Oxy/Acet setup

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Hello I'm new to this site. I've been browsing for awhile and have found alot ofgreat info.I'm looking to add an oxy/acet setup to my backyard shop. But I don't know anything about tank sizes. When I do need to use the oxyacetylene I have to go to my neighbors so I figured it was about time I got my own setup to be able to use when I needed it. I have seen the small portable kit you can find at the home improvement stores but I don't want to have to fill em up once a week. I just need a medium duty size that will last 2 to 3 months between fill ups.Thanks
Reply:a few questions when you say oxy acetylene rig do you mean one strictly for cutting or are you planning on welding with them too? and with whatever tanks you buy remember the 1/7 rule which is you can't withdraw more then 1/7 of the tanks cap per hour. Also i don't know how much cutting/welding you will be doing but you might be hard pressed to find a tank that will last that long. One other thing to consider, the bigger you go on tank size the cheaper the gas cost per cuft is.hope this helps RyanLast edited by trouble007; 09-14-2010 at 11:43 PM._______________________OF COURSE I DON'T LOOK BUSY... I DID IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME
Reply:On the oxygen tanks, the small 8" diameter tanks are 40, 60, 80, 125 and 150 cu. ft.  Of these, the 80 and 125 are most common and the 150 is the cheapest to fill per cu.ft.   At my gas supplier, a 125 cf bottle only cost $3 more to fill than an 80 cf, yet is about 1-1/2 times larger in volume.   Same goes for the larger 9" diameter tanks, which go from 200 to 300 cf.   The larger the tank size, the less dollars per cf to fill.The acetylene tanks are named by letter and I can never remember what's what.   I just bring the tank and tell them I want the same thing I got, whatever that is.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:For a small shop/ serious hobbyist I'd suggest a 75cf Acetylene cyl and a 100cf O2 or larger, especially if you plan to do a decent amount of cutting and heating with a rosebud. Thats the minimum I'd suggest using the 1/7th rule. For an occasional cut or two and some small heating, you might get away with the next size down acet, which is a "B" cyl or 40 cf. You hit the 1/7th rule pretty fast if you do much cutting with medium sized tips however. The tiny "MC" (10 cf) acet cyl that come with the portable kits are only useful for a few quick cuts.Keep in mind for cutting you usually use 3x the O2 as you do acet. I usually use my 75 cf acet with a 282cf O2 cyl and find they generally run out at about the same time when I have a decent amount of cutting to do. With my small 100cf O2 I'm running out to get it exchanged about 3 times for every acet swap..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