Looking at buying a used argon tank off craigslist, any thoughts?

admin

Went to Praxair and a tank is $215 plus filling it.  I don't plan on doing a lot of aluminium welding so I am having a hard time sallowing that price, found a used one on craigslist.  Called Praxair to see what they would say, gave me the basics, any dents/ scratches they won't fill and if older than the date stamp, they want to test it for an additional $30.Any thoughts?Thanks
Reply:That's about it-as long as they'll fill it then go for it.Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:If the neck ring is not marked, "Private Owned," or blank, then here are some problems you might run into, depending on how forgiving your local gas supplier is.1) They may not fill it at all, because they'll assume it's a rental from somebody else.2) They may fill it, but refuse to exchange it, because they don't want to mix your odd-ball stamp in with theirs. If they fill on site, you'll have to sit around for 20 minutes while they do the fill. If they don't fill on site, you'll have to come back in a week after they've sent it out for filling and gotten it back again.3) If they do fill it, they may require additional documentation, such as a bill of sale from the gas supplier whose name is stamped on the cylinder. If you lose this documentation, you may find yourself unable to fill your cylinder.When I was shopping for cylinders locally, I got a lot of hits, and every one of them was a cylinder that had some other gas supplier's stamp on it. I didn't want to take chances and just ended up buying a Private Owned cylinder from my local gas supplier. If your local supplier is easy-going, or if you have an established relationship with them and they're willing to cut you slack, none of this may apply to you.Everlast PA160-STH... and that's about it!