Buying A/O tanks.

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I've been looking at Craig's List in my area to buy some A/O tanks.  Can't afford the 1100 bucks Tractor Supply wants.  Craigs has some in my area from $ 300-500 for the "large" size tanks (so they say) with hoses, regulators, and torches.My question(s) is/are.1.  What do I need to look for when buying used tanks?2.  Do Oxygen and Acetylene tanks get hydro tested every 5 years like        SCUBA tanks?  Is that date stamped on the tank?3.  Any ideas on knowing if what you are buying is stolen?  Are there serial numbers on the tanks, and if so, how can you check to see if they are stolen?  {I obviously would not want to (1.) buy stolen tanks and (2.) bring them to a shop and have the cops show up and arrest me!}4.  Will most local welding shops swap them out or do they only except "their" tanks?5.  Anything else I need to know before making a purchase?Thank you all in advance for your feedback.Tim
Reply:All very good questions. I would also be intrested in the answers to these.I own all my tanks and they are all from the same LWS and I have them filled/swaped there, so I have never ran into any problems.Patriot Performance AutoLincoln Power Mig 255CLincoln AC-225 StickVictor Journeyman O/AQuincy QT-5 Compressor
Reply:1. I would look at over all condition.2. High pressure tanks, yes they do need a hydro retest, I just don't know what the time interval is.  My 80CF only costs $20 for a test and new paint, from my LWS3. no clue?4. This is on a per place preference.  As far as I know you will always swap the Acetylene since they are not filled in the US.  Small Oxygen tanks can be filled from large tanks on site.5. Yes, check to make sure you can fill them!  Some people own larger tanks that most LWS will NOT fill for liability reasons.  Also you can not normally buy larger tanks, they are leased or rented from your LWS.  The largest tanks I can fill in my area (thus own) are 80CF.Me!
Reply:I think the tanks have to be tested every 10 years...and yes, the date it was built is on the tankThere are serial numbers on the tanks...but no one bothers with them unless you request that it be put in the "system."And yeah, a welding shop will just swap them out.Miller Syncrowave 200MillerMatic 180 AutoSetHobart Airforce 500iVictor O/A (80cf)
Reply:Tim see if any of this helps.1) tank condition, in hydo or not, dents or obvious damage, posible exposure to fire are the main things to look for.2) yes they need a hydro just like the scuba tanks. The tanks may have a 5 year hydro similar to scuba tanks but could be good for 10 years if the hydro stamp is followed by a star. Since you mention scuba I'll assume that you can spot the hydro, if not ask and I'll explain it better.3) Stolen would be hard to spot on customer owned tanks unless well marked by the owner. As most places swap rather than fill they all look similar. If the tank was leased and then not returned that would be easier to spot. Most leased tanks have a company name on the neck collar. You may or may not be able to swap them out. Some companies will give you a "free" 1 year lease for turning in a tank, some will just take it from you, and others won't care as long as you swap the tank ( they'll just assume it's legit).4) Some places will only deal with their own tanks, some will swap any small customer owned tank. Size is often a key. Small tanks under 150 cf usually will be customer owned although this may vary from place to place. Large tanks are usually leased.5) Condition of the torches and regs are also important. Hoses dry rot as they age, diaphrams in regs dry out and so on. I got a set of used torches from a friend that picked them up as part of a lot in an auction. The hoses were rotted and useless, the acet reg would not hold presure and kept climbing. The torch was ok and so was the O2 reg. Since I paid  him $20 for all of it, Mostly just to give him something rather than him giving it to me for free. I didn't care that some didn't work as they were for spares, but I'd have been real steamed if I put down good money for them and expected a working rig.Here's a couple of other suggestions. Post where you live, add it to you CP. I can tell you about shops in my area but not in say Denver. If we know where you are maybe someone who live in your area can chime in. Post the craigs list item so we can see it ourselves. I think most of us wouldn't poach if you posted the info. $500 might be a bit much depending on the size of the tanks and what sort of regs torches are included. I can get "new" tanks (80 cf O2, 75cf Acet) for about $280 from my LWS. I can get a nice generic welding / cutting kit for between $110-$160 from them.
Reply:look for ownership tanks, its a better deal for yourself in the long run...I have 3 welding tanks- 1-c25, 1-argon, 1 98-2, all of which are 250cf tanks-all owned by mei also own the largest bottles they make for oxy acetylene and a small protable set-all of which are ownership as well...Am i in the minority for having large/owner tanks?
Reply:I upgraded my 140cf oxy bottles for 240s because it only costs 2 dollars a fill more for another 100cf. I also have a 90cf acetylene bottle and a huge one. The supplier I use for my swaps never asked any questions on any of them. Some refuse to fill the big bottles unless you have a bill of sale.If you do purchase from an individual make sure you get a bill of sale for bottles, regs torches, etc by serial number. That covers you with the cops and proves you didn't know they were stolen.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:OK thank you all for the info.I've updated my location.I will post the Craigs listing I'm interested in when I get really serious and get yous guys' opinion.Thank you all.Tim
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI can get "new" tanks (80 cf O2, 75cf Acet) for about $280 from my LWS.
Reply:700R Not trying to be a smart A$$. You paid $273 with free shipping, what about your fills when you got the empty tanks? My guess is you paid about what it would have cost at the LWS when you combine the prices. Just pointing out something that many fail to think about when they shop online. I'm all for saving a buck, but you need to get fills somewhere. Helping to support your LWS even if you spend a few bucks extra is most likely good for you in the long run. Now if they are a PITA to deal with all bets are off.Since I swap the tanks anyway what difference does truely "new" tanks make?