The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Welding Gas $$$$

Hey!
What did you pay for your welding gass bottle and gas?

I am looking for a place to get mine and I would like to know what to expect and not get ripped.

What size bottle do you have?

I paid about $150 with tax for my bottle and it is $20 to refill. The price of steel is used in how they determine how much the tank cost is. The place I bought it from does an exchange when I bring in an empty. Other places I have used just re-fill my tank. I think mine is the middle size (150SCF I think), it is about 5 feet tall and 8 inches in diameter. I have heard that size call the "homeowner" size.

I called around until I found the best deal. When buying that first tank make sure they show you it is in the first year of its tank certification. The tanks are good for 10 years then recycled. Would not be good to buy a tank and later find it cannot be filled because it out of code.

Definately call around. I called several places in Fort Worth and got quotes from $140 to $190. Then I called the place in Mineral Wells, about 10 miles from the house, and it was $110. I boogied to Mineral Wells.

5 ft. tall? That's a big "homeowner" tank! My tank's about half that capacity and if I recall corectly was about $120. $30 for refills. Everything's more expensive here in San Diego though. I'm sure I could find a store a few bucks cheaper but, this one always has everything I need and customer service is always good.
-David

For $120 I can get the tank, and for $10 I can have it refilled. It's definitely not 5' tall, more like 3-1/2'..........maybe 4'.......

Airgass is the name of the place I went to.
It seems like they are way over priced on everything.

Can you suggest some name of places to check?

I assume you are talking about a co2 bottle for a MIG. I thought about it after I posted last night.
I got mine from a Matheson Tri-gas dealer. I don't know if they have outlets in CA or not.
And I was wrong about the price last night. It was $101 for an 80 cubic foot tank and I got my same size oxygen tank filled for $8 while I was there.

In2deep Look in Yellow pages under "welding supply" or industrial gas. Get the best price and make sure you get a good bill of sale receipt. A lot of refill places are getting finicky about what they will swap out and want to know where you got the bottle. Once you establish yourself at the local refill store once or twice they never ask again. I agree with Cletis that the 80 cubic sizes saves a lot of trips....

i got the biggest bottle they had. it is abotu 6' tall and ~10" in diameter. it cost $180.

Yeah, good info about the bottle. Get the biggest one you can afford and have space for. It sucks to run out of gas in the middle of a project.
-David
Kustoms-and-Sleds