Best place for gas?

[van123d]

Specifically Argon/Oxygen/Acetylene so the suggestions for the local Mexican restaurant are out.

I inherited an Oxy/Acetylene rig that I have been using the past couple of years but I now need to refill or replace one of the cylinders. As I was not the original owner of this I am not certain where these were originally purchased from. In addition I just bought myself a new PrimeWeld Tig welder for Christmas from Great Western Saw on their black friday sale so I will need to get an Argon cylinder as well.

The old bottles I have are labeled "Air Products" with a green "A" triangle logo.

What is the best place to get these older cylinders exchanged and buy an Argon cylinder for the Tig? Is the local Peavey mart fine or is there a substantial price difference dealing with one of the more specialized suppliers? Looking online I cannot see the prices at those places without an account. I would prefer to buy outright and not lease.

Does it matter if the old cylinders were not purchased there or can I exchange them anywhere? If they have to be exchanged specifically at an Air Products supplier which supplier would that be?

 

[Former Member]

Wow, a Canadian dealer of Primeweld.

I got mine last year haven't looked back.

 

[phaxtris]

Where are you located

 

[van123d]

Wow, a Canadian dealer of Primeweld.

I got mine last year haven't looked back.

Yes I have been looking at them for a while but only recently discovered there was a Canadian distributer. Compared to Everlast Canada which I was also considering there doesn't seem to be nearly the "Canadian tax". It was 10% off for black friday and free shipping so I finally pulled the trigger on the order. Arrived this morning.

Where are you located

Of course. I am just outside of Woodstock Ontario.

 

[phaxtris]

I can't say where the best place in Ontario, but there is always Praxair/air Liquide

However rental bottles, especially if you only have a few, is a bad deal. If you can find somewhere that will fill owned bottles that's the cheapest way to go

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I use peavey mart for my home cylinders. I have 3 within a 30 minutes drive from home, and one is right around the corner form work. It's more money, but easier to get a tank on the weekend when I usually run out and need one. One day I might step up to bigger rental tanks, but for now the smaller peavey mart tanks, and the ease of swapping them gets the win over outright price.

Keep an eye on market place/kijiji, you can sometimes pick up cheaper praxair tanks that they will take in on a swap. Cheaper than buying them from the store. You can buy a co2 tank and swap it for argon too for example. All they care about is size of the tank from gas to gas. In my experience anyway. Your store may vary.

I don't know what is available in the woodstock area, but there are always small independent welding suppliers all over the province that handle rentals, and exchanges differently. Might be worth a few calls around to different places.

 

[Susquatch]

Specifically Argon/Oxygen/Acetylene so the suggestions for the local Mexican restaurant are out.

I inherited an Oxy/Acetylene rig that I have been using the past couple of years but I now need to refill or replace one of the cylinders. As I was not the original owner of this I am not certain where these were originally purchased from. In addition I just bought myself a new PrimeWeld Tig welder for Christmas from Great Western Saw on their black friday sale so I will need to get an Argon cylinder as well.

The old bottles I have are labeled "Air Products" with a green "A" triangle logo.

What is the best place to get these older cylinders exchanged and buy an Argon cylinder for the Tig? Is the local Peavey mart fine or is there a substantial price difference dealing with one of the more specialized suppliers? Looking online I cannot see the prices at those places without an account. I would prefer to buy outright and not lease.

Does it matter if the old cylinders were not purchased there or can I exchange them anywhere? If they have to be exchanged specifically at an Air Products supplier which supplier would that be?

About the only advice I can offer here in Ontario is.... BE CAREFULL!

I had some tanks that I got from my father-in-law when he passed. NOBODY WOULD FILL THEM! Some places would not even take them for recycle trash.

So I bought a new set at a welding shop. NOBODY WOULD FILL THEM!

I went to Praxair who would lease me tanks but wouldn't sell them.

TSC only had small tanks.

I ended up leasing. Lot of money regardless of how much you gas you actually use.

So ya, before you buy or lease, check out your options. Be Careful!

 

[Chicken lights]

One more reason to use oxy-propane instead of oxy-acetylene is you can get a BBQ tank practically anywhere, even on weekends. Plus it’s relatively easy and cheap to get one recertified, I bought a small one cheap from the scrap yard and had to send it out to get certified

 

[phaxtris]

@Susquatch has a very good point....make sure you can find somewhere that will fill owned cylinders if thats the way you want to go, praxair/air liquide/etc will usually only fill the small owned cylinders, like less than 50cu ft

i run oxy/propane on my welding rig, im ok with it, but its not all roses..
- In the plus column
-cheaper to buy
-cheaper to run
-easier to get
-no draw limit
-lighter tank
-higher btu flame is better for heating
-you can run your tiger torch or bbq on it
-no need for a rental tank (it is quite hard to find somewhere to fill an owned tank)

- For the negatives
-lower temperature flame makes starting, piercing burning through paint/etc to start take much longer
-harder to light and start a cutting flame
-cannot weld with it
-tips are less common
-if you dont use proper hoses the propane will degrade the hoses eventually
And for the biggest drawback...
-You use considerably more oxygen, for a neutral flame oxy/act is a 1:1.2 ratio oxygen to act, oxygen propane is a 1:4.3 ratio, it is noticeable, i go through a lot more oxygen running propane than acetylene, so if you switch be prepared to be getting that o2 tank filled more often

 

[van123d]

I actually thought this was going to be a straight forward question and everyone would just say “go here”. I guess that is not the case.

It’s actually oxygen that I am out of right now so I will stick to acetylene for the near future. Might reconsider the options when it runs out.

Does anyone know which suppliers use “Air Products” cylinders? I figure that will be my best bet at exchanging or filling the ones I have.

 

[phaxtris]

Usually if somewhere will fill an owned cylinder they don't care who's it is, I would recommend calling the local Praxair/air Liquide/Linde and just ask a sales rep, start with asking if they will fill your bottle...they will most likely say no, and just ask if they know somewhere that fills owned cylinders

To fill a 255cu ft cylinder here in Calgary without a good account your in the 60-90$ range, I would imagine it would be similar...maybe even cheaper...in Ontario, that should at least give you an idea if someone is trying to rip you off

 

[Former Member]

There has been a big shake up in the industry Messer gas bought a lot of the distributors, so when you think you are buy from competitors you are buying from one, think GM Pontiac, Chevy Buick, all different brands all one company.

 

[van123d]

So I contacted air products and was informed they no longer sell or fill cylinders. Everyone I have called so far will only fill or exchange their own cylinders so I would have to buy new.
I haven't given up yet but things are not looking great.

I will likely end up buying new bottles at Peavey for the better hours as others have commented. Not sure if they will take and recycle the old ones or if I will need to figure out how to dispose of these.

 

[boilerhouse]

Curious what size of cylinders you have. I bought small B tanks originally through BOC, (later become Linde, currently Meser), and have been anal about keeping all the documentation, but, when I go for an exchange, they don't seem to look at the cylinder that carefully, and the business is just a depot for the gas company, doing exchanges as a side gig, and the staff don't seem that knowledgeable.

 

[phaxtris]

So I contacted air products and was informed they no longer sell or fill cylinders. Everyone I have called so far will only fill or exchange their own cylinders so I would have to buy new.
I haven't given up yet but things are not looking great.

I will likely end up buying new bottles at Peavey for the better hours as others have commented. Not sure if they will take and recycle the old ones or if I will need to figure out how to dispose of these.

Will Peavy not fill your owned cylinders ? If they are expired you can get them re certified for a lot less than a new bottle

 

[van123d]

Curious what size of cylinders you have. I bought small B tanks originally through BOC, (later become Linde, currently Meser), and have been anal about keeping all the documentation, but, when I go for an exchange, they don't seem to look at the cylinder that carefully, and the business is just a depot for the gas company, doing exchanges as a side gig, and the staff don't seem that knowledgeable.

80cf cylinders

Will Peavy not fill your owned cylinders ? If they are expired you can get them re certified for a lot less than a new bottle

I called Peavy and they said it had to be a Praxair cylinder. I might try just showing up and seeing what happens though. Maybe I will get lucky.

 

[phaxtris]

80cf cylinders


I called Peavy and they said it had to be a Praxair cylinder. I might try just showing up and seeing what happens though. Maybe I will get lucky.

Oh they aren't filling them then, the must have a deal through Praxair to exchange

 

[van123d]

We have a winner. Whitelaw automotive in Woodstock (Carquest), exchanged without issue. Called them up and they said they didn't care whose cylinder it was they would exchange it.

Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions.

 

[Former Member]

Most cylinders must be exchanged (particularly actelyne as it has issues in filling, done only in a few remote locations). My Argon cylinder is purchased but when I have it filled they just exchange it. think of it as a long term rental. If plan on keeping the bottle for more than a few years (about 6 the ROI point) its worth it.

 

[phaxtris]

Most cylinders must be exchanged (particularly actelyne as it has issues in filling, done only in a few remote locations). My Argon cylinder is purchased but when I have it filled they just exchange it. think of it as a long term rental. If plan on keeping the bottle for more than a few years (about 6 the ROI point) its worth it.

Negative, most places want to exchange them for time reasons, it takes a solid 45min to an hr to fill a 255 from a bank

I do myne through kms here, I drop my cylinder off and come back an hour later and pick up the same cylinder, there are a few other places in Calgary that will do that for you as well

Actylene is different, that is almost always exchange, reason being they acetone levels in the tank need to be checked and possibly topped up every fill