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Best place for gas?
- Thread starter van123d
- Start date
When you work on farm equipment, a standard tool is a GIANT rosebud.
They draw a LOT of acetylene! I have a big tank and I sometimes wish it was bigger!
When you work on farm equipment, a standard tool is a GIANT rosebud.
I have a big tank and I sometimes wish it was bigger!
Yea the big rosebuds can draw a lot, no doubt there! When you get real big propane is the way to go, More btu's, and the tips seem to not overheat as easily, at least In my experience
biggest setup I've used was 2-3" in diameter (it was quite a while ago now, I can't remember exactly) and we needed a liquid oxygen tank to feed it, propane of course, it was to straighten a "mag beam" that had been dropped as a result of a crane cable snapping...it looked like 40ft of spaghetti ...2 of us + consultant and 18 hours later it was straight (the two of us heated and the consultant directed)
Same place we had to bevel 3" plate with a radio graph, because of the bevel it was something like 8" or 10" of thickness, only tip we could find to do it was propane, and again a liquid oxygen tank
I got nuthin after that story of yours! You win!
Ha not trying to compete! Just did lots of wierd stuff at that place, a lot of it was due to doing a good chunk of the special projects/shutdown work for the local steel mill (MRM in Selkirk, MB)
Some of it was interesting and noteworthy, some of it was all of that + terrible at the same time kinda work.....like having to work 18 hrs straight straightening mag beam because it was needed tomorrow or the plant had to shut down...
Definitely cool to have the story's, and experience, but I don't miss the shutdown days, although I still get roped into the odd one here and there (obviously in Alberta though)
Former Member
Guest
Well if you are looking for cheap 80cu/ft argon (argon mix) cylinders
Our local welding shops (both private and brand name) sell them. I bought the next size up (not from them) paid a lot more but fill cost (exchange) is almost identical. I went through the first tank ultra quick learning, second tank is considerably slower given that I am welding more and have better settings and control.
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Your Canadian superstore for welding equipment, industrial equipment and portable generators.
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Our local welding shops (both private and brand name) sell them. I bought the next size up (not from them) paid a lot more but fill cost (exchange) is almost identical. I went through the first tank ultra quick learning, second tank is considerably slower given that I am welding more and have better settings and control.
Where did you exchange @6.5 Fan ?
I own 3 80cu ft cylinders , (oxy, argon, mix). Bought all from oxypro in Calgary. All new bottles
Now I’ve moved to SK, seems to be little/no refill out here. Bumper-to-bumper uses Acklands on a lease model, peavy is allegedly praxair. I’ll likely re-buy from peavey unless I can find a reasonable refill location
At that time my other bottles may be for sale.
Now I’ve moved to SK, seems to be little/no refill out here. Bumper-to-bumper uses Acklands on a lease model, peavy is allegedly praxair. I’ll likely re-buy from peavey unless I can find a reasonable refill location
At that time my other bottles may be for sale.
I began leasing oxy/acetylene tanks from Praxair in 1988 when I was barely a teenager. Couldn't afford a mig, so everything was gas welded or brazed, or cut with a torch. When i got my mig in 92, I leased another bottle for 80/20. All my bottles were around the 120 cu/ft size. Around 2002, the manager of our local Praxair called me and said my lease was going up, and maybe i should buy out my leases. It was around 450 a year for the lease by that point, and about $1200 to buy all my tanks. Done deal. I paid, and everything was fine for almost 20 years. Exchanged my tanks fairly regularly and never had an issue. One day i go in, and no familiar faces. My account also could not be found. They exchanged my mig bottle and oxy, no problem but said it would be the last time. Next time i go in, they tell me sorry, you can't own a 120 cu/ft tank, those are leases. Somewhere along the line they changed the rules, but it is still not resolved. The manager wouldn't even talk to me.
Thankfully my bud owns a big welding company, with a big account there, and now everything works. They won't even exchange my 120 ft bottles for 80's.
Thankfully my bud owns a big welding company, with a big account there, and now everything works. They won't even exchange my 120 ft bottles for 80's.
If you check the annual reports, this industry has pharmaceutical like margins. Perhaps not enough competition? The trend has been the big guys buying everything so there a few players.
If you are using it in volume pay attention to the details. The contracts often have perpetual renewals unless you cancel more than year in advance. Who's thinking about it a year in advance? Best thing to do is cancel the day after you sign it.....under the contract language its still valid for its original length, say five years, but doing so negates the perpetual renewals.
I switched suppliers recently and found a significant savings and no contract, so while there are few options, I guess there is a little bit of competition.
If you are using it in volume pay attention to the details. The contracts often have perpetual renewals unless you cancel more than year in advance. Who's thinking about it a year in advance? Best thing to do is cancel the day after you sign it.....under the contract language its still valid for its original length, say five years, but doing so negates the perpetual renewals.
I switched suppliers recently and found a significant savings and no contract, so while there are few options, I guess there is a little bit of competition.
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Just leased a Q size tank from bumper to bumper (CO/argon mix for mig). 63 bucks a year and $64 bucks for exchange (taxes extra). Cheap compared to YYC. I think I'll be selling off my 'purchased' tanks now.
mickeyf
Super User
I moved from Victoria to North Cowichan (near Duncan) about a year and a half ago. The tank I got at KMS just ran out, and rather than go all the way to KMS in Victoria to refill, I looked for a gas supplier here. Found one, sorta, Praxair/Linde:
Me: Do you refill privately owned tanks?
Him: Sure do.
Me: Great- I've got a 110CU 75/25 Argon/Co2, what will it cost?
Him: Can't do that - That's a "Lease Size" - only allowed to fill small tanks. You got it from KMS and the only people that will fill it are KMS. But they don't tell you that when you buy the tank. I've had lots of people return their tanks to KMS when they find this out.
Me: ??!!!!
Anybody know about this? Have a different story? Can shed light? I originally expected to have to drive my gas burning truck rather than my nearly-free-to-run electric car to Victoria anyway, but the "nobody else can/will fill it" is a bit of a disappointing surprise.
Just read backwards to post #69.
Me: Do you refill privately owned tanks?
Him: Sure do.
Me: Great- I've got a 110CU 75/25 Argon/Co2, what will it cost?
Him: Can't do that - That's a "Lease Size" - only allowed to fill small tanks. You got it from KMS and the only people that will fill it are KMS. But they don't tell you that when you buy the tank. I've had lots of people return their tanks to KMS when they find this out.
Me: ??!!!!
Anybody know about this? Have a different story? Can shed light? I originally expected to have to drive my gas burning truck rather than my nearly-free-to-run electric car to Victoria anyway, but the "nobody else can/will fill it" is a bit of a disappointing surprise.
Just read backwards to post #69.
its tough to find places to fill owned bottles above like 80cf, places like praxair, BOC, etc want you on their scummy lease setup where they overcharge you on the lease and the fill
being on the island you are going to be very limited, you could look for an outfit that hydrotests cylinders and see if they will fill, or know someone that does, but chances that your going to find that outside Victoria are probably 0, just another island tax. If you only fill once or twice a year your probably best of to just drive to Victoria/KMS, make it part of some other regular errand that you need to complete there, the fuel there and back would still be less than the cost of a lease, and the overpriced gas
being on the island you are going to be very limited, you could look for an outfit that hydrotests cylinders and see if they will fill, or know someone that does, but chances that your going to find that outside Victoria are probably 0, just another island tax. If you only fill once or twice a year your probably best of to just drive to Victoria/KMS, make it part of some other regular errand that you need to complete there, the fuel there and back would still be less than the cost of a lease, and the overpriced gas
mickeyf
Super User
Not like I don't go to Victoria regularly anyway, but I do like to minimize use of the aging truck, and I do think transporting pressurized cylinders upright is "Good Idea".
The impression I had from the praxair guy was that this was a legal thing, rather than a business decision thing. But he didn't actually say that in so many words.
The impression I had from the praxair guy was that this was a legal thing, rather than a business decision thing. But he didn't actually say that in so many words.
Huh, I've had my KMS C25 and argon tanks refilled/exchanged at Barry Hamel in Saanichton and they didn't bat an eye.
mickeyf
Super User
In my case Saanichton is a few K further, so no advantage to me unless they have much better gas or much better prices. . But it's interesting to hear that this is apparently a just choice by the particular supplier.
Would be a shorter trip taking the Mill Bay Ferry.
mickeyf
Super User
True enough, but I accumulate reasons to go to Victoria before making the trip, most of them would be closer to KMS since I rarely have any reason to go up the peninsula, the ferry is not free, and with the ferry I am less flexible about the timing. Plus, on that particular ferry you can't even use a BC ferries card!
If you transport them upright then people know what you're hauling
Mostly just oxygen here but I've driven many miles with the tanks banging around in the pickup box, laying down. Curious your reasoning, as I never once attempted to secure tanks, as long as the cap was on there