shielding gas costs

[Privatejoker]

I went to refill my bottle today and the place I purchased my bottle from had been bought out by praxair. $62 to refill a bottle I paid $110 for new and full. Is that reasonable? The bottle is about 3 feet tall and contains argon/co2 BTW.

 

[kyleholmes]

You probably have a 80cf tank. If this is the case, that is a fair price to pay for a refill.

 

[Weld-It Fab]

Depends on what you call reasonable. All my 250CF tanks with 90Ar/10C02 I pay $28.00 each for but I buy a large number each year. I own all my bottles. Drive a harder deal next time, the mark up on welding gases is huge.

 

[Professur]

I pay $13 for 10lbs of CO2. Finding someone to fill bottles of C25 that they're not renting you is murder in this area. And frankly, the contracts they offer Joe Q Public are disgusting.

 

[FastEddieG]

Ugh, I was fearing the day I had to have my tank refilled. I bought a Hobart 175 with the 75/25 tank a few years ago so I could begin to learn to weld. Now that we moved into a bigger house and I'm done with my subpanel, I will begin using the welder, which means I will have to try to have the tank refilled at somepoint. Thanks for the info guys.

 

[caper150]

I paid $34 last week for my tank, probably the same size if not a little bigger from Airgas, they don't refill they just take my tank and give me another one thats full.mine is CO2/Argon mix as well.

 

[Jack Olsen]

You will waste a lot of money refilling that 80 over time. In your shoes, I'd sell it and buy a 125. With my LWS, the difference in refilling a 80 vs a 125 is $4.

 

[nate379]

My 125cu ft was $35 or $40 to fill. C25 mix. I use a tank about once a year or so. Don't do a ton of welding.

They just take my tank and give me a full one.

 

[Privatejoker]

Thanks for the info, now I really feel raped. I might ask my boss who fills their bottles and if I can get their corporate rate. I thought about getting a larger bottle, but the 80 fits in the trunk of my civic and it's pretty easy to move around. Professur, how is the CO2 performing for you?

 

[Professur]

Pretty good, but I mostly use it for 18ga and thinner. Anything thicker than that, I reach for the stick. You definitely want to get a co2 specific regulator tho. I toasted the stock c25 reg that came with the welder. C25 is compressed gas, straight co2 is liquid. Get too much flow going, and the phase change cools the reg to the point where bits inside get unhappy. A float type flow gauge is also a better choice than the dial type.

 

[BirdRacer]

You will waste a lot of money refilling that 80 over time. In your shoes, I'd sell it and buy a 125. With my LWS, the difference in refilling a 80 vs a 125 is $4.

That was exactly my case, Jack. Airgas was $44 and some change including their hazmat fees, tax, etc.

 

[JamieK]

Be careful carrying a cylinder in your car. Im not sure how true this is, but this is what I've heard. "If the valve were to get knocked off, it could cause a rapid release of gas, cauing an immense pressure build up causing bodily harm and property damage." After seeing the mythbusters episode with the tanks going through a wall, I guess its possible. I know some welding places won't load the tank into a car; you have to do it yourself.

BTW, technically you are carrying hazardous material. Make sure to put the safty placards on the bumper

 

[Abbott]

An 80 cf fill at my nearby NAPA is $54.00.

 

[Privatejoker]

I guess I should have asked this in my last post, but what is the external size of a 125? I saw one of those world wildest videos one time where one of the welding supply places caught on fire and the tanks were going off like fireworks. It was impressive. I've got a buddy that's an iron worker and he's got a ton of stories about taking a sledge to the valves and shooting the tanks.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Those were probably acetylene tanks.

I paid $140 for a full 125 tank of C25. It costs $40 to refill.

It's 1/5 of an inch thicker and 11" taller than an 80 gallon tank.

 

[t100]

I paid $56 for 80cf from Airgas, that was my own tank and I don't have an account. When I had the shop tank filled last time, it was $40 for 125cf because the shop has commercial rate. now I just use the shop's account to fill it and pay my boss the cash.

 

[trackwelder]

$75 for a refill of c25, k size bottle here.

 

[nismomans13]

You probably have a 80cf tank. If this is the case, that is a fair price to pay for a refill.

I pay 24 dollars to fill my 80cf with pure argon, 22 to fill it with argon/co2. It only costs 38 dollars to fill my 150cf tank. Sounds like he's getting ripped.

 

[Born_Annoyed]

I just got a quoth for a purchase of A 125 CF tank for $220.00 and the first fill up of 75/25 free. If i rent the cylinder it's $6.00 a month. Refill is $23.00 either way.

Location S. Florida.
Company is Matheson Tri Gas.
http://www.mathesongas.com/index.aspx

 

[bitbycarbug]

Be careful carrying a cylinder in your car. Im not sure how true this is, but this is what I've heard. "If the valve were to get knocked off, it could cause a rapid release of gas, cauing an immense pressure build up causing bodily harm and property damage." After seeing the mythbusters episode with the tanks going through a wall, I guess its possible. I know some welding places won't load the tank into a car; you have to do it yourself.

BTW, technically you are carrying hazardous material. Make sure to put the safty placards on the bumper

I believe that if the valve on top is knocked off, it can become a missile as the release of the compressed gases would want to come out and equalize with the atmosphere. Just be careful and don't drop the cylinder and you'll be alright.

You are technically transporting hazardous materials but as a consumer, not a business, you are not required to sticker your vehicle or obtain a hazardous material license to transport the material. You don't need a license or a sticker to bring home propane tanks, so co2/argon transportation is much safer.

 

[mbatarga]

Mythbusters did an episode of the "rocket projectile" cylinder. The results of their test was the cylinder shot completely through cinder block walls.

 

[Jared]

i think the reason they say you shouldn't transport compressed gas cylinders in the trunk of your car is not the projectile hazard but the fact that it in a enclosed space that might not be well ventilated, if the valve were to leak you might get "gassed".

 

[Major Ramifications]

I'm glad you posted this, as I was wondering about this myself. I checked Tractor Supply's site, and an 80 cubic foot "refill" is $40. A 125 is $47. Refill is in quotes because they just swap you out, they don't fill them at the store. Also, they only swap the ones you bought from them. But man, it seems like they are high on the bottles. An 80 cu ft filled bottle is $260!

 

[Demian]

I just paid $35 for 125cf refill at Airgas this morning.

 

[mcdave71]

I just paid $65 total with fees for a 125cf of mixed gas in Macon Ga last week.

 

[z28toz06]

Watch the scams on these. They make you buy a new bottle, but many of them just swap them out and bam, your "new" bottle is now old. If you buy a new bottle make sure you can get that one refilled, not just swapped for another. If you need t ogo the swapped route, buy a used one. I think you need to pay attention to the dates on their manufacture, and make sure its pressure tested?

 

[fireguy]

Watch the scams on these. They make you buy a new bottle, but many of them just swap them out and bam, your "new" bottle is now old. If you buy a new bottle make sure you can get that one refilled, not just swapped for another. If you need t ogo the swapped route, buy a used one. I think you need to pay attention to the dates on their manufacture, and make sure its pressure tested?

We deal with Norco out of Boise. We have 6 N bottles, all of them owner bottles. NOne of them were "new". We exchange the tanks when empty. Norco is responsible for pressure testing, valve replacement, painting and haz mat labels. Oxarc, another of our suppliers, carries a $10 million liability insurance on the bottles.

Now, if you have an odd-ball tank or off brand, the pressure testing, valve replacement, paint, haz mat labeling in your responsibility. In that case, if you bought a new tank, you will get your tank back. Be prepared to wait for the return of your tank.

At the Parts house we always laughed when someone brought in a tank for "refill", that had been purchased at an auction. We had to tell them the tank was owned by someone else, and they had no legal claim to the tank. of course, they did not believe us, until they had been to other outlets and were told the same story.

 

[Privatejoker]

Does this mean that if I buy a used torch setup with tanks off CL, I can't have them filled?

 

[dsan]

Those were probably acetylene tanks.

I paid $140 for a full 125 tank of C25. It costs $40 to refill.

It's 1/5 of an inch thicker and 11" taller than an 80 gallon tank.

Where do you get your tanks filled at Jack? I live in Los Angeles and know of Air gas on San Fernando Road by the 134.