Replies

1. 
   Ruby | Oct 17, 2003 08:19pm | #1

   Around here we can only lease the tanks. When we have an empty one, we go trade tanks for a full one. They won't fill you any others because of liability. They test and repair their tanks regularly. We have a cart with big wheels that makes moving them easy and we can put them up on a pickup without trouble. They are not heavy.

   We made saddles on our portable welding cart for them, or we can tie that cart on it.

   Ours are: The oxi one about 4' and the acetylene a little shorter and bigger around. sometimes we may get a bigger or smaller tank, whatever they have.

   The lease for both tanks is $ 90.- a year.

2. 
   BossHog | Oct 17, 2003 10:50pm | #2

   I think Ruby is right - Leasing is the only option available. That way you get another set of tanks every time you take an empty back. They take care of replacing bad valves, etc.

   I paid for my lease with a one-time upfront payment about 20 years ago, and have been glad ever since.

   Personally I like the bigger tanks, as you don't have to refill 'em too often. The weight doesn't bother me much.

   Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart. [Caryn Leschen]

1. 
   brownbagg | Oct 17, 2003 11:08pm | #3

   I bought my tanks last week from Airgas, $130 per tank, they are just a little shorter than the average tank. he told me they did it this way to not confuse with lease tanks. I thought lease was the only way too, but some people do sell and when they are empty just swap out.

3. 
   Jemcon | Oct 18, 2003 02:15am | #4

   You can buy tanks from a welding supply store but the largest acetylene bottle is a "B" tank sold to plumbers. The oxygen tank is a bit larger but not much. If you are planning on doing much cutting lease larger tanks. The amount you pay for the gas in different size cylinders is very small. A 50 cu.ft tank may be 15.00 to fill, where a 300 cu.ft tank may be 19.00. The largest part of the fill is the labor. These are prices in NJ. Your area may be different. 

4. 
   1110d | Oct 21, 2003 12:41am | #5

   You guys are raised my curiosity.  Until this past week, I pretty well thought that you had to lease the tanks.  Then I started searching on ebay.  There are a whole bunch of tanks on there.  That's when I really started to get interested in owning them.  Does anybody here own them?  If not, then how much are you paying for the lease?

1. 
   coonass | Oct 21, 2003 01:20am | #6

   Tim,

   Most places won't fill tanks unless you have a bill of sale from reputable source. About $55 a year per tank here to lease.

   KK

2. 
   IMERC | Oct 21, 2003 02:13am | #8

   Own. 

   Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....

1. 
   brownbagg | Oct 21, 2003 02:15am | #9

   I own mine but remember it will be a smaller size than normal contruction tank to seperate from lease tanks.

3. 
   JohnSprung | Oct 22, 2003 12:56am | #16

   I own mine, bought them in 1987, don't remember how much.  Next time I need to weld, I'll have to get a refill on acetylene.

   -- J.S.

1. 
   UncleDunc | Oct 22, 2003 02:56am | #17

   There was a thread on welding tanks on one of the metalworking sites a year or so back. One thing that surprised me was that besides the normal regional variations, there's a lot of variation from place to place because of state law. Some places leasing is the only legal possibility. Some places you have to have papers with you all the time. Some places you can't get a tank refilled or exchanged at a competitor of the place you bought / leased it. One guy even told about being unable to exchange at a different branch of the same company he got the tank from.

5. 
   jako17 | Oct 21, 2003 01:57am | #7

   With acetylene the limiting factor is that you can only draw about one seventh of its capacity in cfm without starting to pull out acetone.So tip size is a factor.You can however manifold tanks to get more volume.With oxygen it depends on the amount of cutting you do ,as this is heavy on oxygen

6. 
   bill_1010 | Oct 21, 2003 02:28am | #10

   most welding supply stores will sell tanks, at least the ones around here do.

   basically you buy and just swap tanks with filled ones. 

7. 
   FrankB89 | Oct 21, 2003 02:57am | #11

   I used to lease tanks, but sometimes they'd sit for months while I wrote a check every month for the priviledge.

   As others have said, go to a welding supply, pay for a set of tanks of the size you want and when they're empty, trade 'em for full ones.  The first ones you buy and subsequent trade-ins are usually used tanks anyway.  So you're only expense after purchase is for the gas (with an MSDS thrown in for good measure).

    

8. 
   EricS | Oct 21, 2003 03:29am | #12

   Gee Tim - if you was in Maryland, I'd sell you mine.  Acet is "B" tank size and Oxy is slightly taller.

   Eric S.

9. 
   1110d | Oct 21, 2003 09:15pm | #13

   Ok, well for $55 a month to lease the tanks, it wouldn't pay to have a torch set.  I'm proably going to be stuck with owning them then.  Thanks for your help though guys, looks like I need to do a little shopping!

1. 
   bill_1010 | Oct 22, 2003 12:02am | #14

   i pay 65 a year to lease a tank for my 25/75 argon tank.   however ive paid 250 a cylinder to own a tank. 

1. 
   brownbagg | Oct 22, 2003 12:08am | #15

   these are the one I bought last week to own for $130 a tank