going rate for argon and lease rates

[undercut]

I am a fixit guy... I use a 125 tank and don't have many build projects... Just roll it out to weld something back together. The tank will last me the better part of a year... All depends on if I get the bug to weld and get a big project going... then it is several tanks in a year.

BTW if you buy a tank and swap them... If you start with a small tank you can pay the difference plus gas and bump up to a larger tank if you find yourself going through a lot of them. I did that with my Oxygen and acetylene tanks. If I didn't have much money I would get a fill. If I had a few more bucks I would bump up larger. It is not the most money efficient way of getting a large tank, nor is paying more money for less gas.

Might be a good option for me. Would buy me some time to figure out what my usage would be and save some more money for a bigger tank if I need one. Need to find some time to call around, get some definitive prices for bottles, exchanges, refills, etc. I plan to primarily stick weld with TIG to learn and for things where stick wouldn't be the best option.

[everlastsupport]

Might be a good option for me. Would buy me some time to figure out what my usage would be and save some more money for a bigger tank if I need one. Need to find some time to call around, get some definitive prices for bottles, exchanges, refills, etc. I plan to primarily stick weld with TIG to learn and for things where stick wouldn't be the best option.

If you are going to TIG and try two tanks. I would say 2x 125 tanks smallest. You will see... Or 250 and 125 and fall back on the 125.

[67cudafb]

Well I got a little lesson today from airgas in gvl. fl. I went in to exchange my 125 cu. $40 for refill and tank was 4 months out of date so it was $15 to trade so with tax $60.53. I guess need to keep eye on the date. New bottle good til 2010, Live and learn.

[everlastsupport]

Well I got a little lesson today from airgas in gvl. fl. I went in to exchange my 125 cu. $40 for refill and tank was 4 months out of date so it was $15 to trade so with tax $60.53. I guess need to keep eye on the date. New bottle good til 2010, Live and learn.

I keep the receipts. Prax has done that to me. Swap, back in a couple months, out of date (on an owner they swap you).. What... I bet it is a popular scam all over.

[NRM]

Cuda that sucks but I would take that price in a heartbeat .

[tom_tom]

[...]I bring a regulator with me and check the pressure in the new cylinder right there.

Dave, thanks for the epiphany . I have an extra argon regulator and will start taking it with me when I exchange bottles. I've gotten a couple of under-filled cylinders before but didn't make a big deal about it. Hey, if we're paying for a full bottle then let it be full!

The LWS I've used for years and apparently was bought out by Praxair pissed me off the other day which sent me on a quest and landed me a jewel of a LWS. It's a mom and pop-ish place but they're always stocked with consumables, filler wire, etc - aside from gas cylinders. The going rate around here for buying 125CF Ar is right around $250 and $18 - $22 swap (filled). I now have 3 of these. The store is right down the road from where I work so I can rotate the bottles and exchange on my way home from work. Doing that with a 300+CF would be a b**ch in my case. 200CF cylinders are much less common here so sometimes the LWS' don't have them on hand for exchange.

Tom

[DaveO]

Cool that you found a friendly and workable place. I make it a point to explain that I'm checking contents to avoid a duplicate trip, not because I don't trust them to fill a bottle properly.

[Brian Ski]

Well I got a little lesson today from airgas in gvl. fl. I went in to exchange my 125 cu. $40 for refill and tank was 4 months out of date so it was $15 to trade so with tax $60.53. I guess need to keep eye on the date. New bottle good til 2010, Live and learn.

New bottle good till 2010?????

The local place I go to as long as it has their company ring on it they don't even look at the date on it. Just swap them.

[67cudafb]

DUH brain fart was inspected 2010, good 2020. This is first time this happened to me. Color of bottle made them check mine was light gray newer bottle is burgundy color.

[Zoomie]

Yeah, I know this is an old thread but, 120/125?!? bottle of Argon was 33 bucks to swap at my LWS...

[performance]

Just swapped at my lws (airgas) for a little under 65 for C 18, 330 cu ft.