I'm thinking of getting a gas welder, and called about bottles today.
The local gas place quoted me approx $300 to buy a set of 20 cf tanks filled,
or rental of the larger ones for $49 each a year (they only lease them, not sell.
This is in Canadian dollars.

I'd be interested to know what others pay for this service.

 

I paid about $250 for my pair of tanks
125 CF oxygen
140 CF acetelyne

It costs about $70 to swap them at the local Oxarc when they are empty.

basicly how it works is, I "own" a pair of tanks this size. when they are empty I swap them for a different set that I "own" that are full.

since I own the tanks there are no lease fees etc., I just pay for the gas.

I swap tanks 7-9 times a year. 20 CF tanks are SMALL

 

Let's try the again. My computer turned itself off as I was typing this in the first time. Son #3 then said, "Oh, yeah. It's been doing that for a while." Great, now my computer is acting up.

Anyway, I bought a knee-high acetylene bottle in the mid 80's (don't recall how many cf). At that time, the gas distributor would not sell the oxygen bottles due to the higher pressure. I also bought a hip-high argon/CO2 bottle in 97. One of them cost me $186, but I don't remember which bottle and I don't remember if that included the fill and taxes. This is also in Canadian dollars.

Apparently the O2 bottles can now be purchased as well. I am leasing mine from Praxair and it costs about $65 CDN a year for the lease (including taxes) - it's also the hip-high bottle. I keep meaning to buy it, but I only think about it on two occasions: when I get the bill in January and when I need it filled (but then I'm always in too much of a hurry...)

Sounds like you've got a good deal. Jump on it.

Last time I had the acetylene filled, the counter dude told me the going rate for that size bottle was $39. I used to work for Lincoln Electric, and I got to know most of the gas sales guys in Southern Ontario, so I got a better deal. I wish I knew all those guys when I bought my welder (also before Lincoln).

I can't remember what the O2 fill was worth.

Cheers,
Eric

 

You can save money in the long run by buying a torch outfit that will accept a propane tip, very useful for cutting and heating. Propane is cheaper and will outlast your acetylene tank

 

but you also failed to mention that propane isnt as hot as acetylene and is bigger pain to start unless you use it alot like i do at work i use propane at home acetylene is my choice

 

I don't know if you have farm auctions in Canada, but I bought an entire cutting outfit oxy and acetylene bottles, hoses, torches, cart at a farm auction for $200.00. After I got it home and had the tanks filled I discovered that the torch was setup for propane, and it cost $30.00 for a propane tip. Then there was a leak internal to the torch and it cost me another $60.00 to have it repaired. All in all I still feel I made a good purchase.

 

I just started down this path, bought a torch set (new) from EBay for $55, and the local gas company has quoted me $57 each for full 20CF tanks (purchase), $15 or so for gas fill later.

so, for about $170 I'll have a small set. Don't plan on much, but I do have need for small cutting and heat as I do my 55 F100 rebuild

Sam