I wanna buy an oxy Acetylene torch kit for personal use. I have one at my shop but I want it for at home, much cheaper than a tig and it has a ton of uses. How big of bottles do I need. I mean if I buy the smaller 20 cubic feet bottles it will be much more portable but I mean how much use will I get out of them? And I dont even know what Airgas charges to fill those things. Any advice is well appreciated.
I got a little setup that is dang handy for hauling out in the woods to pull parts. You've probably got a good half hour of serious use out of them - a lot longer if you are conservative. Cost about 30 to fill both.
Depends on what you are doing. I had the small tanks at first because they were free. I soon found out that depending on what I was doing I would run out rather quickly. Welding wasn't bad, but if I had to cut a bunch of stuff, it did not take long at all. I upgraded to the next size tanks (don't remember what size they call them). With the mig, the size I have is just about right. The problem with too large of tanks is that if you never run out, you may have them well past the next test period for the tank and may not be able to exchange it for a full tank. I don't know if that happens or not.
The 20 cf and mc tanks are not much use just portable. I use 80cf oxy and 45 cf acc. Get em filled anywhere, they are considered customer owned, no rental.
It does happen and then you have to pay for the test to certify it again. I use the mid size tanks and although I used to use it alot, I would only have to fill the Ox tank 2 maybe three times a year. The Ac tank would only need one refill per year. If you get too big a set, you wont ever TAKE them with you if you need to.
Try to find your own bottles first in the size you want. Choose a good main supplier and take them to get refilled and pay to have them tested. You will then be supplied with an already tested and refilled bottle. No reputable welding supply store will refill any strange tank off the street without an ***urance that they were tested and OK to be refilled or exchanged. When I bought my mig, I also bought a bottle. When I need a refill, I just exchange the bottle and I don't have to worry about test dates. The only drawback was I didn't have a commercial account so I couldn't the largest bottle they had, which was a 125. According to Airgas,I had to settle for an 80 as the largest for my argon mix. There is nothing better than owning your own bottles.
I would buy the largest bottles you can own. Beats running out. I used a friends little torch set didn't get very far cutting up a truck. But torches are good to have heat up bolts, cut, weld. portable, don't need electricity. I would also buy the brand torch that your local welding shop carries, I would rather pay a little more for availability. Good luck ~Justin
I own all my bottles also and my local Airgas is great. They even beat the internet prices on my new plasma cutter. Get a relationship with your local supplier and you will be happy, Ours gives discounts because you are buying local and discounts consumables because you bought the unit there.
Many gas companies now charge a yearly fee if you are going to exchange the bottles when you run out. If you own your one, they must be tested at your expence and they usually won't exchange them, you will have to wait a few days while they send them out and have them filled.
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