- Thread starter marknotgeorge
- Start date
shenion
Tool Pack Rat
- Messages
- 7,586
- Location
- Stone Mountain, GA USA
They charge testing on rental tanks??Shenion, SHUT UP! cause everything you are talking about is irrelevant here in the UK!!
weldequip
As you can't own a tank, you will always get an up to date one on a swap.
Keep up the good work Weldequip!!!
I know that many folk on here despise anything to do with big cylinder companies and sometimes with good reason but it seems to have now gone mad
The lengths some will go to IMO will end in good old false economy syndrome.
The time and energy may be better spent designing & welding a great project to be proud of or using ones welding skills to earn enough cash to fund ones own usage.
I know that many folk on here despise anything to do with big cylinder companies and sometimes with good reason but it seems to have now gone mad
The lengths some will go to IMO will end in good old false economy syndrome.
The time and energy may be better spent designing & welding a great project to be proud of or using ones welding skills to earn enough cash to fund ones own usage.
Drains
Yeah, nah.
- Messages
- 7,718
- Location
- Sefton, South Island, NZ
The arguments over the price of gas/rental etc do seem a bit laughable. I'm hardly perfect when it comes to being a tight arsed git, but I drink beer, and I spend more on that in a couple of days than I do on a months bottle rental.
If i'm still sober, I like to keep a little perspective.. hic
Si
If i'm still sober, I like to keep a little perspective.. hic
Si
Ratty
Putting the She in Sheds
- Messages
- 1,775
I think a lot of the moaning is more to do with the big companies taking the **** then it is to do with cost - if Adamsgas (and all those outlets that supply propane/butane) can make a living without a yearly rental and a transaction charge why can't the others? but the diving gas wriggle seems insane!
I would not defend the big companies cause Linde *removed for legal reasons* alone has just been snapped up for a bargain 70 million quid 
The inert gas itself costs zero but if you see the infrastructure (9 bedroom houses
) filling plants (Aston martins) coupled with the complex logistics (room for a pony or 5) manufacture & testing of high pressure cylinders (Villa in California) you could understand why.
They can make "better use of their time" supplying product in bulk to large factories & hospital's.The equivalent effort dealing with the odd cylinder here and there is an expense to them which is I guess why they charge more if you don't have at least a few cylinders per month.
We deal in just small cylinders in a "correct fashion" and by the time the transport/filling/storage/insurance/admin/exchange stock is paid for we have to sell a lot to make any money.
The inert gas itself costs zero but if you see the infrastructure (9 bedroom houses
) filling plants (Aston martins) coupled with the complex logistics (room for a pony or 5) manufacture & testing of high pressure cylinders (Villa in California) you could understand why.They can make "better use of their time" supplying product in bulk to large factories & hospital's.The equivalent effort dealing with the odd cylinder here and there is an expense to them which is I guess why they charge more if you don't have at least a few cylinders per month.
We deal in just small cylinders in a "correct fashion" and by the time the transport/filling/storage/insurance/admin/exchange stock is paid for we have to sell a lot to make any money.
Ratty
Putting the She in Sheds
- Messages
- 1,775
There's a company near me who sell them..they call them argosavers http://www.gas-arc.co.uk/welding.asp#
or you might be lucky and get this for a song
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Argomiser-gas...ryZ11774QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD4VQQcmdZViewItem
Looks just like the one on my migatronic, (see pics here
I presume mine is working and efficient but have no way of telling if it's saving me gas
diving shop for source of Argon gas
I'm pursuing the diving fraternity as a cheaper source of argon gas.
A dive shop can supply a 3lt bottle, rated at 200bar. This suggests to me ~600lt of atmospheric Ar can be stored. Bottle costs £70 to buy; certification costs £20 per 2.5yr = £8pa (can regard this as rent); refill £5. This comes out at £0.14 per litre, per year if rent is continuous.
A disposable Ar bottle holds about 60lt, at £20 a bottle (eg eBay). This comes to £0.33 per litre.
Regulator for diving bottle is about £60; disposables £30.
The diving option is evidently cheaper. For continuity I'd prefer the diving bottle route too; I just so hate the idea of disposing of the depleted disposable bottles as they represent so much wasted metal and a perfectly-made pressure vessel.
teddykan
I'm pursuing the diving fraternity as a cheaper source of argon gas.
A dive shop can supply a 3lt bottle, rated at 200bar. This suggests to me ~600lt of atmospheric Ar can be stored. Bottle costs £70 to buy; certification costs £20 per 2.5yr = £8pa (can regard this as rent); refill £5. This comes out at £0.14 per litre, per year if rent is continuous.
A disposable Ar bottle holds about 60lt, at £20 a bottle (eg eBay). This comes to £0.33 per litre.
Regulator for diving bottle is about £60; disposables £30.
The diving option is evidently cheaper. For continuity I'd prefer the diving bottle route too; I just so hate the idea of disposing of the depleted disposable bottles as they represent so much wasted metal and a perfectly-made pressure vessel.
teddykan
Last edited:
Can't speak for all but I & others here (I believe) would urge you to shelve the association with welding supplies and diving equipment. This may encourage some less experienced folk to try being "clever" with cylinders and result in injury or worse.
Its conceivable that a diving cylinder could be filled with Argon and mistaken for a breathing mixture. A casual reader may not realise you mean Argon for diving suits
also the conversion is uneconomical and the cylinder may be a light duty vessel with an unprotected valve.If you recall we had a conversation where I offered you a far better deal anyway.
Furthermore the dispoables can be purchsed for less than a tenner plus its not just the cost of the gas. A source which is safe,reliable & designed for the purpose is whats required IMO.
Ratty
Putting the She in Sheds
- Messages
- 1,775
I'm not convinced - I looked into Air Liquide (see http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=1826) and my conclusion was that their prices were pretty similar to BOC, only difference being you could rent by the month. Bet you have VAT on those prices. Sorry to be a wet blanket and I hope I'm wrong, let us know the final bill and actual cylinder size, maybe I'll check them out again.
Wasting your breath Gasman! I've spent over 15 years offering good advice/service/competetive prices on gas, but if they can save a quid filling it themselves, getting a local fabrication shop to top it up from one of their full size cylinders, or switching to an inferior (CO2) gas they will. Safety never seems to even be a consideration! You'll be the first person in line if one of your cylinders causes an accident (through their miss-use) though!!
weldequip
weldequip
It sounds as though it may actually start getting competetive on gas in the UK!
It always has been for volume users, but low usage customers (such as you guys) have always been topped up. BOC have been bought out by the German Linde group, Air Liquide (world's biggest) are starting to have a push on the UK market, and no doubt the American Air Products won't want to miss the party... so you could start seeing gas prices dropping!
weldequip
It always has been for volume users, but low usage customers (such as you guys) have always been topped up. BOC have been bought out by the German Linde group, Air Liquide (world's biggest) are starting to have a push on the UK market, and no doubt the American Air Products won't want to miss the party... so you could start seeing gas prices dropping!
weldequip
Weldequip,There are enough muppets dreaming up ways to blow themselves up without you telling them how its done!!I have just deleted the next line for fear of too much sarcasm
