Best deal for gas lease or buy?

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Im in San Diego and needing to get a bottle for my tig I just purchased.Whats the best avenue. It just cost me $152 to fill my 300 cf of steel mix seems a little steep from some of the old posts i been reading out here,,,thanks jim
Reply:Depends on what the largest size you can own I guess. If its an 80, lease. If you can own 125's and 150's, I would buy. I own 13 cylinders all in the 125 or 150 size but one single 80 I have yet to trade up. Buying all those cylinders still cost a lot less than what I have lost on leases over the last few decades. Of course, I only paid full price for one of them, too. I find deals here and there and get them in the free to 150 clam range.QamuIs Heg qaq law' lorvIs yInqaq puS
Reply:For the cylinder can't you purchase one used on craigslist then exhange it?I dont know I purchased my three tanks full price.
Reply:Cylinder rules are very area specific. For my area, yes, you can swap out cyls like that because that is exactly what I have been doing. Not off CL, but close enough. It just all depends on what your LWS will and won't accept.QamuIs Heg qaq law' lorvIs yInqaq puS
Reply:It really depends on your area and what the LWS policy is. Where I live, most big companies won't fill large owner bottles. You have no choice but to lease. Most of the smaller guys that would fill owner bottles are now gone. "Small" bottles 150 cf or less you can own or lease. I bought my 100cf oxy and 75 cf acet originally from the LWS. My other bottles, 100% argon, 75/25, nitrogen, 3 "B" bottles of acet. have all come from CL or private sales.  I have several large owner bottles, but the only thing now I can get filled in them is breathing air for running my plasma.I do have a lease on a 282cf O2 bottle. Mostly I have the big O2 bottle because with a lease account my guy will let me grab extra tanks if it looks like I might be short over a weekend job. If my argon is only 1/2 used up on friday, he'll let me take the extra bottle home, and just return the empty on Monday when he opens. If I don't bring it back, he just throws it on my bill.It also helps if I need to take bottles into other branch locations other than my usual place. No explanations, My acct number and swap the bottles..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:I'm in San Diego too.  I own all my bottles, some I bought new, others I bought used on Craig's List or acquired in trades with friends, etc.  Anyhow, I take my bottles down to Airgas and they exchange them with me for filled ones they already have sitting there.   Sometimes they don't have the size and gas in stock so they fill my bottle and I come back later and pick it up.  They will exchange any customer-owned bottle as long as it is in current hydro cert.  If it's not current, they charge for testing and re-cert, provided the bottle appears to be in passable condition.  Prices on gas depend on how much business you do with them, which is also the same at West Air.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I called around today,so far in San Diego I found 'Five Star" is my best deal by far on gas,,,, Bottles are high everywhere...so im  watching craigslist,,,waiting for a deal,,,,   thanks jim
Reply:If you don't plan on kicking the bucket in the next 5yrs, purchase is the way to go.Be careful that you don't buy lease bottles from someone  I have heard of it happening.  Dude shows up to get them filled, and gets a nasty surpriseI've always purchased bottles direct from the LWS.  MOre expensive, but no bad surprises."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:I've been lucky where bottles are concerned. My uncle used to run the local acetylene plant and learning what neck ring names to avoid or acquire was a simple phone call away. As long as the neck ring is free of a name, it is NOT a lease bottle.Bill LambertArgon WeldingABQ NMSic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc
Reply:I too am in the San Diego area.  I own all of my bottles.  They are all owned "K" size (248 cu.ft.) Ar or C-25 cylinders that I either bought new at P***air or on Craigslist.  If you are interested in one that large, PM me as I have an Ar cylinder that is down to 400 psi and I am fixing to sell it soon as I have a full one to replace it.ScottMiller XMT 350 CC/CV w/gas solenoid opt.Miller S-22A wirefeederBernard 400A "Q" gunMiller Spoolmatic 30A / WC-24C-K 200A torch/gas lensWeldcraft WC-18 watercooled torchHypertherm Powermax 30Victor O/A
Reply:What the heck is an average lease rate for a bottle anyway? Are they about the same for all gases ?
Reply:After making some calls and researching on line seems to me that  price,s on all gas changes from day to day and from whos waiting on you at the counter .Depending on the store its starting to look to me like some suck you in on a smoking deal on the lease and the first fill up and then end up getting hammered on the price of gas after that..So needless to say now im leaning toward owning.. Thanks Jim