Would You Buy Used Tanks?

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Magicniner
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Re: Would You Buy Used Tanks?

Post by Magicniner »

I got rid of the Oxy-Acetylene kit about 30 years ago when I found that my household insurance didn't and wouldn't cover it at reasonable cost.
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steamin10
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Re: Would You Buy Used Tanks?

Post by steamin10 »

My experience with tanks is varied and old information, as I solved that problem a long time ago. I got stuck with tanks that were taken from a steel mill, and had to surrender them. I bought a 99 year lease for an oxy bottle , meaning I bought into the pool. The large K bottles are always lease, and not sold or serviced independently. With sales of Linde, and Airgas, that other business units operate under, the market has changed, but once you get through the hoops, and pay the freight for entry, you are all good. I have everything from industrial cutters, welding, and rosebud heads, to round out my collection. I have B bottle acetylene, and mini gauges, to Lindy full sized regulators, (the best). It doesnt matter, as long as you have the tools to do the job.

Given my trials and trails, I saved $50 here, and $20 here, and have more than I need. But like a carpenters hammer, I cant have just one, so then how many is too much. The answer is with the ability to work in the shop, or go to a site as I did, and silver solder a heat exchanger, or some 2 inch copper supply line in a laundromat, without a big set. Speed and convenience.

Since you took the plunge, and made the initial question mute, I will ask if all the work and worry was worth it. The trail you followed presented no more work than getting bottles refilled, or starting a new contract, so do you find yourself with buyers remorse?
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
redneckalbertan
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Re: Would You Buy Used Tanks?

Post by redneckalbertan »

I don't know what prices are like down there, but comparing those prices to up here, I think you did good. Last time I enquired about the purchase of bottles up they were around $600 for a 300 (T at Linde), plus the fill.
golfpin

Re: Would You Buy Used Tanks?

Post by golfpin »

Good day all, hope this is not too far off the point but here in RSA the roost is ruled by Afrox, giant of monopolies I will say no more..about 50 years ago afrox introduced the "port a Pack" quite a gem and it was sold for, at a special intro price of R 350 call that same as $ then, to day that set costs R 17000 divide that by 16 and we get 1062 dollars Does that what a porta set sells for in the US today? I have just checked, a pound of butter in the US when converted to Rand at to days exchange rate [ $2.85 in usa] of about 16 makes butter here R 36, in the shops about R 45 just thought it quite interesting re costs etc you just take bottles inand exchange them the price is about R1500 but the interesting part from the marketing point is that the guages for the normal :big: set std around the world, will not fit the porta pack bottles! Golfpin.
Carm
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Re: Would You Buy Used Tanks?

Post by Carm »

Hi Golfpin

Is it BOC that owns Afrox or the other way 'round?
Seems back in the '60's they had competition, but a name escapes me.

I brought a set of Afrox regulators back with me, all Afrikaans, as a souvenir, still use them. However the inlet fittings are not the same as CGA standards here so had to modify.

Things seem quite dear in your current economy.
golfpin

Re: Would You Buy Used Tanks?

Post by golfpin »

Hi carm. Boc is british oxygen afrox is as implied is African oxygen, union liquid air opened up also and another but I think all owned by Afrox now; yes things are impossibly expensive made worse by the fact that probaly 90% of all we get is from China, don,t have to expand on that but what is aggravating is the inconcsitances eg about 5 years ago I was in London and I went into a hobby shop and asked the price of silver solder... the price was about 3 Rand a stick and I was paying R65 in RSA those are exact prices. So we moer maar aan. [We push on] Friend of mine had a very big production business in Durban bought some more machines in the east went over there was offered tooling his reply was I can get from Local supplier, Somta, the stuff was cheaper for him to buy in China than back here!!!! Gesonheid cheers Golfpin
Carm
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Re: Would You Buy Used Tanks?

Post by Carm »

Golfpin
I was curious about what I had heard so I looked it up, business acquisitions and takeovers not in my normal purview.
Both BOC and Afrox are now part of Linde.
Linde also owns a number of other gas companies, Airco being one.

Hou die blink kant bo
golfpin

Re: Would You Buy Used Tanks?

Post by golfpin »

thanks carm will also persue that out of curiosity Linde,am familiar with but not in indusrtrial gas context. Cheers Golfpin Afrox have gone on to be a power house in the medical gas field and are , [shares were a very good buy] think major share holders in many medical/hospital set ups. Sister in law, carol, ex sasol chief scientific officer, was forever complaing of lack of quality/purity of gas.
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steamin10
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Re: Would You Buy Used Tanks?

Post by steamin10 »

It is my understanding that the Oxy fractions taken in the separation by temperature, is where the trash gases get dumped. Less than 3%. If the regen or process opens up, then you get too much waste in the Oxy.

My son worked on trucks at a gas plant, and various problems caused raw gas to be stored in Idled tankers until equipment could be repaired or lined up to reprocess mistakes. The business is highly energy dependent, and low cost electric power controls profits. Once liquefied, the raw gases represent a fair quantity of finances, and cannot be dumped without having an impact on production costs. Storage in trailers for the short term, is undesirable, because of cool-off losses, and loss due to ambient heat.

the noble gases, cannot contain any oxy, and the carry over is dumped back into raw, for reprocess. Usually Nitrogen escapes into the oxy, but rarely causes any problems, because of its relatively inert nature, and low content.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Would You Buy Used Tanks?

Post by SteveHGraham »

I have some new info on this. Perhaps people can comment.

What I read was that bottles come in two types: company-owned with company names stamped in the necks, and customer-owned with no stamps ("slick" neck). If you make sure you swap a slick tank for another slick tank, you won't have to worry about gas companies accusing you of stealing it or refusing to fill it in the future.

I read that you have to be careful, because Airgas has been known to take people's tanks, replace them with Airgas tanks, and stamp "Airgas" on the tanks they received, converting them to Airgas property. I don't know if that's true.

I called the nearest Airgas, and they said they will swap for customer-owned tanks, and that they assume all 125 cu. ft. tanks are customer owned.

Some local dude is offering full 120 cu. ft. argon tanks for $120. I am planning to try one so I can weld stainless without flinging spatter all over the garage.

Hope I am not repeating information. I am too lazy to re-read four pages of posts.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
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ctwo
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Re: Would You Buy Used Tanks?

Post by ctwo »

I have a small welding set from grandpa. I've never used it. The tanks are almost short enough to fit under the table. There are some welding rods there too, so I should give it a try. I'll look for stamps on the tanks. I'm sure there there is not much gas in them.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Would You Buy Used Tanks?

Post by SteveHGraham »

I'm not sure, but I believe really small tanks are always customer-owned.

I ordered a tank of argon, and it will be here today. The dude says it's a customer tank, and he's charging $120, including delivery. Place your bets.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
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