New and need advice on MIG Bottle

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I just got my first welder and now I'm looking for a bottle.From some advice from a co-work I was considering leasing a bottle, but I was shocked when I call. At $90 per year for a 125cu ft.....it doesn't sound like a good deal to me.What and where should I look for a new bottle?Is 125 cu ft over kill for a hobbyist?
Reply:Some LWS will sell smaller Bottles that they will fill as needed, (trade full for empty).The small bottle I got cost me around $50 with gas and around $35 to refill.About the right size for a hobby welder.
Reply:Try Craigslist.Two turn tables and a microphone.
Reply:hi, depends a lot on location. It may help if you listed your location.
Reply:Different areas seem to allow different size bottles as buyable.  Around here (Maryland) 80 cu ft seems to be the largest they let you buy.  I had a 125 bottle from West Virginia that was owned.  Everything else is either rented, stolen, brought in from another state.So buy an 80 and get it filled as needed (80's can fit in the back seat of a car - I've carried one in my Camaro...)For smaller carts, an 80 is about the right size.  Personally, I find having 2 80s around a lifesaver.  For the hobbyist, if your lucky you run out on Friday night and find a supplier that is open early Saturday....   If your not lucky, you run out later on Saturday.  You did check the gauge on the bottle before you made plans for the weekend right?  Forget to close the bottle one night (even a slight leak in solenoid) you may have empty bottle the next day.Con Fuse!Miller Dynasty 350Millermatic 350P-Spoolmatic 30AMiller Multimatic 200Hypertherm PowerMax 1000G3Miller Maxstar 200DX
Reply:My supplier in Wilmington, DE charged me $199 for a 125cfm bottle.  I think that is the largest size you can own around here.  Definitely buy it.  If you decide to sell your welder it will go a heck of alot quicker if it comes with an owned bottle.For a hobbyist 125cfm MAY be too big, but will save you $$$ in the long run.  The price difference between getting an 80cfm to 125cfm bottle filled might be about $10.  Like the old sayin....."it's better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it!!"Last edited by toomanytoyzz; 01-31-2012 at 02:16 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by PangeaTry Craigslist.
Reply:One thing you want to consider re: owning a bottle is, bottles need to be certified periodically. If you do manage to buy a bottle used on CL that is not stolen, you are responsible for the certification. Also the LWS may refuse to fill it when it's time for no reason other than they don't want to (they'd much rather you buy or lease a bottle from them).I looked around when I bought mine (80 CF was the biggest I could buy and I can't justify leasing) and picked the LWS (Keen) by proximity and ease of access. The price difference was negligible. Even though I bought the bottle, it is a Keen bottle, and they will swap it out no questions asked and they are responsible for keeping the bottles certified.My 2 cents, adjusted for inflation it's not worth much.That said, an 80 CF bottle doesn't last very long. At an average flow rate of 20 CFH I should get 4 hours out of it (including pre and post flow) but I can't believe I got anywhere near that. I think next new bottle I will note the welding time via the Syncro 200 meter at beginning and end of the bottle to see how long it really lasts. Of course if it is off, I have no idea if the LWS is cheating me or my regulator is way off (Smith brand, came used with the Syncro 200) nor do I know if the meter keeps running during the pre and post flow.JoeLast edited by scudzuki; 01-31-2012 at 06:13 PM.Miller Syncrowave 200Mac/Miller MW130 MIGKalamazoo bandsawCincinnati Arrow 500 VMCColchester Dominion 15 x 36 lathe with 2 axis DRO
Reply:mostly with the bottles i have started small, buying them at the LWS and then each time i take it back i upgrade to a larger one, they give me full credit towards the purchase of the larger bottle and i keep doing this incrementally until i cant pick the bottle up any more....it spreads the pain of spending the $$$ for a bottle out over several refills.  i use the smaller bottles since its easier on my back.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:I do my homework before hunting Craigslist cylinders and know what I can exchange. It pays off. I lurk and accumulate cylinders over time for cheap, exchange them immediately, and life is good. Know your LWS, know what they'll take in exchange, and know what brands they'll take as "owner" cylinders.When in doubt, ASK.
Reply:I have a couple bottles I have picked up off CL over the years.  IMO, it is definitely better to buy a big one.  I have a two 330cfs and a couple 125s and an 80 that I bought when I got my first mig.  You really do save money in the long run with a big bottle.  It's like buying a cell phone.  The phone cost is negligible in the long run.  It's the cost of the gas over the time you have it that costs money.  Most places will put a label with their name on it when they fill the bottle to identify what's in there, but it doesn't mean they own the bottle.  All of my bottles don't have any stampings on the collars and I have them filled, not exchanged.  Don't worry about the cost of the cert, I think it's 20 bucks or less...and they are good for 5 or 10 years depending on the bottle.Overall, buy the biggest bottle you can find and having extras is nice.  Around here, the gas places are all really chill and will fill or exchange no questions asked.  I took a bottle with a Praxair label to Praxair and they exchanged it for me even though it was out of date.  I even told the guy it was out of date.  Just exchanged it for another bottle without any owner stampings. Originally Posted by farmallI do my homework before hunting Craigslist cylinders and know what I can exchange. It pays off. I lurk and accumulate cylinders over time for cheap, exchange them immediately, and life is good. Know your LWS, know what they'll take in exchange, and know what brands they'll take as "owner" cylinders.When in doubt, ASK.
Reply:Call or go by your LWS. Preferably go by for some face time with locals. My LWS is always willing to take care of the hobby welders as well as his regulars.Hobart Airforce 625 plasma cutter.Snapon MM140sl Mig/Tig welder
Reply:I started out with 125s. I still have a bunch and they are a good size tank. Like others said, gas is cheaper as you get larger. I have 2 300 cf (use to be 330s) and a 282 oxy. They are cheaper to fill. Mine have the names on the bottle but I dont have a rental contract. You cant buy new large bottles but you can buy used ones since you use to be able to own the large ones. I got mine off craigslist cheap and no they are not stolen. Take them to airgas no problem. Their prices were high. I told the guy that I would wait until he got me a blank ring to switch it out but then he just lowered the price on the gas so no problem. See, they cant keep your tank. I have traded some in with a blank ring and get theirs back. If you own the tank, you can request an owners tank in return to go somewhere else. You have rights to that tank and they cant just turn away and say sorry. You could take them to small claims. Lots of false info here and at LWS stores. I use to drink the cool aid until a guy at a gas supply sat down and explained it all to me. Airgas also confirmed that it was true. They have a book of all the companies they have bought. A lot of those tanks were and still are customer owned tanks. Unless you have a rental contract with them, you own the tank. You have to know the history of the tanks and or company being bought. If brand X is a new company and never sold larger tanks, then that would be an issue. The nice part of 125's is that you can take them anywhere and exchange it regardless if it has a owners ring on it. That is nice. If you mess around once in a while, it will last a long time using mig. I wanted a larger tank when I started playing with Tig. The post gas flow uses a lot of gas. It cost like $32 for a 125 and and $45 for a 300.Also, since most folks dont want to touch the large tanks, I paid about 1/2 the money for the larger tanks than the smaller ones. The bad thing is that they are heavy. Im lucky that I have a van. I put a rud down on the bumper and slide them in.Last edited by mikeb9550; 02-03-2012 at 08:56 PM.Hobart Handler 210 with SpoolgunHypertherm PM30 PlasmaHTP 221 Tig WelderHF BandsawHF Auto Dark Helmet