Cylinder questions.

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I bought two cylinders off a guy on Craigslist, I think they are 300 cubic foot cylinders. I cannot get anyone to fill or exchange them. Airgas said they belong to them and said I needed to hand them over. Didn't happen. Air liquide(sp?) said they also belonged to them and I needed to hand them over. Didn't happen either. Tractor supply/northern tool said no also. I went to six different places and no one will touch them.  One is missing its sticker and the other has a blood gas mixture one on it. Both have cga500 fittings on the valves. Any suggestions of anywhere around Nashville I can swap them out for argon or get them recertified and the valves changed to 580's and filled? Or do I have scrap weight on my hands? Thank you for your time.
Reply:As far as the valve change and hydro, check around for a local hydro shop. That's where I used to get all mine done. However 1st locate some place that will fill or exchange them. Otherwise you just dump good money after bad.I've got a bunch of large cylinders like that I picked up years ago when working for a shop. At the time I got them cheap thru the hydro shop we dealt with and could get them filled or exchanged easily at a local supplier. However that supplier was bought up by one of the big name places and the policy towards large owner cylinders changed. Same thing has happened to most of the local small shops. These cylinders are pretty much useless to me. However a friend of mine in another town can get them filled or exchanged, so he's taken a lot of these off my hands.I've also managed to swap out 2 or 3 at the place I have an account when the old counter guy was there and really didn't care as long as his bottle count came up right. Technically they aren't "mine" any longer, but I have a cylinder with their sticker on it and an account, so I can get them swapped no problem. At least they are usable to me..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:Is there a name on the neck ring?
Reply:Originally Posted by leightrepairsIs there a name on the neck ring?
Reply:And the name is???
Reply:Originally Posted by walkerAnd the name is???
Reply:Originally Posted by walkerAnd the name is???
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonNot his name, thus he it in possession of it illegally.Good luck OP.
Reply:Gammey,Don't know if you can find a guy around Nashville, but just south of Chattanooga is a guy who handles cylinders from different suppliers. He is a small operator, but he may take your empty and exchange for a full with the right name on it (Airgas, etc.). Has worked for me. If you are interested, PM me and I'll give you his contact info. Might be worth a 2 hour trip to be be able to exchange them. He's a little higher on the refill cost.Burt _____________________Miller Syncrowave 250Millermatic 211Miller 375 Plasma Cutter Hobart Handler 12010FtDrillBit.com
Reply:Well just an update on this. I contacted liquid air inc, now operating as air liquide, and they told me that they have no records that go back that far. The last hydro test on this tank was in 88. The other tank has spec connection international inc on it and the only number I found for them is incorrect. That tank was last tested in 92.
Reply:Originally Posted by gammey4Well just an update on this. I contacted liquid air inc, now operating as air liquide, and they told me that they have no records that go back that far. The last hydro test on this tank was in 88. The other tank has spec connection international inc on it and the only number I found for them is incorrect. That tank was last tested in 92.
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonDid Liquide Air say if they wanted it back? Legally you should be returning it to them. However they may not want it and would work with you to come up with a solution to your problem with both bottles. Just a tip, if you establish an account with Liquide Air, or their LWS supplier, they will jump through hoops  for you.
Reply:What are you planning to do now??Sent from my SCH-I545 using TapatalkLincoln Electric Square Wave 200Hobart 210 MVP Hobart Spoolrunner 100Hobart 250ci plasmaLincoln AC 225 buzzboxOxy/acetylene kit
Reply:I'm going to find another tank with no name or the right name on the neck with papers.
Reply:Originally Posted by gammey4I'm going to find another tank with no name or the right name on the neck with papers.
Reply:I don't understand this name on the collar thing? I don't remember the name on the oxy tank I exchanged yesterday. The one I got has linde on it. Owned tanks almost 20 years always the same , take in empty  pay money    take home a full one.Doing the best I can with what I got
Reply:The name on collar isnt an issue if its just you and you always use the same LWS. Say you sell that oxy tank to me (you can sell it bc you own it).  I take it to my LWS or Airgas or wherever to get it filled (maybe several states away), and unless that have a deal with Linde, then they can't legally fill it. That's how its been told to me, as a recent tank purchaser.Sent from my SCH-I545 using TapatalkLincoln Electric Square Wave 200Hobart 210 MVP Hobart Spoolrunner 100Hobart 250ci plasmaLincoln AC 225 buzzboxOxy/acetylene kit
Reply:my LWS (Airgas) told me they were reluctant to exchange large cylinders because of a liability concern with high pressure cylinders. They will exchange virtually any acetylene tank, since they are not high pressure. My tank was a 125 cu ft O2 tank with a blank neck ring purchased off of craig's list. What my local airgas was willing to do for me was to give me an exchange from their "bastard pile" (his words). They wouldn't give me an Airgas labeled tank, but they have a pile of tanks with other neck rings and labels, and they would give me a full one of those. He said when you come back, ask for an exchange from the bastard pile. I guess the theory being if the tank had a catastrophic failure, investigators wouldn't be able to tie it back to Airgas?? The tank seemed fine, good hydro test, no rust, new valve. I have been back to exchange it a few times with no problems. Good enough solution for me.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonIt has to be no name on the collar for you to claim as customer owned by possession. I have a slew of them that I either transfil myself or do a customer exchange at my or any other LWS. I exchange before they need hydro, otherwise my LWS charges $25.
Reply:Originally Posted by JTMcCThat's not true.There are many many cylinders out there with various names on the neck that are owner bottles. I can't count the hundreds I've gone thru over the years.The huge number of US Navy cylinders that hit the civilian market years ago are maybe the most common but there are a lot of others. Big and small buy outs over time has put a lot of non slick cylinders into the owner fleet.There's probably more internet myth on cylinders than any other topic, except maybe those black drones that fly over my house.JT
Reply:The welding supply I deal with, the only way you can tell it's an owner bottle is with a sticker with a capital P on it. I drop off the empty one, they roll out a full one for me. I never get the same bottle back, or far as I can tell anyway. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPThe welding supply I deal with, the only way you can tell it's an owner bottle is with a sticker with a capital P on it. I drop off the empty one, they roll out a full one for me. I never get the same bottle back, or far as I can tell anyway.
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonAre they a small outfit?
Reply:Just exchanged bottles today and got a Navy cylinder. I have also gotten bottles with the neck ring where the name was obviously ground off. I wouldnt say I recommend doing that, but whoever ground these was not very talented with an angle grinder, or knew what flap wheels were. I could have done a much better job. The only cylinders I have had any trouble with here were330cf cylinders that had a lease contract number stamped on them.
Reply:gammey4,Have you tried driving up to the dock and exchanging them? The airgas I go to couldn't care less who I am, what bottles I'm dropping, so long as they are the same size and quantity, they don't care.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine toolsOriginally Posted by fortyonethirtygammey4,Have you tried driving up to the dock and exchanging them? The airgas I go to couldn't care less who I am, what bottles I'm dropping, so long as they are the same size and quantity, they don't care.
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPThe welding supply I deal with, the only way you can tell it's an owner bottle is with a sticker with a capital P on it.
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonThe black drones are looking for those bottles. Who is filling them for you? Who is doing the hydro for you?  All my bottles are blank and anyone and everyone will fill or exchange them. Only Airgas tried to sell me their "lifetime lease" bottles that only they would touch. Praxair is a tad more honest.
Reply:Originally Posted by JTMcCI'm not being flippant, but I could care less who fills them and the hydro is their problem.I pull in, unload empties, load up fulls and leave. National chains or local independants, in quite a few states. At the most, if they've never seen me before they'll ask "owner bottles"? as they roll out the barrels.JT