Oxy Tank Purchasing> HOw much is too much?

[flamebob]

Okay so I'm going to be buying an oxy tank with my stimulus check. The past two times I've called on prices from a few different companies, which was some time ago, a lot of the quotes were between $30-80 difference. So what is everyone paying for tanks? I'll be running a Cuda on it, just fyi. The last quotes I got were $260 and $300 for I think (its been a while) a 282cf I think. So....Inquiring minds wanna know.

[Big Jay]

I paid 100 dollars each for mine. Its crazy that a store charges you 300 bucks for a used tank. Even if they give you a brand spanking new one most likely they are going to swap it out when you get it filled so whats the point. Start looking around theres always some for sale here in south Florida.

[pacosaki]

$200.00 is the going rate here in So. Cal. Work with them and you can it full for that money. Don't let them charge you the tank AND the gas on the first purchase!!

[MUPH]

$300+ for a new tank in MN. Its hard to find a used tank but i'm sure it'd be less money. Praxair has a 5 year lease for $150 also, still probably more than a used tank..

[TorchedGlass]

why not just pay to rent a tank??? Our K tanks (250cf) are done on at least a yearly basis. I think we pay like 70-90 bucks for five years....that way you don't have to keep up with your own cylinder. Who knows, maybee they will charge you to inspect the tank in a couple years...

[MUPH]

There's marks on each tank as to when the last hydro test was also. A hydro test is required every 10 years. Keep that in mind when buying a used tank but a hydro test can run up $25-$50

[Big Jay]

if you can get 70-90 bucks for a five year lease you'd be crazy to buy. But most places I have seen charge around 10 dollars a month.

[Glass Pyro]

I would never buy my own tank, cause I did once. Now it is useless, at least here in NC. Once you buy the tank they say they are the only ones who can fill it. In other words I had bought a tank from another place, and brought it to airgas and they didn't even want it, they said to bring it to a scrap yard.

I rented two t tanks for $100/yr. and get'em filled for $25.

I am about to start looking at liquid though, I found a place that will deliver to residential. They are more of a Mom and pop place. Which I like better anyway, even if it is a few bucks more, hell usually you will even get a more full tank at those places....or even a properly purged one.

[Big Jay]

yes you need to discuss with your oxy supplier what the rules are on customer tanks. What airgas does is plain bullshit.

[superstupid]

just look everywhere , i wouldnt buy a tank, i would just find a good cheap lease. some places will actually give you ownership of the tank if you lease for x amount of years.

[Turning Point Glass]

I paid $200 at Praxair, but they said they buy them back at 60 percent the purchase price, so really I paid $80 for an indefinite lease. I am stuck refilling it at Praxair, however.

[jr23]

most if not all the time they swap you when you come in. I own a tank and rent a tank and have never waited while they fill. And I have only paid 1 time for a yearly lease because they never check up they just keep trading my tank like I own it .Plus how could they ever tell witch is witch and I can trade anywhere they have Prax-air. Please dont buy a tank somewhere down the line you will regret it .

[CripSkillz]

ya I own mine 200$ full , and dosent really matter that you own it cuz they just swap it out with another full tank, so maintenance is not an issue, always a diff tank just no rental fee.

[MUPH]

If you can get a cheap tank to buy i'd say go for it. I dont know why you wouldnt buy a tank if its the same price as a rental. I mentioned the hydro testing before and you always swap out tanks anyways.

You really need to shop around in your area. Every area is going to have different prices, be a smart shopper.

[Swampy]

One-time US$125 deposit, refunded when you hand in the tank.

[Big Jay]

. Please dont buy a tank somewhere down the line you will regret it .


I have a hard time understanding that. Our cheapest local rental like I said is 10 bucks a month. I bought my tanks at 100 dollars a piece and they swap them out every time. I don't have to wait for the fill. Why in that situation should someone pay at least 120 dollars a year to lease??
Because it works in your situation doesn't mean its right in all cities. Every oxy place is different. Also if for some reason one place doesn't have an exchange ready I can go to 4 other stores and exchange it. If I had a lease I'd either have to wait for a fill or come back another day when they had some ready to go, since you can't exchange or fill a lease tank at any of our competitor stores.
Prax-air wants around 12 dollars a month lease here and they are 29 dollars a fill. Since I own my tank I take it to another store thats only 19 bucks a fill. I use lox anyway now but we always have full K tanks for back ups.

[MUPH]

/\ /\ What he said /\ /\

[Greymatter Glass]

yeah shit varies from city to city. I would never buy a new high pressure cylinder in Albuquerque, but used ones are easy to find for $30-50.

No one here gives a damn where the tank is from as long as you own it and they're filling it. What you can't do is take a tank you're leasing from one place and fill it at another - that's a condition of the lease.

As for the cost evaluation, that's up to you. I bought a dewar because it's bigger than most available here and in good condition. Otherwise I have to pay $500/yr for tanks that I have no control over any aspect of.

up to you, but I would seriously consider leasing.

-Doug

[flamebob]

I'm going to be making my calls and compare tomorrow since its been so long. My only problem with leasing is that I don't want to get into any agreement thats going to be too long term, since I might have a chance this fall to go back to school. I'll have to sort it all out. But thanks everyone for giving their opinions. Any tips or tricks on how to deal with oxy companies in general?

[jr23]

I guess its a local thing with the forever lease that's why I don't buy round here.
And that's the way it should be plus they don't mark them you can take the tank depending on the name to a plethora of places and trade no prob. I guess if its under 200 it be fine but I still think renting the way to go if you find a cool spot. But I also own one too so its all good but if you get one from a individual make sure it has yellow sticker at least that's the only Requirement and its a tank company that is served by said distributor.

Deal with them like your going to be their highest volume customer which if you blow much glass you will be a regular at least. Tell them with a knowing Voice that so in so has it for This and do your research be nice but firm and get a deal.

[Spider]

Anybody using the Ex-2000 - supposed fill time of around 24hrs?

[Big Jay]

Deal with them like your going to be their highest volume customer which if you blow much glass you will be a regular at least. .

except for medical fields we use more oxy then almost anybody. Allthough your not buying other gases your a big customer for them. So like jr said let them know how much you use. If you open a commercial account some places have some room to move on the prices. Get all there rules and shop it around. Sometimes its better to pay a couple dollars more for better service and a not so stringent rule system.

[Mike Glass]

I found my first tank on a job site with no name on it, so airweld took the tank and gave me a full one for $31.00.

The second one I bought on eBay $80.00, again with no welding supplers name on it $31.00 refill.

They hit you with a $30.00 test fee on the tanks, but it's good for 5 years.

I wish my oxygen generator would just get here already!
Mike

[Glass Pyro]

Yeah AIRWELD, that is who I used when I lived on the Island, I think they were in Farmingdale, the one I used anyway.


Mike Maybe you can use the three airweld tanks I brought to NC....Let me see what sizes they are.......maybe we can work something out.

[Glass Pyro]

Well, I forgot to state they were not originally used for glassblowing, but are useless to me now.

I have:

-300cf CO2 argon mix tank....originally used for welding shield gas
-The small set of oxy acetylene tanks, not the real small setup ..but the one up.

I never even thought about it whilst moving down here, I just brought them.

[Glass Pyro]

I doubt you want them but if ya do, just let me know. Maybe you know someone at airweld who will switch them out for O2. Or maybe you don't need them cause you got the generator on the way.

[Mike Glass]

Pyro,
I'm in Farmingdale.
Airweld is a 5 min drive for me, but I still wish that dam oxygen generator would get here already.

I'm a night person and the O2 always seams to run out when your cracking at 2:00 am!

[Glass Pyro]

I went to SUNY Farmingdale right there for my Mechanical Engineering degree.

I will be up that way in August and October, maybe we can grab a coldy in October.

[Mike Glass]

Airweld already switched out a class B argon for a O2 tank for me, but the class B tank is a waste of time. It costs $25 to fill the tank and you burn it in a hour or so, but the 244 tank is only $31 to fill and I get 4 or 5 hours out of it.

Mike

[Mike Glass]

I'll meet you at the "Changing times"!

[jiminyrootkit]

i got my first one for $200 for a 10 year lease, at the end of the lease, the tank's mine.
which amounts to: the tank's mine.
the second, i got for $20 because it was out back of a shop forever, and when i asked the shop owner, he had no idea who it belonged to and told me it was mine....i gave him $20 and told him to get himself a case of beer.

i take em to welding shops here in town, and they just trade me for a full one, neither place has ever given a damn which company the bottle says on it....hell, out here, half the tank markings are from companies that haven't existed in years...
-f

[midniteburner]

Deal with them like your going to be their highest volume customer which if you blow much glass you will be a regular at least. Tell them with a knowing Voice that so in so has it for This and do your research be nice but firm and get a deal.

Yep, and don't be afraid to call the corporate offices if they piss you off! Don't be afraid to mention you are on all the forums. Oh...they hate that:evilLaugh

Sara