Welding Tips and Tricks

I am looking for advice on my first gas cylinder purchase.

I have a Lotos MIG 175 that I currently run only flux core through because I have yet to purchase/lease a cylinder.

I am hoping to bridge the gap and I am looking for advice on the does and don'ts of acquiring gas for my setup. I live on the east side of Cincinnati and Jerry's Welding supply is minutes down the road from me (I plan to go with them if it makes sense).

My questions: buy or lease? How big of a cylinder (I don't plan on making a ton of trips for refills/exchanges and would like one on the larger side but I have no idea what sizes there are)? What is a fair price to get into this?

Thanks for any and all responses,

DevilDog

if they are like most they wont sell anything bigger than a 120 which will run probably a little over 200 bucks. leases run about 100 bucks year. I have a 300 C25 leased and own an 80 argon ( which I don't recommend if you are going to use it every week ) but I just bought a 120 and a 300 for 50 bucks each ( O&A ) and the manager at the LWS has agreed to swap them out for what ever gas I want so long story short I would lease a tank and keep my eyes open for tanks for sale but make sure you know they have a label on them that a local supplier will exchange or you'll end up with tanks that do nothing but take up floor space.

hope that helps.

creek

I purchased my 125 Argon cylinder lasted me 11 months. About $60 for exchange for full one.

Bigger is better. I own some smaller 125cf bottles but lease my 330cf. The only benefit to owning is that a typical lease is 7 years and then you have to re-up or turn in your bottle...obviously if you own it it's not an issue. The upshot is I can write off my lease payment...not much but every little bit helps when you're a small shop.

If you own a bottle, most gas companies still require you have an account with them to refill your bottle. They will swap your empty bottle with their full bottle for the price of gas. The downside is 2 fold: 1, you are somewhat "stuck" refilling with them and only them. 2, your un-branded bottle must be tested every 5 (depending upon size) years and if its the large size bottle, no other company can refill it than the branded owner.

I have Owner-owned and leased bottles. The annual lease is pretty cheap all things considered. Just find a shop that you like and is convenient to your shop/home or the region in which you work for ease of filling.

Thanks all for the great advice.

Sounds as if to get my feet wet I go with the 125 size bottle leased and keep an eye out for purchases that my LWS will exchange.

All in all it sounds as this is the introductory point of developing a relationship with my LWS start with a lease and developed the relationship from there.

Thanks,

DevilDog

I would at least ask your LWS what their policies are regarding owner bottle sizes.

Around here in WA state, I have had no issues with filling or swapping any size that I've brought them, including a 250cf Argon bottle, as long as they were not marked as belonging to some company owned fleet of bottles.

The Airgas store is the only one that seemed a little cautious, but they were worth the hassle for one of the fills due to their price on the gas in question, and their gas plant being directly across the highway from the store.

DevilDog wrote:Thanks all for the great advice.

Sounds as if to get my feet wet I go with the 125 size bottle leased and keep an eye out for purchases that my LWS will exchange.

All in all it sounds as this is the introductory point of developing a relationship with my LWS start with a lease and developed the relationship from there.

Thanks,

DevilDog

good point about developing a relationship, I would bet money the LWS I deal with wouldn't swap out the O&A bottles for C25 or argon bottles for someone off the street but I do almost all of my business with them even if it costs a few dollars more and it pays off, several times I have been there to buy a dinse connector or some other item and the manager would just give it to me because he was out of single packs and had to break a pair or whatever the case may have been.

I am paying $50/year lease on a 125ft3 Argon bottle and $50 for a 125ft3 C25 bottle.
Each tank would have cost ~$200 new and I'd be on the hook for the testing.
I believe the lease is reasonable for me as a hobbyist.
They each only cost about $35 to fill at the same LWS.

I bought both my 125's, argon and 75/25 for about 150$ each. My refills are about 40$ with tax.

Poland308 wrote:I bought both my 125's, argon and 75/25 for about 150$ each. My refills are about 40$ with tax.

I have the same thing. I own a 125 for argon, another for 75/25 and I lease a 300 for argon. My 125 fills are about the same as you pay. I can fill my 300 for $65+ tax....big bottles are a way better deal, especially when my LWS is 30 miles away.

Outstanding info from all. I love the pricing comparisons and lease vs purchase discussion.

It seems the overarching theme is that the area, LWS and level of gas usage dictate the selection. I will just have to make some time in the schedule to head to the LWS and discuss my options and start the relationship building process.

Thanks again to all.

DevilDog

DevilDog, I know that username from another forum, but can't recall which. Perhaps on a FB forum? Or from long ago at Industrial Projects Report?

I suppose, also, others may well have used that as a username all across the internet.

Just curious.

Steve S

Most of my activity has been on ArcheryTalk and a couple of ford truck and diesel forums. I haven't been on them regularly in a while.