acetylene tank?

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member
About 5 years ago I needed my acetylene tank filled, the bigger
tank. I went to the place I've used for decades. The place
changed owners. They had no record of my tanks. They said my
tank was too old and I couldn't own one that size. I could only
lease tank that size.

I didn't want to lease a tank, don't use torch that much. So
stupid me I bought the smaller than, which they said I could
own.

They wanted to take my larger tank back. I said you don't have
a record of my account, therefore you can't prove it's yours. I
kept the tank.

Yesterday I needed acetylene. Went to a different place to get
them filled. I told them the run around I got and asked if they
could fill my tank. No problem. I did have to pay a $27.50
retest fee. However if I took an older style tank, they would
knock off $20, gave me a T handle, and gave me a 25% discount
of the gas.

The volume of the larger tank is 147, $67.09
The volume of the smaller thank is 60, $52.58

I'm getting more than twice the gas for about $15.

I'm going to use the larger tank and keep the smaller tank in
case I run out and gas to finish a job.

So my question is why did my old place say they couldn't fill
my old tank that had a welded ring on the bottom of the tank.
That tank was a newer style than the one I picked up yesterday?


cvphoto1408.jpg
 
gave up on acetylene 30 years ago nothing but propane for me ,I only cut and heat with it way cheaper out west
 
George; I don't know the specific answer about why you got such different treatment from two different suppliers, but I think the general answer is that the gas and tank sales and rental business is like the wild west. On the customer side there's a lot of theft (a common occurrence if for someone to lease equipment and then move out of the area with it), and on the supplier side there's often a sort of anything goes attitude. About the best you can do is to find a place you like and keep giving them your business---and hope they don't go out of business or sell to someone else.

For what it's worth, I think you handled that situation just right. After all, there's only so much you can do. It isn't like buying a gallon of milk.

Stan
 
It is all up to the individual company. We would charge you for the retest(25.00)and put you in the computer as a customer owned tank and trade you a full one. We will sell them or rent them by the month or year. Large high pressure cylinders we only rent.
Our competition down the street only leases, and you redo the lease every seven years. Their lease price is the same price as our purchase price. The price for a #4 acetylene tank and a 125cf Oxygen(tall skinny) is about $475.00 and you own them, till your kids have a sale:) Rent is $60.00 per year per cylinder. You really have to shop around to see who will give you the best deal.
 
I think it depends a lot on how much competition there is locally. Here in SE Michigan there are plenty of suppliers, and they will all accept just about any tank.
 
Thanks for all your replies.
For 30 years I did business with the company as a cash customer.
When the business changed hands I wasn't in their system. I even returned with my last receipt. I said see, my last name is Cash, first name is Johnny.

They said that I couldn't own a large tank, I could only lease it and they wanted to keep my tank that I bought off an individual 30 years ago. That's when I said you have no records that the tank is yours, so I'm keeping it. Glad I did.

Guess you are never too old to learn something new.

The new place I went to said when I return they would enter me into their computer system so they have records that I own the tanks.
 

Local auto body shop has the franchise for this area. They do not re-fill tanks. Just exchange the empty tank for a full one.
 
It's the same way here. The large tanks are rented only so if you bring in one it is assumed stolen and they won't swap it out.
 
In New Jersey you must lease the bottles. After 30 years of leasing the owner retired and gave me my bottles . The only problem is nobody will fill them as they are now b@stard bottles. Once I got to Florida the weld shop exchanged my bottles and only charged me for gas. My argon I took to Sanford and the guy said I had his competitors bottle ,I told him to look closer and he said go get yourself a large argon.
 
What you experienced is becoming more common by the day. Whereas a few years ago there were dozens of places to buy gas around Dallas Texas,today Praxair and airgas have bought out all the small suppliers and closed the doors. Propane is the same way,rental tanks only for anyting larger than 100 Lbs.
 

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