Welding gas, Argon, Oxygen, Acetylene, gas bottle refills, no rent

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B5MECH

Laurence Male
Joined
Jan 25, 2016
Messages
3,148
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5,622
Location
Yamums, NSW
Saw a post somewhere that a member here uses a bottle rental co. still
Swap and go bottles have been around for a while now so everyone needs to hand their BOC account in and stop sponsoring their V8 supercar :lol: :lol: :lol:
can be off ebay or there should be a local guy, my area is SPEED GAS Manlyvale, I think ELGAS do it but check around for prices
The first on costs more as your paying to own the bottle but refills are nicely priced since you'll never pay rent again for a bottle that sits around consumes room
distributed through some hardware stores but check their price

Here's a few ebay links
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Argon-Ga...841128?hash=item3d10061ce8:g:RWMAAOSwB4NWyO1V
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Oxygen-C...950175?hash=item3d24f39c9f:g:lrAAAOSwFdtXz3l9
 
Thats the way to go B5MECH,

we also done this a couple of years ago for both tig/mig machines, cancelled the rent bottle's in place of the purchase outright and then a simple refill payment. The cost is great and like you mention - why waste rental cost. A dollar in my pocket is better than these rental companies

We use a local supplier who also provides delivery swap over at no costs for delivery.
 
i get Argon from Bunnings, D size $200 deposit and $100 for the gas.
i like the idea that i get my $200 back for the empty bottle or i can get another if i need it and it doesn't matter how long i have the bottle.
so much better than rental.
 
Did just this about 3 years ago.

BOC used to do this many many years ago, then opted for the rental and just changed out the system with no
rebates/refunds to the user.
I still have some oxy and acetylene bottles in hand from way back.

Been renting for years since that, and I have to say that Linde and others can beg for the rent,
their share price can fall as far as it can go to the bottom.
A little angry here.

I'm a low user of gas, but the big boys just raped and pillaged me while they could.
The market moved quickly.

I would encourage EVERY one to make this change, there are several providers out there now.
Gas for Mig and Tig
 
Does anybody know if they will do a swap and go on a competitors bottle?
I have a couple of empties I need to fill, oxy and acetylene.
 
Hey backcreek, companies won't change competitors bottles but if it's not a rental bottle and is in service date you maybe to get them filled somewhere
maybe give ELGAS a ring
http://www.elgas.com.au/resources/elgas-branch-depot-list
Try go to your nearest local branch and see if they will fill, from memory I think the bottle gets a valve test before they refill them
 
numpty said:
i get Argon from Bunnings, D size $200 deposit and $100 for the gas.
i like the idea that i get my $200 back for the empty bottle or i can get another if i need it and it doesn't matter how long i have the bottle.
so much better than rental.

It depends on usage as to the cost advantage/disadvantage. I have my own buisness and rent an oxygen, acetylene, and a mixed gas for mig welding I also own one of the bunnings argon bottles. The oxygen and acetylene work out cheaper to rent than own and the mixed gas isn't available in own your own bottles (yet) it has worked out the cost of the argon mix gas rental has been over the cost of the welder. The cost of the Bunnings bottle will have paid itself off in the next 3 months. Ken.
 
if people want to save a little bit of money on Oxy acetylene , Try using Oxy / LPG instead.

I save around $ 1150 per year by doing without acetylene.

I use G size Oxy and 9 kg LPG bottles , its a safer gas with lower explosive risk , you can fill them up or exchange anywhere 24x7 , cutting and brazing tips are available to suit Oxy/LPG , (you cant use the old Oxy acetylene ones with LPG)

(I run a business and pay $ 200 per month for rented bottles)
 
I have purchased mixed gas for mig locally and it is supplied from NSW.

The business owner is a nice guy and have dealt with him directly, even when he uses agencies interstate.

You need to look around a bit more maybe, if the cost is better.

Works for me REALLY well.
 
Greenhornet_au said:
I have purchased mixed gas for mig locally and it is supplied from NSW.

The business owner is a nice guy and have dealt with him directly, even when he uses agencies interstate.

You need to look around a bit more maybe, if the cost is better.

Works for me REALLY well.

The mixed gas that I use is designed for welding gal dipped and plated parts with no grinding. It wasn't available in a own your own bottle and it may be now but I still have half a bottle of gas left. When the current projects are completed I will return the bottle and look for an alternative, it would save about $200 a year. I will definately look when it is closer to the bottle replacement time. Also with the own your own bottles you must replace them before the date on the bottle runs out or you may find that you have to buy another bottle or have it inspected. It would still work out cheaper even if you did. Ken.
 
Hey ken, the date of the bottle now doesn't matter you own the bottle but they still service the bottles, it doesn't matter how old it is it will still be swapped for a serviced full bottle
They do some mixed gas as well :)
 
B5MECH said:
Hey ken, the date of the bottle now doesn't matter you own the bottle but they still service the bottles, it doesn't matter how old it is it will still be swapped for a serviced full bottle
They do some mixed gas as well :)

You may well be right, but as Murphy's law goes, they would change the rules just before I replaced the bottle. Ken.
 
B5MECH said:
You sound like you've got my luck Ken :lol: :rolleyes:
https://www.power10gases.com.au/?gclid=CNy_4pD05dACFYIsvQod6i8KRg
Another link for shopping around not sure what gas co. though :)

I have looked into their pricing and it is not as good as bunnings, actually priced with them on the way to bunnings, thought they may have been better on price. Refills were more expensive and bottles were the same. Ken.
 
I'm using the 'power10' gases also, I think it is great, it is like the BBQ bottles exchange system, never have an out of date bottle.

If you are doing shop fitting plated frames or parts I thought it was the wire that was most important -

silicone bronze wire, and pure argon gas is the normal for welding galv, wire is VERY expensive naturally.

You might be doing some specialised work that has specific needs.
 
Greenhornet, the welding i'm doing is mild steel wire on frames etc, but the gas gives better penetration and better quality than straight argon.

Bigwave, BOC are the highest price for gas bottle rental or at least they were, supagas will negotiate for a good rental price on bottles to get a customer. Ken.
 
ken2m said:
Greenhornet, the welding i'm doing is mild steel wire on frames etc, but the gas gives better penetration and better quality than straight argon.

Bigwave, BOC are the highest price for gas bottle rental or at least they were, supagas will negotiate for a good rental price on bottles to get a customer. Ken.

They all play games to get you to sign a contract mate.

I have used them all over the past 21 years running a business.

They hook you in by undercutting the competition , then they creep the price up every couple of months until you're paying too much again .

Been there and seen all the bull sheet !

I told one of the gas companies to shove their account up their azzz after too many accounting stuff ups so they sent out A sales rep who came out , bounced her boobs under my face and offered me BJ's if I would stay with them .

I have plenty of signs that say "CCTV used in these premises" yet she apparently forgot about the cameras in my office :8

every gas supplier I have used have made accounting stuff ups where they tried to Bill me rental for bottles I have returned or invoiced me for bottles and gas types I have never possessed .
 
Greenhornet_au said:
I'm using the 'power10' gases also, I think it is great, it is like the BBQ bottles exchange system, never have an out of date bottle.

If you are doing shop fitting plated frames or parts I thought it was the wire that was most important -

silicone bronze wire, and pure argon gas is the normal for welding galv, wire is VERY expensive naturally.

You might be doing some specialised work that has specific needs.

Silicon bronze is expensive but it is mandatory for swimming pool fences in some states.

It doesn't rust , and runs well with galvanised material or zincanneal / zincseal sheet.

I use it a lot for MIG brazing on light gauge 0.6 - 0.8 mm zinc coated sheet assembly using pulse MIG , except I use BOC stainshield light as a shielding gas instead of pure argon , it runs cooler , gives better fusion and has less burn through risk in gapped joints.

Supagas have SS 98 gas which runs very similar to BOC stainshield
 
I can't type too much due to :p alco"bdayproblems :lol: :lol: :lol: Silicon bronze got introduced into the auto repair trade in the last few years specifically for the newer chassis types which are hi-tensile which in engineering laws is really unweldable after factory as far as IMOP :8
but AAMI at the time made their repair's get a whole special welder set up to deal with repairing it or else :mad: :lol: :p , I was asked to go and try and set it up for him :8 I wish I did, But only a waste of a day and beers were on offer :p , I believe it's very smooth and ends lilke a migged braze :cool: The auto trade usually uses argon co2 which covers everything from exhaust to panel
then stainless and alloy is argon tig is argon
I guess if your just using mig argon/co2 then if you have mig/tig which is my book and I don't wan't 2 bottles around I find straight argon covers all
What gas do you run for gal Ken? Is it trailer work?
My beers low gota go :p
 

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