I have a question and I get to brag a little.

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First the question:I need to know what size a tank is.  See this picture:What sizes are the tanks in this photo? I put the broom there for size comparison.That is my Oxygen/Acetylene setup. Now for the bragging. I have wanted a mig for quite a while. I have not found a mig yet but did get a tank today that I will be able to use on a mig. The tank is the same size as the Oxygen tank in the above picture. It is stamped/painted on the side 75% argon and 25% Carbon Dioxide.I paid $10 for the tank and it has some gas still in it. I think I did pretty good on the deal. I saw a small tank (B size I think) that was selling for $75 and was empty.Now all I need is a mig so I can change how I do things, mig would be easier for me than stick for most of my projects. I have the old red ac 225 and the thunderbolt ac/dc but I WANTa MIG.Thanks in advance for the help on tank sizing.
Reply:I don't want to guess tank size. I do want to warn you about used tanks. Most gas suppliers won't refill someone else's tanks anymore. Find out where they came from, there is usually an owner name on the collar. Most suppliers recommend leaving 25 psi. in a tank when "empty". This is to safeguard against moisture getting in and rusting the tank from within, since atmospheric pressure at sea level is 14.7 psi. There is a test date stamped on the cylinders where they have been hydrostatically tested and if they're out of date, no one will touch them.Please check on this.Weldtek
Reply:The date on the tank is good.The place I take my oxy/acyt tanks will exchange them. We had a long talk about it before. The guy told me he will exchange any good tank. Claims he started his business just because he got tired of having companies refuse to sell to him. Every tank is customer owned to him. He will not rent you a tank either, but will sell you one.
Reply:As long as you can get them taken care of, that was a goooooooood deal.   The O2 looks to be a 250, maybe 330. the acet is a 145. They are pretty much the standard rental set here and there. ( I used to have a shop in Irving) Here, you would have to have ownership papers or no one would help you. Well, maybe one guy would....he seems to take some now and again. Once he does, you are good. He will give you a recpt with Owner Bottle in big letters on it.  Then, you are good. FWIW, Trigas will still sell those bottles. I just got a 145 acet from them last month. Owned by me and with papers. The cyl rules that are on the east coast do not apply here for the most part. You can own any size you want, although most sets of 250/145 and the 250-330 bottles are mostly rentals. Below that and they are all owner bottles. Bad hydro dates mean nothing. Just pay the hydro fee and you are good to go. I've done it a few times this year alone. Here is a little sizing pic for ya. It may help. Attached Images
Reply:Originally Posted by Weldtek... Most suppliers recommend leaving 25 psi. in a tank when "empty". This is to safeguard against moisture getting in and rusting the tank from within, since atmospheric pressure at sea level is 14.7 psi. There is a test date stamped on the cylinders where they have been hydrostatically tested and if they're out of date, no one will touch them.
Reply:Leave them full because if they are empty, they will have to be pressure tested before they will refill them (they think that because it is competely empty they could have a leak).
Reply:Even when going to a new supplier, I've never had my tank even glanced at before they exchange it, except to make sure it wasn't owned by another supplier, and even then that's rare.Just keep in mind that these things are different in every part of the country, and there's no way to tell somebody what to expect, for sure, from HIS local supplier.
Reply:Bob,  who is the guy who fills or exchanges used tanks??  The guy I use in Frisco won't do that and if it's not too far I could use the info.
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldtekI don't want to guess tank size. I do want to warn you about used tanks. Most gas suppliers won't refill someone else's tanks anymore. Find out where they came from, there is usually an owner name on the collar. Most suppliers recommend leaving 25 psi. in a tank when "empty". This is to safeguard against moisture getting in and rusting the tank from within, since atmospheric pressure at sea level is 14.7 psi. There is a test date stamped on the cylinders where they have been hydrostatically tested and if they're out of date, no one will touch them.
Reply:I would be careful to disregard the signifance of hydro testing. A tank will reach a time its life (quantities of recharges) when it will start to expand under testing conditions beyond acceptable tolerances, and the possibility of one exploding next to you or anyone else is not a desirable event. We have a inhouse facility witin our comany that does hydro testing for all kind of tanks. Three years ago we had one explode when tested, fortunatelly no one was hurt.
Reply:You didn't get it. We aren't telling him to disregard the expired hydro. Just that it is not a big deal when it comes to swapping the cyls. All he has to do is pay the fee and swap the old one for a new one with a good hydro. If his LWS will swap them, and it sounds like they will, he need not fiddle with getting a hydro himself. The LWS will do that and handle anything related with it. That is what they are paid for and that is their job...not the end user's job.
Reply:383bigblock,It is called Garland Welding Supply. It is actually located about 5 miles east of Rockwall on I-30. I never had a problem exchanging tanks. This tank has a name on the ring. If there is a problem exchanging it, I will grind the name off and paint it.It will be a while before I do anything, I still need to get a MIG.
Reply:Halbritt - these rumors come from personal experience with the vendors in my area.Weldtek
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldtekHalbritt - these rumors come from personal experience with the vendors in my area.
Reply:From what I am hearing on the boards, the cyl "rules" are different from area to area. My experiences would probably be closer than either of the coasts since I am in the same region. I swap out ringed cyls all the time...even get ringed cyls in return. It all depends on the company as to what they will or won't do, not what everyone else is doing. I hear some guys on the boards telling people in my area that a 120 or 80 with a ring is a rental cyl. Not the case here at all. Anything below a 225cf is considered an owner bottle around here and they could care less about the rings...and they don't even look at them. My LWS gives me cyls from all different companies. I just got three last month from Airgas, Trigas and AOC...but I wasn't at either of those stores.  I say, if Garland WS will take them, great. Stay with them and never look back. Matheson Trigas may be another source to check if GWS can't help. Trigas does still sell the big cyls.