mig gas cylinder questions

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I need to get going on welding, have a car apart waiting on me. So I need to get a gas cylinder for my mig. Been reading here and have a couple of questions. 1. How much do these things weigh filled? I know they will be different depending on the size, but I am trying to see what I can handle on my own. I do want the biggest I can handle, got a lot of sheetmetal to replace and I will be learning at the same time, so I expect to use more then an experienced welder would. Would probably be a 75/25 mix if that matters any. I doubt it, but just trying to cover all bases. 2. Buying locally or on line? Any preferrences? Obviously no shipping is a plus. Problem is I am having a hard time finding a place that says they sell cylinders around here. Plenty that will test and fill though. Would buying locally (if I can) generally get me a better gas price at the same place, or does that not matter?3. Another buying question. Craigslist? Seen some on there that say they are current and owned, not leased, but if I look at these how can I tell for sure. Hate to buy one and go to get it filled and end up in jail. 4. When I get one filled, would I be better of renting a pickup to get it? Understand some places won't let you put it in a car, and all I have are two SUV's. Thanks,RussRIP Mallory, we miss you.
Reply:I just tossed an 80 cf cyl on the bathroom scale. Came out at about 60 lbs or so. How much you can handle depends a lot on you. I can toss a 282cf cyl up on my shoulder and walk with it if needed ( a lot has to do with how you lift it, once it's on my shoulder it's easy to carry). That said I definitely don't want to do that with the 4500 psi HP air cylinders I get some times. They are significantly heavier.As far as CL cylinders, around me they never have any issues with cylinders smaller than say 150 cf. They figure all that size or smaller are owner cylinders. It's the larger 5' tall 280 cf+ cylinders that are usually rental/lease ones and they usually only deal with ones from their own company. The company name is often embossed on the neck ring, and the label usually says the company if the neck is blank. A lot of places have been bought up over the years, so the neck ring may or may not say the current company name. Also the different companies often use different color codes. My place O2 is always green, green with a white neck ring if it's med grade O2, but I think Airgas's O2 color is orange from seeing cutting rigs at the scrap yard. Orange at my place is always a argon. It's pretty easy for them to spot a large cyl that's not theirs usually.That said, I've never had issues swapping out larger cylinders that I'm borrowing from a buddy who uses the same supplier and vise versa. Say if he runs out of O2 on Sunday and needs to borrow mine. I do have an account, and I do enough small business from time to time, that they know me by name when I come in. I'd bet if I found a CL cyl from them that was a lease cylinder, they wouldn't even bat an eye swapping it out. It's got their name on it, I've got an account, so they simply wouldn't question the swap. One of the reasons to buy local and get to know the guys at you LWS.As far as your vehicle, all depends on what you are comfortable with and the place you deal with. I used to move small cylinders ( less than 60 cf) in the back seat of my car, upright with the windows open, seat belted and strapped in place, back when I was in college. The counter guy didn't want to see me load it. He'd leave it on the dock and go back inside and tell me he wouldn't recommend that I load it in the car... Looking back, probably wasn't the best idea in the world, but I did what I could to minimize the risks. With my old suburban. I'd lay it down in the back and strap it to the tie down rings I installed with ratchet straps and roll down the back window. Not all that much different than my pickup except the back wall was missing. Probably easier to secure than it would be in the bed of my pickup.Keep the following things in mind. It's a heavy weight. Unsecured in an accident, it will either want to rush forward, say in a front end collision and want to slam into the front seat, or flail around the inside like an anvil in the event you roll the car. Do you really want to take 60+ lbs to the head? Second issue is that mig/tig gas is an asphyxiate. If the cyl is leaking, you can suffocate in your car. Acet / propane has flammability issues in enclosed spaces, and even 100% O2 in high concentrations is asking for a flash fire if conditions are right. Good ventilation significantly reduces these risks..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
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Reply:I dont think I would want to put any pressurized cylinder inside a car with me. I saw the result of a friends run in with a nitrous oxide cylinder that he had just had filled. Had it in the floor board between he feet when the valve ruptured. Serious frost bite on his legs and hands ( its very cold in liquid form) He had to put his feet on it to keep it down in the floor while trying to hold it from bouncing around the inside of the car. I could only imagine a 80 cf bottle getting crazy inside a vehicle.
Reply:Thanks all.Sounds like renting a truck will be the way to go. Maybe I can schedule things so I pick up the floor sheet metal the same day.And special thanks to DSW for all the info. Very helpfull.Now to just find a place local. RussRIP Mallory, we miss you.
Reply:Maybe you could have the dealer just deliver it to you.