What size is YOUR cylinder?

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Frustrating day........Wanted to practice some tig today.  Run about 3 beads, and tank runs dry.  I can run a 80cf tank down in a week pretty easily.   I am thinking about upping to a 125 or 150.  But my thoughts are once the "new" has worn off of tig welding I probably wont be doing so much "practicing" and just use it as needed.  For the average home hobby welder, what is a "good" size cylinder.  I realize that having a larger tank wont "hurt" anything.  I just dont want to spend money unless I really need to.
Reply:The biggest you can buy within your budget. The bigger tanks are cheaper to fill, and of course they last longer. It is always nice to have an extra tank on hand too, no matter what size you have, they always seem to run out at the most inconvenient time if one is all you have. I have an 80 cf, if I get another it will be at least that same size.
Reply:Anywhere between an 80cf and a 150cf cylinder will work fine for the average hobbyist. Weld time will depend on what your flow rate is. A gas lens will allow you to turn down your gas flow and still maintain good coverage. If you use a standard gas cup and have the flow set at 20 CFH, you will get roughly 4 hrs of weld time from an 80 cf cylinder. Go to a gas lens and reduce your flow to 15 CFH, and you can add almost another hour and 20 minutes to your weld time. If you can move down to 12 CFH, you could  get almost 2 and a half hours more time  vs a standard cup set at 20 CFH... A gas lens is an inexpensive way to "extend" your gas.Another option would be to simply keep your eyes open for a 2nd cylinder on CL. I've got 4 right now between 80-125cf that I switch as needed between mig and tig depending on the projects I need to work on. In several cases I picked them up for less than it would have cost me to upgrade an existing cylinder to the next larger size. My place simply charges the difference in cost between the two sizes if you choose to upgrade. I originally upgraded my original 60 cf cylinder to the 80 cf I have now when I found I needed more gas for my mig projects, but it wasn't long after that I managed to pick up a "spare" cylinder at a yard sale so I'd always have an extra for long weekend projects.I always suggest people check their gas near the end of the week and see if they think they have enough to get thru the weekend. If you only have 300-500 psi left, it may be worth dumping the gas and getting a new cylinder if you have a large project planned. I'm lucky, I have an account with my gas supplier and we have a good working relationship. He'll "spot" me a "spare" over the weekend as long as I return the empty on Monday morning...  for example if I'm 1/2 full, but know I'll need more than that for the job at hand. Worse case, he bills me for the rental if for some reason I can't get the cylinder back right away. A good reason to shop local and have an account. You usually get better service if you are well known at the LWS, even if it is just small things you pick up..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:Hobby welder here too and I am pretty happy with the 125cf I picked up.I think it's down to about 300 - 400 psi after running 15-20cfh during my practice throughout the last 30 or so days.I'm a still have plenty of my first four 5lb boxes of filler (3/32 and 1/16 steel and alum).Being new and burning through my $$$$ reserves for this venture I also make a habit of turning off the tank valve when I'll be measuring, cutting,fitting, remeasuring, re cutting, throwing the tape measures, drinking ,etc.  Originally Posted by Jr_vw2Run about 3 beads, and tank runs dry.  I can run a 80cf tank down in a week pretty easily.
Reply:But my thoughts are once the "new" has worn off of tig welding I probably wont be doing so much "practicing" and just use it as needed.
Reply:I hadn't thought of gas leaks, but that would quickly drop a cylinder if left on. It's a good habit to always shut off the gas, even if you have to leave for a "few minutes". Forget and you can come back hours later to find you have lost a ton of gas thru a bad seal at the reg to cylinder nut.Buffout, your 125 would last a bit over 8 hrs of weld time at 15 CFH, and about 6 1/4 hrs at 20 CFH. Note that is actual time the gas is flowing and you are welding ( including pre and post flow). Any time you sit and prep etc and don't weld, simply "extends" how long the gas lasts, simply because you are not using any gas. You get a lot less "weld" time in an hour with tig usually compared to say mig where you can go on and on with out stopping..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:thanks all.   I AM running a gas lens and I usually run anywhere between 4-8 L/min (not sure how that converts to cf/hr)  I am 100% sure that I dont have any gas leaks, and I have a very good habit of turning the tank off. I always do with my mig as well.   I currently have 2 80cf tanks.  One pure argon and one mix for my mig.  I may give this dude a call.    http://chattanooga.craigslist.org/tls/2843387411.htmlhe posts all the time and seems to have quite a few cylinders.  although I think its a good deal I think 300cf is overkill.  lol
Reply:Just be sure you can get the 300 cf cylinder filled or exchanged. Near me all the small independent suppliers are long gone and no one will fill a customer owned cylinder that size. The big companies will only exchange one if it is from their company and you have an account however. A cylinder that size is worthless to me because of how hard it would be to do anything useful with it once the gas was gone. If it was labeled from the supplier I use, technically it would be "stolen" since they only rent/lease those cylinders, though I could get it exchanged with no issues..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:[QUOTE=farmall;853421]Welding is a perishable skill, so stay in practice. Projects WILL find the welder. They turn up. Look for nitrogen or helium cylinders too. I hunt them since they have the same valve (CGA-580). You can have them converted to argon if your LWS won't swap outright. Takes longer, about three weeks turnaround for hydro (they send them out) then refilling when I go through my LWS.I went to my lws to get a nitrogen cylinder I found on cl filled with argon and they told me it would contaminate my welds. I bought the 330 cf cylinder for $50 and was able to swap even for a 150cf filled with argon. That was great for me as I would rather have 125-150's as they are a lot easier to handle and technically anything bigger than 150 is owned by the gas company's.
Reply:Yeah not to mention the PITA it would be lugging that big A** tank to the LWS and back.   I may call that guy and see if he has a 125-150.  Might get it on the cheap if he only want $150 for a 300cf
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI hadn't thought of gas leaks, but that would quickly drop a cylinder if left on. It's a good habit to always shut off the gas, even if you have to leave for a "few minutes". Forget and you can come back hours later to find you have lost a ton of gas thru a bad seal at the reg to cylinder nut.Buffout, your 125 would last a bit over 8 hrs of weld time at 15 CFH, and about 6 1/4 hrs at 20 CFH. Note that is actual time the gas is flowing and you are welding ( including pre and post flow). Any time you sit and prep etc and don't weld, simply "extends" how long the gas lasts, simply because you are not using any gas. You get a lot less "weld" time in an hour with tig usually compared to say mig where you can go on and on with out stopping.
Reply:Originally Posted by BD1 make sure TANK Valve is FULLY OPENED, back seated.
Reply:Also check the scrap yards...Ive bought a 150 at a scrap yard and took it to home depot and exchanged for full...$20 for the cylinders and $30 for the gasMany years ago a salesman at a weld supply told me...."a sanding pad will remove the names on the necks of leased cylinders"I've never done it but it's always been in the back of my mind
Reply:Originally Posted by that'll_buff_outYep that's another thought. I was always told that firmly closed and firmly opened are the only two positions any tank valve that is regulated should be at. Similar to the water hose bibs leaking on the outside of my house while I open or close them but work fine when in the full position either way. Side note, the frost proof hose bibs with the actual seat for the valve inside my house has saved me many headaches!
Reply:I owned an 80CF but I got tired of have to have it filled frequently.... So now I own a 250 CF... Bad thing is that it's a heavy bi*ch.....
Reply:Man, I just have my tanks delivered and pay them the measly $10 bucks (doesn't matter how many tanks I need.)  Dude from "Air Gas" takes it off his truck, puts it into my Garage and takes the empty away!125 cu/ft minimum and up to 300 cu/ft if I know I'll be doing 'A LOT' of work.  I hate 'owning tanks' and prefer to lease.  Leasing also has additional 'benefits' like exchanging cylinders for different sizes (125cu to 300cu) and asking for another tank if you think the 'Gas' in the one you have isn't  a 100%.  Also, I know that most of the suppliers here WILL NOT take a Cylinder that wasn't theirs to begin with and if it's less than 'perfect', you can't get it filled anyway..  Just Another reason why I prefer to lease.Cheers,Miller Diversion 165120 amp Buzz BoxVictor Oxy/Ace Oxy/LPGSmith "Little" Oxy/LPGHypertherm Powermax 30Lot's of Misc. tools n' crap....
Reply:of the 17 bottles i own only 2 are less than 150's. most are 280 and for an old fart they break my back to load them but are so much easier on the wallet to have filled. the exchange on an 80 and a 280 was only 11 dollars more the other day on the 280 for the same mix. i try to keep the small ones for backup only.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:How much would a typical lease fee be from Air Gas for a 125 cf Argon tank and about how much to fill it?
Reply:Be patient and just keep an eye on Craigslist. Gas bottles pop up every few days. Dont pay more than 40 or 50 bucks. I have bought dozens there. Also look out at flea markets and yard sales. If you own your own tanks you have many more options for exchange. Build a relationship with your local indipendant gas service and you will get excellent prices and usually they dont mind swapping out different types of gas at no charge. They need and want your business. Stick with the 125 or smaller. Anything larger and you will have a problem swapping. Good luck and have fun!! GregHeat gun from Harbor Freight!Weller Soldering Gun! YEAH!Millermatic 210Hypertherm Powermax600Hypertherm Powermax45Smith Torch Propane & AcetyleneLots of Snap On Tools!I really like all my Snap On Tools!Lots and Lots of Cool Guy Stuff!