Gas tanks....what/how to get?

[MadMav]

Picking up the HH210 and spool gun deal at Northern Tool. My question is what is the best way to get the gas needed for normal welding? Rent/lease/buy? How much is the average for a tank and the gas within? Thanks,

Mav

[aametalmaster]

You can get a bottle about anyplace. Why not just go to your local welding dealer and buy one because thats prob where you will be getting it filled. You can't beat the LWS for refills...Bob

[trackbird]

When I bought my HH210, I bought a 120 cu ft bottle from Tractor Supply. I liked that I could drop by and exchange that bottle any time they were open. However, they more expensive than my local welding shop (and I paid $249 for the bottle). I eventually found a local dealer (local Praxair dealer) who sold me a 330 cu ft bottle for my TIG welder for $189 and $55 to fill it (they told me mig was the same price for the bottle and the fill was about the same too). I'm going to buy another one for my MIG from them soon.

I think the 120 cu ft bottle is a good size for home use. It typically lasts about the same amount of time as a 10 lb spool of wire and isn't too huge to keep around the shop. If you are doing a lot of welding, check your local shop for the larger sizes.

[MadMav]

Bob, I was planning to go the LWS. Just wanted a rough estimate of how much it would cost.

Kevin, thank you for that info. $189 is a good price I think.

Mav

[Rugar]

It depends on where you live and on the shop. I have two LWS within 3 miles of me. Ones a Airco, and the other is a independent shop. I just bought a 300cf argon bottle last week from Airgas for $350 filled. The independent shop wanted $400 plus the gas. However, the independent shop charges $65 for the refill, and Airgas wants almost twice that much. So that being said, I buy my bottles from Airgas and have them refilled at the independent. Both LWS are about the same price on everything else. Pick up the phone and call around for prices.

[DesertRider33]

Welcome to the forum, Mav. Are you MadMav from RV.net?

Anyways, I have bought a few used cylinders off Craig's List and a few new ones from the local welding supply as well. Definately a better deal to buy them used. Just be sure you buy a customer-owned tank rather than a leased one. My local Airgas has no issue at all filling and exchanging tanks I bring in from other sources. Sometimes I get a tank that I don't really want (different gas or size), but I know I can exchange it for something else that I do want. Works good for me.

[DesertRider33]

I'm not sure if the question was being asked or not, but since nobody else mentioned it...

There are a confusing amount of different types of gasses out there for different purposes. For your mig machine though, you only need to be concerned with straight co2 or argon/co2 mix gas to weld steel. If you want to do aluminum with the spool gun, then you need straight argon, no mix.

75/25 argon/co2 is the most common gas for short circuit mig on steel, which is what you will be doing with your machine. The 85/15 argon/co2 mixes also work fine and are a little cleaner (less spatter). Other mixes with less co2 will be harder for your machine to run in short circuit. Bigger machines can run 10% and less co2, smaller machines benefit from more co2 in the mix.

You can also run without the gas, with self shield fluxcore wire. Swap the polarity so the torch is on the negative output for self shield fluxcore.

[pinjas]

That's odd, I was just quoted 80 for a 300CF refill at airgas, still, 65 is a pretty freakin awesome price.

I've been paying 60 or so for a 125, I realized not long ago that I've been getting raped on that deal.

Nobody can really tell you whats going to be best for you in this situation MadMav. Do you want to buy a tank upfront? Are you sure about your interest in welding? If this is what you -really- want to do, and you have the cash, buy the biggest you can and find a place that will refill it as cheaply as possible. Remember, it pays to stop. No matter which option you go with, you still are going to have to call around to find the best price for you. Things get cheaper when you buy them in bulk. Argon is a pretty expensive portion of welding, but welding in general is expensive.

[MadMav]

DesertRider33, what's up. Yep, same guy on rv.net. Been wanting to do this for many years. I have had a few stick welders in the past, and now own a HF flux core welder. It does the simple fix it jobs(messy though), but I want to start building the things that are stuck in my head to see if there is a future in it. I'm not the best welder, but can improve quickly.

Thanks for the info on the air mixture. I have read a few sites on it, and it makes sense. Once I get my welder in, I will call around to see what the tank prices are. I have been checking CL, and haven't had any luck yet.

Mav

[DesertRider33]

Great to see you here Mav!

Ed and Bert are here from rv net as well. Good bunch of folks here. Hope you stay awhile and have fun with your fabrication projects as well.

-SoCal

[MadMav]

Thanks man, looking forward to it!

Mav

[Broccoli1]

[MadMav]

Howdy!

The time is fast approaching for my purchases! Can't wait.

Mav

[Rugar]

Buy everything you will need before your machine gets there. If not you will be starring at a new welder that you cant use until you get everything else.

[cncmachininst]

wow how the area of buying your bottles and gas the price changes a 330cf customer owned bottle here is over 400$ but a gas refill of argon is only 24 $ plus tax and a hydro is only 2$ if they even charge you for it

[bert the welder]

Hey MadMav! Welcome to the site! Lots of good stuff here! I'm thinking of buying my bottles too.

[jworman]

Originally Posted by cncmachininst

wow how the area of buying your bottles and gas the price changes a 330cf customer owned bottle here is over 400$ but a gas refill of argon is only 24 $ plus tax and a hydro is only 2$ if they even charge you for it

I don't think it matters much how much they charge for bottles. Check and see what the lease price is and it's apparent that owning is the way to go. I bought my Oxygen and acetylene bottles in 1966. I haven't had any problems in the last 40+ years exchanging them, so even at $10 a year, I'm still doing good. I think most places want more than $10 a year if you don't use very much gas.

Between Tig, Mig, and Oxy-Act I have about 10 bottles. I own them all.

I've been quite impressed with Airgas. They don't worry at all about the inspection date. "It's the price of doing business" they say. They are very good about exchanging bottles, no matter how long I've had them.

That's my experience.