I bought an oxygen / acetylene setup 4ish years ago from a sale. They have the local place that sells/fills cylinders stamped on the neck. I have two tanks from this same place for my welder that are leased for 30 years. I think I inquired about them when I bought them and don’t remember what they said. I also think I remember the previous owners last name but not even certain on that. What are my options to fill these or how should I approach it with this place? I feel like I’m going to get hosed on the deal. I haven’t had a shop since I bought them and I am now finally going to have one.
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Gas cylinders
- Thread starter alex2929
- Start date
most likely they are leased tanks, and the previous lessee has not paid , and they would be the companies property .
if that's the case, I'm not sure I would agree with you that "You will get hosed on the deal"
if that's the case, I'm not sure I would agree with you that "You will get hosed on the deal"
Depends entirely on the supplier, but the two I use have never said anything about swapping tanks. I've swapped out at least 2 dozen over the last few years, a couple of which were clearly lease tanks at one point, and never had a single issue.
BD1
Well-known member
Call your local suppliers. Tank exchanges depends on suppliers policies. I’ve exchanged tanks from say Air Gas and got tanks with another name on them.
Some suppliers might only exchange up to 125 or 150. They’re all different. One may just exchange their tanks.
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Some suppliers might only exchange up to 125 or 150. They’re all different. One may just exchange their tanks.
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harley jim
Well-known member
My father purchased my tanks from the supplier and they gave him a title to them. I still have that paper on file.
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86turbodsl
Well-known member
When i need a tank, i take my old one to my supplier and they just swap it out. Nobody ever asks about me owning or not. If you lease, they already have your info and send you the bill. If you own, they know nothing.
danski0224
Well-known member
In my experience, the supplier will exchange them for a full version of the exact same thing.
If you want to change cylinder sizes or gas mixture, that's when it will not go well.
If you want to change cylinder sizes or gas mixture, that's when it will not go well.
harley jim
Well-known member
I agree, even though I have paper on my tanks no one has ever asked for it.
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36truck
Well-known member
I had an issue with 2 pencil style tanks that I bought more than 20 years later after the place I bought them from got bought out a couple of times. With no hydro testing on them for all that time they refused to refill them. I got my moneys worth out of them in that 20 years. So not a huge deal. They did get me other tanks to use without an issue.
SteveH-CO
Well-known member
Airgas told me 'if our label (paper) is on the cylinder, we don't ask any questions'. I have had another shop swap out a used tank I bought that I was 'not supposed to own' and they just charged me a hydrotest fee and exchanged me for a proper tank. Not all gas suppliers are out to hang you, but some are. Ask around.
mxdev
Well-known member
As other guys say, depends on the store. Generally speaking, if the neck of the cylinder is stamped or embossed, it's a rental tank. Otherwise, it's owned.
My local Air Liquide was willing to swap any cylinder so long as the neck isn't stamped by another company. My 60cf Oxy I got off classified had their sticker and swapped it out no questions asked.
I had a lease for life from Sunex for a Nitrogen and Oxygen bottle (stamped neck), but when they folded Air Liquide bought them out. They swapped the leased Oxy bottle for an owned bottle without any trouble.
I was talking to the guy at Tri-Arc, and he said he would work with any bottle I brought in, if I was willing to pay for testing on the older bottle. Although they seem to always want paper work for the bottle I bought from them.
My local Air Liquide was willing to swap any cylinder so long as the neck isn't stamped by another company. My 60cf Oxy I got off classified had their sticker and swapped it out no questions asked.
I had a lease for life from Sunex for a Nitrogen and Oxygen bottle (stamped neck), but when they folded Air Liquide bought them out. They swapped the leased Oxy bottle for an owned bottle without any trouble.
I was talking to the guy at Tri-Arc, and he said he would work with any bottle I brought in, if I was willing to pay for testing on the older bottle. Although they seem to always want paper work for the bottle I bought from them.
dirtyjerzy
Well-known member
I just purchased a new 125cf empty argon mix bottle online on cyber Monday 10% off for $216 no tax free delivery, from weldingforless.com. Was at my door this afternoon, brought it to Praxair this afternoon and swapped it out for a full 125cf argon mix. $61.00 no questions ask about it. While I was there asked guy if I brought in a nitrogen or oxygen bottle could swap for a argon or argon/mix, he said sure its just a core for core, you can get any product you want.
harley jim
Well-known member
I have two extra argon bottles I am going to exchange one of them for tri mix next time I go for supplies.I just purchased a new 125cf empty argon mix bottle online on cyber Monday 10% off for $216 no tax free delivery, from weldingforless.com. Was at my door this afternoon, brought it to Praxair this afternoon and swapped it out for a full 125cf argon mix. $61.00 no questions ask about it. While I was there asked guy if I brought in a nitrogen or oxygen bottle could swap for a argon or argon/mix, he said sure its just a core for core, you can get any product you want.
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Lassen Forge
Well-known member
I bought a set of tanks at a garage sale that probably hadn't ben filled for 10 years. I took the smallish O2 tank to the local gas place and they took the old tank as a trade in for a larger one (IIRC I got 50% off the larger replacement tank).ust need to take it in and talk to them. Just make sure if they have their own "secret color code" to ID their tanks the one you buy isn't painted like that, because that's when they get you.
joe_padavano
Well-known member
I got my first tanks in the 1970s in MA. I don't even recall the owned vs leased issue. I doubt I paid enough then to actually buy them. I moved them to CA, then moved again to VA. The tanks had been exchanged dozens of times in each of those periods. About 10 years ago, I traded in my small tanks for larger ones. Never, ever, has an issue ever come up.
metlmunchr
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2011
- Messages
- 1,278
Company owned bottles are typically the larger ones, and a supplier doesn't offer sale or long term lease on the same size bottles as the company owned ones.
For example, I've got several 160 oxygens and several 90 acetylenes, a couple 150 argons, and one 150 C25. All came from National Welders Supply, later bought by Airgas, and I own all of them. I can take them to any of about half a dozen other suppliers in the area and exchange them with no questions asked because they all recognize the sizes as customer owned bottles.
OTOH, I use a 300 oxy when I've got any significant amount of cutting to do on my burning machine. No one in the area sells those, so they can only be returned to wherever they came from for exchange as all suppliers know they're not sold to customers.
So long as you have bottles that are considered either customer owned or long term lease, having them in your possession is assumed to be ownership by most suppliers. Once you get into bottles that are not sold or long term leased, but obtained from some clown for a "great deal", getting them filled will be near impossible without returning to whoever owns them and setting up an account where you pay demurrage (daily rental) on them in the future.
Interesting that one poster above paid $61 for a 125 C25 at Praxair. About the same price as Airgas gets here. I just today exchanged a 150 C25 from a local supplier who has only 3 stores for $30 and change. 150 argon is about $2 more. One thing that seems consistent is that all the big chains have gone ******* with their prices over the last few years.
For example, I've got several 160 oxygens and several 90 acetylenes, a couple 150 argons, and one 150 C25. All came from National Welders Supply, later bought by Airgas, and I own all of them. I can take them to any of about half a dozen other suppliers in the area and exchange them with no questions asked because they all recognize the sizes as customer owned bottles.
OTOH, I use a 300 oxy when I've got any significant amount of cutting to do on my burning machine. No one in the area sells those, so they can only be returned to wherever they came from for exchange as all suppliers know they're not sold to customers.
So long as you have bottles that are considered either customer owned or long term lease, having them in your possession is assumed to be ownership by most suppliers. Once you get into bottles that are not sold or long term leased, but obtained from some clown for a "great deal", getting them filled will be near impossible without returning to whoever owns them and setting up an account where you pay demurrage (daily rental) on them in the future.
Interesting that one poster above paid $61 for a 125 C25 at Praxair. About the same price as Airgas gets here. I just today exchanged a 150 C25 from a local supplier who has only 3 stores for $30 and change. 150 argon is about $2 more. One thing that seems consistent is that all the big chains have gone ******* with their prices over the last few years.
Last edited:
letMeIn
Member
In NJ, Airgas charged me almost $80 to exchange 80CF argon bottle. Local small supply gas same bottle charged me $35, and for 150CF either $40 or $50, I forget. Needless to say, no longer doing business with Airgas
Company owned bottles are typically the larger ones, and a supplier doesn't offer sale or long term lease on the same size bottles as the company owned ones.
For example, I've got several 160 oxygens and several 90 acetylenes, a couple 150 argons, and one 150 C25. All came from National Welders Supply, later bought by Airgas, and I own all of them. I can take them to any of about half a dozen other suppliers in the area and exchange them with no questions asked because they all recognize the sizes as customer owned bottles.
OTOH, I use a 300 oxy when I've got any significant amount of cutting to do on my burning machine. No one in the area sells those, so they can only be returned to wherever they came from for exchange as all suppliers know they're not sold to customers.
So long as you have bottles that are considered either customer owned or long term lease, having them in your possession is assumed to be ownership by most suppliers. Once you get into bottles that are not sold or long term leased, but obtained from some clown for a "great deal", getting them filled will be near impossible without returning to whoever owns them and setting up an account where you pay demurrage (daily rental) on them in the future.
Interesting that one poster above paid $61 for a 125 C25 at Praxair. About the same price as Airgas gets here. I just today exchanged a 150 C25 from a local supplier who has only 3 stores for $30 and change. 150 argon is about $2 more. One thing that seems consistent is that all the big chains have gone ******* with their prices over the last few years.
dirtyjerzy
Well-known member
In NJ, Airgas charged me almost $80 to exchange 80CF argon bottle. Local small supply gas same bottle charged me $35, and for 150CF either $40 or $50, I forget. Needless to say, no longer doing business with Airgas
Airgas in Piscataway quoted me $80 for 80 cf argon mix fill, and $260 to buy an empty 80cf bottle.
letMeIn
Member
yes, Airgas in Piscataway was the place I went to. Now i go to welding supply store in North Brunswick by Route 1.
Airgas in Piscataway quoted me $80 for 80 cf argon mix fill, and $260 to buy an empty 80cf bottle.
dirtyjerzy
Well-known member
Praxair in Flemington was better than airgas, but next time I will try middlesex on rt 1.
Picked up 2 40 cu/ft cylinders from All Gas in Dingsman Ferry. $138 each full with argon and the other 25/75 mix.
They do not touch any bottles that did not come from them. So I have 2 empty 40 cu/ft from Hocon in CT. We do get back to CT about once a year or so, next time I'll bring them and swap for refill and have extras.
Kevin
They do not touch any bottles that did not come from them. So I have 2 empty 40 cu/ft from Hocon in CT. We do get back to CT about once a year or so, next time I'll bring them and swap for refill and have extras.
Kevin
scooterbum46
Well-known member
I "bought" my OA set at the local supply (Genesee Welding Supply) in 1967. At some point I was told I didn't own them, that I had them on a 99 year lease. That business changed hands several times, now owned by Airgas. Last time I filled a tank I asked them if they still had my records - they did. Damn, I'm more than half way through the lease...
dr_clyde
Well-known member
I "bought" my OA set at the local supply (Genesee Welding Supply) in 1967. At some point I was told I didn't own them, that I had them on a 99 year lease. That business changed hands several times, now owned by Airgas. Last time I filled a tank I asked them if they still had my records - they did. Damn, I'm more than half way through the lease...
That's the scam. I absolutely can't stand the BS that companies like Airgas pull to try to extract more money in shady "lifetime lease" programs. What if you wanted to sell your cylinders and move across the country? Pass them on to your kids? Sell a spare off to a friend? You're hosed if you want to do anything with them other than turn them in.
I OWN my cylinders. I can pass them on, sell them, cut them in half if I wanted. They're MINE. It was worth the extra money to have the peace of mind.