Argon Tank price?

[Elantramax1]

Hi all. Went to the local Welder Supply in Trenton. Asked about the price for a Argon/C25 tank. I have a couple of options.

1: 40 CFH costs $180- Order item. Not sure of an arrival date as he needs a "Minimum" order

2: 60 CFH costs $200- In Stock

Fill charge for either is $35. And he can fill a new tank that I supply. Provided it has the DOT label.

What do you think?

Thanks
Elantramax1

[Rugar]

I think the last 330 CFH tank I bought cost me around $300.00 for a full customer owned bottle. Had one re-filled last week and it cost me $55.00 here.

[performance]

I think it's a rip off. I get a 330 filled for about 60 bucks. As far as cylinders go, most areas of the country will not sell anything more than a 125. Either buy a 125 or rent/lease rather a full size one...for 60.00 a year or so.

[performance]

FWIW, a 60 is good for less than a day's worth of welding. If you started at 8 am, by 11:30, you'd need to be taking an early lunch to go it filled...then it's likely they will have to send it out for refill which can take several days to a couple weeks...Either buy two or three small ones so you will always have one waiting on you or just lease it and swap it out when you get there and walk out with a fresh fill. Don't forget on customer owned, you have to periodically pay to have them inspected. Plus a lease is tax deductible.

[TheGary]

I took a 330 tank back to airgas earlier this year. They sent me a renewal for the 5 year lease. It was for $380 . I told them no thanks and they could keep their tank. I bought 125 cf tank from the other lws in town and I have not been back to airgas since.

[zoama]

I paid $295 for a 99 year lease on a 390cf C25, with free renewal when the lease is up.
It came filled at no extra charge an cost $60 to exchange for a full one when empty.
There's another welding supply store just 1/4 mile away from there where the prices are waaay higher and the guy behind the counter acts like an ###... Shop around.

[Elantramax1]

The 2 small plates are for the front swivel casters. Predrilled.

[Harry72]

Just for a comparison, here in Australia an Argon E2 bottle(4.1cM3... 144Cf)is $200 rental per year and $192 for gas.($392 1st bottle)
We are burdened with a single dictator of a company called BOC, there is one or two other small company's who you can buy a bottle outright and only charge $140 a refill but they are only available in capital city's... no good for us poor regional folk unless you can get freight cheap(thats about $100 freight for me per refill!)

[Elantramax1]

I got to look around for another shop. I only know of two. One here in Trenton, Another in Mt Holly. 20 Miles away.

[Elantramax1]

Tulsa, Again I say its apparently a Regional Thing.

I got the tank through Clydesdale in Mt. Holly. One of his AC customers was going out of business. He charges $30 for a 75/25 Mix on the 60 tank.

[Elantramax1]

I managed to Snag a 60 filled for $60 Cash and Carry. Question. Should I use Teflon Tape on the Threads of the supplied (I Mig 140E) Flow Meter?

[performance]

No. These are compression fittings. But do use a crescent wrench to hold the base while tightening the nut with a 19mm/3/4" wrench.

[Elantramax1]

I was able to stumble upon that deal during the "Plant Shutdown" at the end of Sept. The one dealer wanted $200 for a New. Only have about 3-400 PSI left. Need to fill soon.

[Elantramax1]

The Fitting on the Flow Meter is 1 1/16". Didn't check the size on the Tank.

[Rambozo]

The Fitting on the Flow Meter is 1 1/16". Didn't check the size on the Tank.

For most argon and C25 you should have a CGA 580 valve. That is 15/16" thread with a tapered sealing surface. Never use Teflon tape on a tapered fitting. First point the opening away from you and crack the valve, just a little, for split second, to blow any dirt or other debris out of the valve. Make sure the flow meter fitting is clean also. Then run the flow meter into the valve finger tight. It should screw in very easy, if you hold the flow meter aligned straight. Next just snug it up with a wrench, keeping the ball tube vertical. It doesn't take a lot of force, so don't go nuts. Open the valve a little and check for leaks, if there is a micro leak, tighten it up just a little more. If a major leak, take it back apart to find out why. When in use, open the tank valve all the way until it seats open. There can be some leaking around the stem in any but the full open and full closed positions. Be sure to close the tank when you are not welding. Also be sure to strap the cylinder to make sure it can't fall over!

BTW: Compressed Gas Association

[Elantramax1]

Thanks. I was looking at the Threads last night. And wasn't 100% sure about the Teflon Tape. I've used in on Air Compressor, Power Steering fittings to seal the threads. They're Brass. So I wasn't planning on going Super tight. I am going to stop at Sears or HD and get a couple of wrenches to keep with my welding stuff. In the event of a problem, I wont have to run upstairs and to the garage. Not sure if I want to Trust the HFT. The Openings might not be machined correctly.

[Elantramax1]

That's simple physics. 1 pound for every 10 degree change. That's what they say for car tires.

[Rambozo]

You can do the math for your cylinder, but a typical 80cuft. argon cylinder will read 2157 psi when full. Standard 20°C at sea level.

[Elantramax1]

Got a Silly question here. How much PSI should be in a Full Cylinder? The reason I ask is, When I purchased the Tank, It had about 2k. Filled it yesterday. Hooked up the gauge. Shows about 1500 PSI.
Thanks

[Rambozo]

Got a Silly question here. How much PSI should be in a Full Cylinder? The reason I ask is, When I purchased the Tank, It had about 2k. Filled it yesterday. Hooked up the gauge. Shows about 1500 PSI.
Thanks

Welcome to the wonderful world of short fills. The working pressure is marked on the tank, and if there is a plus it can have a 10% overfill. If you have your cylinder filled instead of an exchange, you will usually see slightly less once the cylinder cools down. They get a little warm during the fill. Exchange cylinders are given enough time to cool off, so they should be full. Might be time to look for a new place. Someone here takes their gauge with them to pick up the cylinder and check. I feel like if I have to do that, I just need to find a new place.