 MIG welding, cost effective sources for Argon C02 tanks?, I don't remember them being this expensive! |
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| 914rrr |
 Mar 3 2023, 09:45 AM
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#1
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Senior Member  Group: Members Posts: 1,876 Joined: 1-July 03 From: Knoxville, TN Member No.: 874 Region Association: South East States  |
IIRC, back about 10+ years ago, I had a Lincoln MIG welder I bought at HD and I thought the Argon CO2 starter tanks used to cost around $70-80 and refills were $30-40. I sold it a few years later during a move.
Fast forward to today. I purchased a HF combo MIG welder and Northern Tool said $200-ish for the starter tank ?!?!?! Are there any more cost effective places / ways to buy these? I'd be open to used as well. Are there any issues with out of date threads, nozzles, limitations / unwillingness of vendors to accept older tanks as trade-ins, etc. ? |
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| Superhawk996 |
Mar 3 2023, 09:56 AM
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#2
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 7,025 Joined: 25-August 18 From: Woods of N. Idaho Member No.: 22,428 Region Association: Galt's Gulch 
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Welcome to 2023 and the effects of money printing, and everything now being called hazardous material. Compressed inert gas had something like an $11 hazardous material surcharge per refill at my local welding supply.
Not sure what you’re calling a starter tank. A couple years ago I bought an extra 4’ argon bottle so that I’d always have a full bottle on hand. Somehow a tank always runs out on Sunday (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) that tank was about $200 and a refill of argon was $80 for my last refill. You can look into leasing a full size bottle but at my last supplier it didn’t make financial sense for my situation. |
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| bbrock |
Mar 3 2023, 10:00 AM
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#3
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,269 Joined: 17-February 17 From: Montana Member No.: 20,845 Region Association: Rocky Mountains
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Have you tried a local welding supplier? I've found mine quite reasonable on tank prices and they also make it very affordable to move up or down in tank size if my needs change.
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| rhodyguy |
Mar 3 2023, 10:11 AM
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#4
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Chimp Sanctuary NW. Check it out. Group: Members Posts: 22,240 Joined: 2-March 03 From: Orion's Bell. The BELL! Member No.: 378 Region Association: Galt's Gulch |
Fuji apples at a buck each. 1 1/2 quarts of ice cream for $6.79 (not the fancy stuff either). Eggs? The new cottage industry in my neighborhood. Free range for the coyotes to feast on (those birds that have survived the flu). $5 a doz. Bring your own carton or buy a used one. Just grind up any embryos. Don’t forget to wash the eggs when you get home. Adjust or do without.
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| Root_Werks |
Mar 3 2023, 11:09 AM
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#5
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Village Idiot Group: Members Posts: 8,667 Joined: 25-May 04 From: About 5NM from Canada Member No.: 2,105 Region Association: Pacific Northwest
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Local welding shop is similar here. Luckily I don't weld much so my tank will....should last a while.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) |
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| mb911 |
Mar 3 2023, 03:02 PM
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#6
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 7,560 Joined: 2-January 09 From: Burlington wi Member No.: 9,892 Region Association: Upper MidWest
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Yup expensive for sure. My local airgas charges 150 per 120 sized tank of argon prior to my discount. Expensive
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| nditiz1 |
Mar 3 2023, 03:05 PM
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#7
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,238 Joined: 26-May 15 From: Mount Airy, Maryland Member No.: 18,763 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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I got mine off Facebook marketplace. Think I paid around 80 about 3 years ago. It was I think $100 to fill it from the local gas place.
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| Unobtanium-inc |
Mar 3 2023, 04:33 PM
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#8
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 2,315 Joined: 29-November 06 From: New York Member No.: 7,276 Region Association: None
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QUOTE(mb911 @ Mar 3 2023, 01:02 PM)  Yup expensive for sure. My local airgas charges 150 per 120 sized tank of argon prior to my discount. Expensive Airgas is slippery. I went to my local one, they took over the welding place I'd been going to for years, and got a large spool of Mig wire. Put it on my account. When I got the bill, there was a charge for "gas". I called and said I bought welding wire, they said anything that leaves their place gets the "gas" surcharge. |
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| mb911 |
Mar 3 2023, 04:56 PM
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#9
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 7,560 Joined: 2-January 09 From: Burlington wi Member No.: 9,892 Region Association: Upper MidWest
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QUOTE(Unobtanium-inc @ Mar 3 2023, 02:33 PM) QUOTE(mb911 @ Mar 3 2023, 01:02 PM) Yup expensive for sure. My local airgas charges 150 per 120 sized tank of argon prior to my discount. Expensive Airgas is slippery. I went to my local one, they took over the welding place I'd been going to for years, and got a large spool of Mig wire. Put it on my account. When I got the bill, there was a charge for "gas". I called and said I bought welding wire, they said anything that leaves their place gets the "gas" surcharge. Trust me I know spend about 100k a year with them at work |
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| Can-Am |
Mar 3 2023, 05:18 PM
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#10
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 36 Joined: 20-November 07 From: Scottsdale, AZ Member No.: 8,360 Region Association: None
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It's all about energy. They're just taking air and processing it into the gases that we want. Natural gas too I guess.
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