How much is a 240cf inert gas tank worth

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It's worth what you can get someone to pay for it :)

As you know, larger cylinders can be a pain in the butt for ownership and refilling. Whether the potential customer has a good relationship with their gas supplier will determine it's value. I think that size new for a normal ~2215 PSI cylinder is probably around $400 or so. If for some reason it's one of the high pressure cylinders it's worth more, but more of a hassle as well.

Reply to
Pete C.

Iggy, The issue is the tank's certification and acceptance by your gas supplier. Of course it's less expensive to own your own bottles, but the periodic inspections and certification becomes your problem. I for one, do a long time lease from my supplier, which solves the demurrage cost problem when you don't refill often. Steve

Reply to
Steve Lusardi

Iggy, I can't answer your question directly, but I may have some information that can let you interpolate.

Just yesterday I bought a 125 cu ft AR cylinder. The 125 cu ft. cylinder was $206 and the AR $28 plus a hazmat fee of $8 ($1.65 / ft3)

An 80 cu ft clyinder was $150 and the AR $26 plus hazmat of $8 ($1.88 / ft3)

60 Cu Ft $113 ($1.87 / ft3)

40 Cu ft $89 ($2.25 / ft3)

The price / ft3 is for storage space, not for the gas.

RWL

Reply to
GeoLane at PTD dot NET

Thanks. I will inventory the bottles that I have. I may fill all of them, keep one bottle, and sell the remaining two to pay for the bottle that I will keep. I want to have two large owner bottles with Argon and return the rental bottle that I have. I have one small helium bottle too, kids like filling baloons with He and it will be good for aluminum welding. Doubtfully I need a big helium bottle.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus29524

Iggy, The issue is the tank's certification and acceptance by your gas supplier. Of course it's less expensive to own your own bottles, but the periodic inspections and certification becomes your problem. I for one, do a long time lease from my supplier, which solves the demurrage cost problem when you don't refill often. Steve

I own my tank(s). And the local dealer swaps them for another customer owned tank. I do not get the same tank back that I own. This is common around here, and probably in most areas as most gas supply houses do not fill the tanks in house.

So cert and testing is not really my problem.

Reply to
Califbill

Here there are suppliers who do not care too much a bout tank ownership issues and just swap tanks.

Which is the way it should be.

I acquired a few tanks over the years, I would buy a bunch, fill them, sell a couple to reoup my costs, that sort of thing. So they are mostly free for me, from the mental accounting standpoint. The ones I own are:

- 2 big OXYGEN Tanks - 1 big ACETYLENE tank - 2 big ARGON tanks (not counting Terrace Supply tank, which I will return) - 1 small HELIUM tank - 1 small 75/25 tank Yesterday I bought two large (250 CF or so) helium tanks, and one small oxygen tank. If I fill the oxygen tank and sell it for $100 (like I did before), I will almost recoup my costs.

I am thinking that I should keep two extra tanks, the large one with helium, and one more with 75/25 mix. I have some aluminum welding projects coming up where a big helium tank would be handy.

Or maybe it is time to open a gas supply company.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus29524

Same here. I deal with Airgas and own an 80cf Argon cylinder. I originally bought it in CT and swapped it at my Airgas branch there, then I moved to TX and do the same at my Airgas branch here. No issues, no hydrotesting hassles, and I also have never been charged any sort of hazmat charge for inert gas. I could perhaps see a hazmat fee for something like acetylene which really is pretty hazardous.

Reply to
Pete C.

My situation: I bought two tanks from a retired welder. They are both out of hydro, but have pressure in them. I called one supplier who said just to bring them in, and they would "take them off my hands", meaning I would get nothing. Well, you know what I told them. That was the company I mistakenly leased a tank from when I moved here.

The second told me to bring them in, that they would take them, give me two new tanks, and charge me for refills, and two hydros @ $15 per, BUT that I would not have to pay for any hydros in the future on exchanged tanks.

I would imagine that possibly, I could sneak a tank into the system in the future by just bringing in another I bought that may need re-upping on a hydro, but maybe not.

It's just good to find you a supplier who is not set in their ways, and who doesn't want to be strict to the letter on tank exchange, but rather wants your gas business, as well as shop business, and are willing to be a little flexible. They may get insistent on collared goods, but that is easily dealt with, too.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

I know one guy who removes those things on collars, with a huge lathe.

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Reply to
Ignoramus12953

Something I don't understand: Why is it so much more important to zoom the customer than to make long - term dollars?

I've been sold empty cylinders represented as full, refilled cylinders with thread damage so pronounced that a leak - free connection is impossible and a 'lease' cylinder represented as an 'owner' bottle because the owning company was "out of business". (They weren't. I filed a police report and exchanged the leased cylinder for a real 'owner' bottle the next day).

Now I buy all my consumables from the 'net because my local suppliers give me the creeps. If I could buy gas refills via the 'net, I would jump on it. My local suppliers have been hemorrhaging cash for years; you can toss a congressman down any aisle at any of these suppliers and not hit another customer.

Why don't they want my money?

--Winston

Reply to
Winston

I don't have a lathe. So, I know it's not me. I've heard that you can use a grinder, too, but that wouldn't be anyone here ..................

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

Why, if he legitimately owns the bottles, and the gas distributors will take any tank in trade?

I have to wonder if the gas distributors made a conscious decision to solve the stolen tank problem by looking the other way. I couldn't blame them if they figure it's better to have the tanks back in circulation than to take a strong stand on theft.

Reply to
Ned Simmons

It is not really legitimate, no. But that is what he does.

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Reply to
Ignoramus12953

I just filled my rental tank and paid hasmat naturally - O2.

I just got the outrageous rental bill from them - up again $67+ and a hasmat fee.

Taxation without representation.

Martin

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

Well, a grinder leaves some unmistakable marks. A lathe does a clean job.

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Reply to
Ignoramus12953

A grinder on a lathe with oil coolant makes for a fine clean surface.

I have a tool post grinder - protect my machine with wood and cloth.

I had some milling cutters that were to large. A friend ask me if I could turn or mill them down.

I used an oil bath and it was a fine finish. Reversed it in a collet and ground the other half of the gripping round. A little tricky since only half of the mounting area was in the collet at a time. Naturally two collets were used.

Mart> >>

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

You don't know the secret handshake. Some vendors are afraid that long time customers will leave if they deal with small time users.

Just like the only Electrical Distributior in the town I grew up in. they were nasty SOBs who didn't want to deal with you if you hadn't opened your acount 35 years ago, or did less that a half million a year with them. Then they cried FOUL!!! when a new company opened up and all the small accounts left. You could waste a half day trying to buy what you needed, at near retail, or get it in 15 minutes for at least 35% off retail. Some customers got better deals, depending on what they nromally bought, and how they bought. If you bought full reels, case lots of whatever the bulk packaging was, you got the best price.

Some Gas suppliers want to treat you the same way. "What do you mean that you don't need an entire truckload every other week? GET LOST, LOSER!!!"

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Do I really care if my resistor vendor sells 10,000 pieces to me and 10 pieces to the kid down the block? Nup. Does the 10-piece sale impact my business in any objective, measurable way? Nup. Do I even want my vendor to refuse to sell to other customers. Nup.

I don't find 'quantity pricing' objectionable at all. I expect to pay less per item if I buy lots of them.

The sabotage irks me some, though.

What's in it for them?

Can they really make more money by sending customers to their competitor? How does that work?

--Winston

Reply to
Winston

I had a rented O2 tank for 2 years . I didn't mind paying the rental , but did mind being lied to . They said they couldn't fill my 40cf bottle , that no one used them anymore . I told the mgr of the store how much that irritated me when I returned the rental , he GAVE me an empty 40 they had (out of date but ...) . He offered me two , shoulda taken both . I was by there the other day , noticed they aren't there anymore . Maybe I'm not the only one they lied to ... -- Snag Learning keeps you young !

Reply to
Snag

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