Owner/Lease Bottles and/or Cylinders?

[Dmaxer1]

I agree with what's been said here by Zrexxer, DDA52 and Willie Victor. The LWS I use (lowest price I can find for argon/blends and oxygen) will swap one of my 248 cu ft. cylinders I got from them even if out of hydro at no additional cost to me. If I take it to another LWS, I'll probably have to pay for re-hydro. I wouldn't think of asking for the same bottle back as they're filled off-premises. Even if they were refilled on-premises, I'd avoid asking since an over-quick refill will cause excessive cylinder heating and after cooling I'd have an under-filled cylinder to use.

[dda52]

All the LWS I use will let you keep the same cyl if so desired. One will take over a week to refill, the other a day or two since it is done on-site. Myself, I do not want the same ones back if I have to wait. I have three brand new, never used before me, cyls in the shop now and I'll let them go just as fast as the old ones. Straight swap is the best and easiest way. One LWS will let the hydros slide if they are out and I am swapping one of their bottles. They paint all their bottles a certain way for recognition. I have to pay for hydros at the other one I use. It is still my cylinder, but just not the same one as before. Its more interesting that way.

[Zrexxer]

I plan on painting and stenciling my name on the cylinders and cap so a swap at the filling station won't occur.

That's exactly how it DOES occur. You don't own "THAT" tank... you own "a" tank.

When you take an empty in, they hand you a full one off the dock and you're on your way. That's now "your" cylinder.

[Willy Victor]

I recently purchased two 80 ft^3 Argon/CO2 cylinders from Airgas, they won't sell anything larger, however, clearly noted on the cylinders is raised letters below the valve with the name Airgas. Now if I try taking the cylinders to another gas filling station will they fill them? I figure it depends on how hungry they are for business. For the amount that I will be using, refilling at the Airgas dealer is actually preferred. The sales clerk said hang onto the receipt showing ownership in case there is ever a question about ownership. I plan on painting and stenciling my name on the cylinders and cap so a swap at the filling station won't occur.

Just my thoughts on the subject matter.

I don't think painting and stenciling is going to work, unless you plan on waiting a few days for them to fill your tanks.



Willy

[trep813]

I use 125's and 150's for my argon as well. Good little bottles.

[dda52]

125's and 150's. I was using 125's and 80's until I found out my LWS supports 150's. Most don't like them for some reason. As long as one has them, I'm golden. They don't rent/lease any high pressure cyls under 225cf here and don't plan to start either.

[mikeb9550]

Yeah, same here. Too much trouble to bother with. Now, if every place in town required that much effort, that would be different. I doubt every place would be that **** about it. No way would that happen here. No one would stand for it. I run two sizes of cyls that are defnitely NOT leased here and absolutely no one contests me swapping them out. I went the route of least pain and resistance for a reason. I don't want to rent them anymore and want smooth and easy swap outs. It has worked flawlessly to date.

What sizes is that?

[dda52]

Yeah, same here. Too much trouble to bother with. Now, if every place in town required that much effort, that would be different. I doubt every place would be that **** about it. No way would that happen here. No one would stand for it. I run two sizes of cyls that are defnitely NOT leased here and absolutely no one contests me swapping them out. I went the route of least pain and resistance for a reason. I don't want to rent them anymore and want smooth and easy swap outs. It has worked flawlessly to date.

[MAC702]

...He said the guy who asks about the policy but doesn't take the document typically has stolen tanks and knows it!

I wouldn't take the document and he'd be wrong. But things may just get that bad sooner or later and it might be the only way to do business. But if he were the only one doing it that way in an area like here, he'd not sell very much gas.

[trep813]

Yeah Hotfoot, we do plan our trips and that's all new to us. We're used to having everything right around the corner and all this country living is something to get used to. I had my choice of places to buy from and now that's a thing of the past, however, we love it where we are and plan on making a go of it. Doing pretty good so far.

About the propane, it wasn't an explosion. I bought a used torch set up with propane and the handle was leaking. I cut with it for two days, outside, on a fifth wheel trailer that had been wrecked on the highway and I finished the cutting on it. I had a utility trailer in the shop that needed the coupler replaced. So I came inside to cut the old one off and got a lung full of the gas. It knocked me out and I landed on the cut metal. It mostly got my left arm from sliding down the fresh, hot cut and the torch put itself out on my right bicep. I have tattoos and one of them looked like it was 2'' out of place. That was some bad burns but we took care of them in the "country way." With a couple of shots of 26 year old whiskey and a good hot shower and scrubbing. Every night until they looked good enough to leave alone and heal.

We learn the hard way sometimes and that was one of them, for me. I KNEW that torch was leaking and I used it anyway, chasing the all mighty dollar. I'll never use propane except for the BBQ and I'll never use a used torch again. I replaced everything, regulators, hose, handle, and heads. All brand new and I plan on checking them in water every now and then. It all could have been worse and I could have blown the shop and myself up. But I have three bay doors in the front and double walk doors in the back and a walk door on the side and the roof peak is vented. All the doors were opened at the time, thank God for that. It scared the begebbies out of the little lady and that is a factor in my thinking now. Plus I came away with some pretty cool scars and lived to work, love, and laugh for another day.

[Hotfoot]

If ..."I was useing propain before that and it almost killed me and I have the scars to prove it but that's a whole new thread"..then you are in deep trouble with acetylene!! Its MUCH more explosive!

I also live out in the sticks, and just anything is a 20 mile drive, and just groceries, etc. is 40 mile drive, but I love it where I'm at! You learn to plan your trips to get three or four errands out of the way each time you roll out the driveway!

[trep813]

Wow, that's some interesting stories on this thread. I never imagined that people had such a hard time with there tanks. I bought all mine from different places. One argon tank came from a guy in the paper. the other argon came with the tig machine I bought. My acetylene tank I got from a customer that learned O/A welding in the Navy and was feeling generous, I was useing propain before that and it almost killed me and I have the scars to prove it but that's a whole new thread, and the oxygen tank came from a yard sale. The oxygen is the only one marked "property of" but I had no hard time having it filled. I guess I should consider myself lucky.

[Nickoli]

I purchased my bottles however I asked my LWS about having trouble if I ever moved to another state. I was told that there policy is... if you bring in bottle(s) for exchange and are not in there computer system and do not have papers proving ownership at that time they'll give you a nice little document to fill out and you must have it notarized before they'll do business with you. The counter guy said that if you take the time to fill it out and bring back notarized than they feel that things are probably legit. He said the guy who asks about the policy but doesn't take the document typically has stolen tanks and knows it!

[sunpeople]

Bialecki Just do like the clerk said and show them your sales receipt and you should be good to go, but ask questions first BEFORE you take them inside of the store because i have read other story's about guys that took them inside the store and had BIG problems getting them back because the LWS said that they were lease only and were going to KEEP!!! the guys bottles, so just to be safe ask questions first while they are still in your truck not in their hands.

[bialecki]

Purchased Tanks

I recently purchased two 80 ft^3 Argon/CO2 cylinders from Airgas, they won't sell anything larger, however, clearly noted on the cylinders is raised letters below the valve with the name Airgas. Now if I try taking the cylinders to another gas filling station will they fill them? I figure it depends on how hungry they are for business. For the amount that I will be using, refilling at the Airgas dealer is actually preferred. The sales clerk said hang onto the receipt showing ownership in case there is ever a question about ownership. I plan on painting and stenciling my name on the cylinders and cap so a swap at the filling station won't occur.

Just my thoughts on the subject matter.