per hour you would get about 6 hours continuous on a 180 cubic foot tank.Miller xmt304,  Miller S22 p12, Miier Maxstar SD, Miller 252 w 30A, Miller super32p12, Lincoln Ranger 9, Thermal Arc 181I with spoolgun, Hypertherm 10000 ,Smith torches. Esab 161lts miniarc.
Reply:Think of it this way. if you run 20 cubic feet per hour for example, it's easy to determine how much weld time you get from a cylinder. a 125cf cylinder would give you about 6 hours of weld time, a 20 cf one would run out in an hour.Gas is cheaper by the cubic foot on average the bigger the cylinder is. The reason is there all all sorts of "fees" included in the exchange price on a cylinder. Hazmat fees, hydro testing, shipping and handling etc, plus the actual gas. Those cost as the same whether the cylinder is 20 cf or 300 cf other than the gas cost, so proportionally the fees are higher on smaller bottles, not to mention you hav eto keep paying those fees every time you exchange the cylinder. It costs me less than $10 more to fill my 300 cf O2 cylinder than it does my 100cf one. 3x the gas and only a small fraction of the added cost. Add to all of this the hassle and cost of gas when you have to make multiple trips, plus the fact it's easy to run out with small cylinders in the middle of a project.However many places will only sell you cylinders up to a certain size. This would depend on the shop you deal with. After that they are leased/rentals. That means you'd also have to add the lease cost to the equation as well. Big cylinders also have issues with storage and transport. Stuffing a 300 cf cylinder in your Smart car probably won't work well. So you have to  balance between a cylinder that is cost effective and easy to store/transport..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:There's many postings on this. EVERY supplier has their own policies on tanks. You MUST SHOP AROUND. Here's a local guy [ too far from you I think ] that posted on craigs list with prices for ideas. http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/tld/4246934030.htmlHere's a post I did on them. http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...01#post3430701Advanced welding wants $215 for a 125 and $225 for a 150.Only $10 more for another 25 CF. Here's a  cylinder chart ZAP posted, http://www.airgas.com/content/detail...=7000000000234Either 125 or 150 is nice. Some suppliers only go to 125 for owner tanks, above that are rental. You could check craigs list too. Actually you might not be too far from Adanced welding, maybe 40 miles ?
Reply:Tanks get pretty unwieldy when they get big.  125-150 is pretty fair sized but not nearly as heavy as the big cylinders."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:Ok, thanks.  Based on those replys - I will buy a 150 for now and be done with it.  BD1, I will check out those posts.  I will repost a picture when it is done - just to close the thread.The harder I work the luckier I get!  It is nice to be important but more important to be nice.  The best way to predict your future is to create it.  My three mottos.
Reply:Advanced Welding in Milwaukee is where I bought my welder.  I will just go there but I did find two on craigslist for $100 each (125 cu. ft. units that are current within last 10 years).The harder I work the luckier I get!  It is nice to be important but more important to be nice.  The best way to predict your future is to create it.  My three mottos.
Reply:Make sure that you get the “Paper Trail” of the “USED” tank. Or you’ll be throwing the $100.00 ea. away!!!!.Everlast PowerPro 256, Everlast W300 Cooler, Everlast Cart 250Millermatic 211, Spoolgun 100, Miller HD CartJackson W60 Truesight Digital Auto Darkening, Victor 315 Torch sitting on a Harper 830-86 cart
Reply:Have you tried 100% CO2????   A 20lb cylinder will last forever and refills are about $20.00.  With the amount of trigger time you anticipate; why have a large cylinder in your way.
Reply:No.  Never thought about that.  Just trying to follow the directions on the net.  Pretty much everyone is saying 75/25 and a 150 cu ft tankThe harder I work the luckier I get!  It is nice to be important but more important to be nice.  The best way to predict your future is to create it.  My three mottos.
Reply:I use both 100% CO2 and the 75/25 mixed tanks.100% CO2 for dirty stuff, since it spatters a little anyway. Use nozzle dip to help keep my tip clean.75/25 for clean stuff.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:Bigger is always better. You never run out of gas in the morning on a Tuesday. It's always the middle of the afternoon on Sunday. I'm just upgraded from an 80 to a 150 and I'm really glad I did. Next I need to get a second cylindar for backup.
Reply:So since we're doing math, at 2 hours a year of welding, how many years will it to take to justify the cost of your welding equipment!
Reply:Originally Posted by hou_meBigger is always better. You never run out of gas in the morning on a Tuesday. It's always the middle of the afternoon on Sunday. I'm just upgraded from an 80 to a 150 and I'm really glad I did. Next I need to get a second cylindar for backup.