Dear Airgas, Please DIAF

[BFBOB]

DIE IN A FIRE, a pretty messed up thought.

Eeeow!
I thought I was kidding!

 

[bmxdad]

Where is a good place for tanks/gas in the Tacoma, Washington area? Just starting out ...

 

[7echo]

The weld supply industry has been consolidating. We have 2 options now, and no mom and pops anymore. Airgas or Praxair. They are both horrible.

 

[Roddyz]

600SL,

Give "Machine and Welding" supply a call. I've been dealing with them for over 20 years both at work and in my home shop. So far so good.

 

[fourkrings]

Definitely call Machine and Welding Supply. They have been good to me so far.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Tommy, ask at the local greasy spoon who fills their soda fountain bottles. I'll bet you get better service and price.

I have. The guy who services my friend's bar won't do exchanges.

Tommy

 

[bgarrett]

Yes it was a purchase. I've known the sales guy for several years and also bought a tig with the bottle. But he priced the filled bottle a few weeks earlier when I was considering a used tig on CL. Now I'm afraid to tell you what I paid for the Miller tig

Bob

I paid $800 for a Miller Maxstar stl 150 at the Dallas swapmeet. It appears to be new but the owner says he used it once. no bottle

 

[wnstwolf]

Not to hijack but when you take 150-300 size tanks for refill how do you travel with full tank? Being tall for an open pick up is it allowed to lay down if you let it sit upright 24 hours prior to use? Would seem safer than standing up a 5' cylinder in a truck bed?

 

[dr_clyde]

Not to hijack but when you take 150-300 size tanks for refill how do you travel with full tank? Being tall for an open pick up is it allowed to lay down if you let it sit upright 24 hours prior to use? Would seem safer than standing up a 5' cylinder in a truck bed?

Only acetylene is required to sit upright for a period of time after laying down. This is due to the fact that the acetylene is dissolved into acetone, and kept stable inside a hard spongelik filler material. The solution needs time to settle back into the filler.

Compressed inert gas and oxygen, however, can be stored, transported and used in any position.

All you need to to is strap the tanks securely so they don't roll around and cause any damage.

 

[malibu101]

Only acetylene is required to sit upright for a period of time after laying down. This is due to the fact that the acetylene is dissolved into acetone, and kept stable inside a hard spongelik filler material. The solution needs time to settle back into the filler.

Compressed inert gas and oxygen, however, can be stored, transported and used in any position.

All you need to to is strap the tanks securely so they don't roll around and cause any damage.

I fully agree with the above. Perfect advise.

But, to get technical, I don't know the DOT rules on transporting.

 

[blazentrout]

I just made a 'V' block holder to help with strapping them down and dr clyde said i just let the acetylene sit up right for a day or two after i get some.

 

[blazentrout]

I am S. of GR, and never used them, but always had great service at what is now praxair down on Scribner. Been using them for nearly 30 yrs, way before they became praxair, mettlers, etc. May have to give Purity a try. I own 5 tanks in addition to my oxy acetylene setup, and they have always swapped out or refilled immediately, except for my blue one which I have to take to Muskegon (lake welding, bought the tank used for $3, so it's worth the drive)

One other nice thing about purity is the one in gr is open sat mornings 8 till noon iirc.

 

[Diesel Benz]

Where is a good place for tanks/gas in the Tacoma, Washington area? Just starting out ...

Pacific Welding Supply in Nalley Valley has been pretty good. A company I work for gets MIG gas there on an infrequent basis and they seem to be reasonable. It looks like they got bought up a few years ago by a regional supply company but at least it's not a huge national company and I haven't heard anything bad yet.

 

[JAckal]

I have a question that may be stupid. How do you switch? What I mean is that I have 5 or 6 bottles that I own personally, but do to swapping them out at Airgas they all have the "Airgas" sticker on them. No other company will even touch them. Do I go and tell Airgas and then they buy them back from me and I go somewhere else?

It may be simple, but in this area of the country, most things that should be simple are extra
complicated.

Thanks,
Jack

 

[spooler41]

BMXDAD, See if you can locate a General Welding Store , that's easy for you to get to.
I've dealt with G.W. for the last 25 years with out regret , fair prices and good service.

...................Jack

 

[Lassen Forge]

I dunno, maybe ours is an anomoly, but our local airgas has always been pretty fair to me. Better prices than TSC, they are within a buck or 2 of the other welding house in town... They work on my mig gear and don't bat an eye (none of it bought there, and they even take the warranty work on their dime, not mine for reimbursement), and they've taken in some pretty crappy tanks I've gotten at picks (a couple at least 50 years ancient +, and way out of hydro) and exchanged them without so much as a blink... no hydro charges, not once. Does this mean they're not really an Airgas outlet but pirating the name, or ??? Or is this the one and only AG outlet that's not trying to skru their customers??

 

[Lassen Forge]

I have a question that may be stupid. How do you switch? What I mean is that I have 5 or 6 bottles that I own personally, but do to swapping them out at Airgas they all have the "Airgas" sticker on them. No other company will even touch them. Do I go and tell Airgas and then they buy them back from me and I go somewhere else?

It may be simple, but in this area of the country, most things that should be simple are extra
complicated.

Thanks,
Jack

They will issue a receipt showing they're your tanks, not theirs - ou take that paper in and it should show they're yours, not theirs... Ours paints the top ring silver on their tanks, so they know which are wihich... I've gotten some pretty oddball tanks, along with their tanks, and as long as when you exchange them you get the new papers showing you as the OWNER (not leasee) you're GTG. If they don't issue you the paper they just skru'd you... and it's even possible you caould get the sheriff involved.

I have a CO2 tank, it has my company name stamped in the top, they tried to swap it out, I told them no, and they refilled mine in 24 hours. They didn't like it but they serviced it no problem (and again, no hydro charge, go figure!)

 

[NUTTSGT]

Only acetylene is required to sit upright for a period of time after laying down. This is due to the fact that the acetylene is dissolved into acetone, and kept stable inside a hard spongelik filler material. The solution needs time to settle back into the filler.

Compressed inert gas and oxygen, however, can be stored, transported and used in any position.

All you need to to is strap the tanks securely so they don't roll around and cause any damage.

I might add, "with the caps screwed on."

 

[JAckal]

Lassen Forge,

Thanks for the info.

Jack

 

[shawnspeed]

Airgas = OVERPRICED....I have a steel supplier I deal with that uses Airgas...mentioned to him that I was preparing to go get bent over at the local Airgas dealer, to finish up the project I was buying material for...he said we exchange Airgas cylinders , what are you looking for? 125 of Argon was my reply...he said 38 bucks plus tax...I went home , picked up the cylinder , and ran to the airgas store as it is 1/2 the distance from the house as the steel supplier...there price...68.50...plus tax...needless to say, I am doing all my cylinder exchanges at the steel supplier now...all my consumables I buy on line...about the only exception is stick rod cause the shipping is too much...then I am more likely to hit up TSC...

 

[bgarrett]

Not to hijack but when you take 150-300 size tanks for refill how do you travel with full tank?

I strap my bottles standing up to the headache rack

 

[Lwel9226]

Where is a good place for tanks/gas in the Tacoma, Washington area? Just starting out ...

Central Welding Supply......
LW

 

[alxdgr8]

Where is a good place for tanks/gas in the Tacoma, Washington area? Just starting out ...

Bought my argon tank at Central Welding Supply, had a good price on the tank and good refills (haven't needed one yet).

Seems like the closest one to you would be in Renton though...

 

[sailah]

I just noticed AirGas paperwork on the desk of the A/P girl. Picked it up and almost dropped when I saw the pricing.

We were renting (9) 300cf Argon tanks, (2) "S" sized oxy/acetylene pairs, so 13 tanks. Our rental fee was over $400/month. $50 HAZMAT fee and sales tax on that. Why are they charging me a HAZMAT fee for cylinders at my plant? And we are tax exempt anyways...

So I called 2 other suppliers and told them what I had used for tank refills in 2014 and what I wanted.

Our AirGas bill for 2014 was $8086.15

The other guys were $965-$1400 for the same thing.

Airgas was charging us $317/tank rental fee per year. 300cf Argon refill was $173.16, the other guy was $35 and his tank rental was $45/year/tank.

So I called AirGas and asked them if we were in a contract, they said no, why is there a problem? Yeah, it's raining and your tanks are outside, come get them before they get wet.

 

[Keel]

Any of you guys ever think, the reason air gas ends up owning your old stand by, is the old stand by didn't make any money, if all these places were doing great, they not get bought up , as the owner would have no problem, living the gravy train..
I understand airgas wanting to move into a market, but why the owners sell, if they had a good thing? maybe because they were just scraping by

 

[Thumper68]

Any of you guys ever think, the reason air gas ends up owning your old stand by, is the old stand by didn't make any money, if all these places were doing great, they not get bought up , as the owner would have no problem, living the gravy train..
I understand airgas wanting to move into a market, but why the owners sell, if they had a good thing? maybe because they were just scraping by

I would think that it is more like my situation, I held contracts and contacts for a few big clients that kept the others out, I had no monetary reason to sell but they offered me enough that I was willing to let go.

I got cash and they got the contracts and contacts a few tools/ supplies.

Lots of small companies sell out to the big guys just so that they can retire when they don't have anyone to take over.

 

[sailah]

Any of you guys ever think, the reason air gas ends up owning your old stand by, is the old stand by didn't make any money,

No. Airgas bought them so they could muscle the market and impose their pricing with less competition. I'm sure they give great pricing to the really big guys which keep the bills paid and they hose everyone else.

 

[sailah]

but they offered me enough that I was willing to let go.

Bingo

 

[ishiboo]

Our local mom and pop chased Airgas out of town.

The only thing that ***** is they are not Miller dealers "but can get Miller stuff", really does me no more good than ordering online.

 

[CNGsaves]

AirGas = MicroSoft

predatory practices

greed gone amuk

 

[Keel]

No. Airgas bought them so they could muscle the market and impose their pricing with less competition. I'm sure they give great pricing to the really big guys which keep the bills paid and they hose everyone else.

ya that's it can't buy what isn't for sale..

 

[sailah]

I'm not following your logic.

Of course you can buy what isn't for sale, that's business. I respect the methodology about which AirGas does business, I just chose to not get effed over by them.

AirGas buys businesses that are generating a positive cash flow and valuable intangible assets like future cylinder rental business or they would be smart and buy the company assets out of bankruptcy court.

Whether or not a business owner chooses to sell to AirGas is another matter but I suspect they do alright in the sale.

 

[Samh]

My LWS was recently acquired by airgas and the prices on Argon have almost doubled. I understand that part of their pricing strategy has to do with how far you would have to go to fill a tank elsewhere. Anyhow, I ran into a couple of guys who used to work at the LWS and they are now working for another welding supplier and they are opening a store nearby next month. So, goodbye Airgas; hello anybody else.

I am sure this post is long enough removed not to get answer, but I assume you are talking about SWP in Canton? If so, what local supply was going to be opened up in a month, as I am in the same boat.

 

[jim whitney]

Your not kidding. I used to go to a mom and pop store and they were great then their insurance went so high they couldn't, do it anymore . Went to air gas and they wouldn't, fill my tank cause it didn't.t have their sticker on it . Tried to get my oxy tank refilled but because it was an aluminum tank they told me it would be in the dumpster out back because it had to be tested some special way . It was hydroed 2 years ago! The only other supplier around is liberty and they sell customer owned tanks but the price is outragious ! I,m screwed either way!