Argon tank questions?

Looked at harbor freights 20cubic foot argon tank they wants 100 bucks thought it was way to small, I really don"t wanna lease one.. Found one in eBay 55cubic foot for 92 bucks.. Is that big enough? I"m just hobby welding, please give me some input..
 
Get at least an 80 cu. ft. cylinder but make sure it can be exchanged at the welding supply. A 122 cu. ft. would be even better. The difference in cost to fill between them is minimal as it takes the same labor to hook up them up to fill.
 
Not a lot of places sell them but an 80 up here is $286 full and a 122 is $325 full. The cylinders are exchanged when they run out and you don't have to pay for any hydro-testing. The fill plant looks after that. You can use a tank, in your possession, past the date but the fill plant can't fill after it's expired until it is re-tested.
 
Most of the time buying them out right, would have saved money by the time the 3rd. year lease is payed. After that no more fee's other than getting refills.
 
Jin
Where I live, the boys told me I could own an 80 ft tank but would have to lease anything bigger.

Can't remember what I paid for tank and gas, but I bought the 80 ft tank. Don't use my mig that much. Still on the first bottle. Guess if you don't use it, you won't lose it, unless you forget to turn the tank off.
George
 
Is there a difference in an Argon and a Oxygen tank? Am familuar with the oxygen as have had the cutting torch for 30+ years but know nothing about the argon gas or what it is used for.
 
You certainly can buy it and use it until it's empty. The issue is whether you can get it refilled. You need to check with whoever you would be taking it to for refilling to see if they're going to go for it. There are lots and lots of stolen rental tanks around, and companies who sell, lease, and refill tanks take a dim view of the situation. You're dead in the water if nobody will refill it for you.

Stan
 
I think the tanks are identical. Both are high pressure tanks which contain compressed gas which does not liquify under pressure. I don't think either gas contaminates the other to make the tanks non-interchangeable, but I could be mistaken about that.

Argon is an inert gas, the third most common gas in our atmosphere despite existing in minute quantities, which is used as a shielding gas in its pure form in GTAW (TIG) welding, and mixed with CO2, and sometimes with small amounts of oxygen, as a shielding gas for GMAW (MIG) welding. A mixture of 75% argon, 25% CO2 is a joy to weld with in GMAW, much nicer than pure CO2.

Stan
 
I don't remember what I paid for my tanks, but when I bought them I asked how long to rent them before they are paid for. 2-years. I have a C-25, argon, and oxygen that are 250. My acetylene and helium bottles are 135, not shown in this picture.

13131.jpg
 
ifya look at welding supply dot com they sell bottles delivered full at about the best price. Then you can take the new bottle and start it in rotation for a refill at any welding shop or napa auto parts in town when it runs out. me, I bought 2 so I don't run out.
 
(quoted from post at 16:14:11 12/24/12) ifya look at welding supply dot com they sell bottles delivered full at about the best price. Then you can take the new bottle and start it in rotation for a refill at any welding shop or napa auto parts in town when it runs out. me, I bought 2 so I don't run out.

footin mouth, I wouldn't bet the farm on that! Every location is different!
 
There is no name on the ring so you should be able to have it refilled with Oxygen. For Argon you need a new valve and a retest to switch the service to Argon,.
 
I've made a few mistakes and buying this tank was one of them.Don't waste your money.About the time you get goin good,your out.Spend the extra money.You won't regret it.
Good Luck.

DSCF0002-16_zps0bd220d6.jpg
 
I bought an 80cuft. from TSC. It was $195 to buy and 55 to fill. When that ran out, I decided to get something bigger. The best deal I could find was from Praxair. I leased an extra high pressure bottle(4000-4500psi) with a capacity of 450-500cuft. I can't remember the numbers. This one was 125 to fill and 30 to rent. Much better deal, though it certainly does limit portability.
 
Mostly independent welding supplies sell and fill customer owned cylinders in all sizes. The large welding supplies like Praxair, Airgas, etc, only sell smaller size cylinders up to about 80 cu. ft. They make their money on leasing cylinders. It is not uncommon for customers to acquire cylinders that should have been returned because they were originally leased. This happens when cylinders are purchased at an auction for example. Getting what you think is a bargain is often money thrown out the window because you can't exchange the cylinder without it being tied to a lease.

The high pressure cylinders are all the same (CO2 being the exception) cylinder except the valve is different depending on the type of gas. In order to switch a cylinder from one gas to another, the cylinder is purged before filling. Cylinders should be purged all the time but sometimes this step is missed. The most common "dirty" gas and most noticeable is argon. You notice it when TIG welding, especially on aluminum. There will black on the weld and even pinholes in the weld from non pure argon.
 
Only if a welding supply will fill it. There is no name on the collar which is good but it may need to be hydro-tested cause it's out of date. That usually costs about $35. What's funny in the ad is it says full because it's heavy. Oxygen is a gas in the cylinder so you wouldn't notice a difference in weight. Also, it looks to be missing a cap so that will cost between $10 and $20. Before buying a cylinder check with local welding supplies if they will exchange it or fill it. Exchanging is better because you get a full one right away. If they'll only fill it, you might have to wait up to a week.
 
$30 to rent for how long... a month? $30 a year seems way too low from Praxair for an extra high pressure cylinder.
 
Got to be careful, the local NAPA shop only accepts certain bottles to trade in their rotation. Better ask first about the brand you're going for.
 
I just bought a 122 for $208 full(Tx). Cost $36 to refill. 75--25 mix. Oxygen and argon have different size valve's,gauge's will not inter change.
 

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