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Fri Nov 12, 2010 11:32 am

I tried posting this in the welding equipment sticky, but I don't think many people go there. I just bought a welder off craigslist, a Hobart Handler 120, and it didn't come with a gas tank. I'm wondering what is a good size to get if I'm just doing occasional welding. I found a guy near me selling a 250cf oxygen tank for $100 that I can take and exchange for the argon/CO2 mix, but that seems like a really big tank. I'm thinking a tank that size might be a big pain in the ass to deal with and maybe I should wait to find a smaller one. How much welding would I get done with 250cf of gas? How much would the gas for something that size cost? I've never bought gas before, do they sell it by a unit volume, or is it calculated some other way?

Fri Nov 12, 2010 11:57 am

You'll go through gas faster than you think, especially if you are learning and doing a lot of practice welds. That being said, the tank you're talking about is bigger than I would want. Is your welder on a cart? Will you need it to be mobile or will it sit in one place? Do you have a vehicle that can safely transport the big tank for a refill?

Talk to your welding supply guy. They might be able to trade your big ass tank for one of a more appropriate size. Don't get a tiny one though. Nothing is worse than having to stop in the middle of a big project to go refill the tank. PITA!

Fri Nov 12, 2010 12:14 pm

I do want it mobile, so I was planning on building a cart for the bottle and the tank. According to the central welding website, a 250cf cylinder weighs 115lbs. With a 75/25 Argon/CO2 mix, that's about 144lbs when full. Definitley a lot of tank to deal with hauling around.

From what I've read, the small bottles don't last very long, but I'm starting to think that 250cf may be too big. I found another one that is 80cf, but I'm afraid that would be way too small. Maybe I'll keep looking for something in between. Is it safe to transport the tanks laying down? I definitely couldn't fit it in my car standing up and that's how I always see them on the trucks for delivery.

Fri Nov 12, 2010 1:48 pm

Well, my tank is about half the size of the big-boy you're talking about. When I have to fill it I lay it down in the back of my Jeep and strap it tightly so it can't roll or slide. Not sure it that's the safest way, but I haven't knocked the valve off of one yet.

I think building a welding cart is the best first project anyone can do with their welder. I built mine out of old bed-frames and I now use those welds as a visual reminder of how much better my welds are getting.

I think the gas supplier can lease you a tank in the size you choose. Talk to them.

Fri Nov 12, 2010 1:57 pm

I was going to say just buy two small tanks till I checked the prices! Darn things have more than doubled since I bought mine four years ago.

Fri Nov 12, 2010 4:25 pm

i have a harhour freight stand for my little miller and a tank that is about 3 feet tall. it sets on the back of the cart and i have it chained up real snug, it moves easy and the gas last for a long time. i thought about making one also but i dont think you could make one much cheaper and i would rather spend the time working on the car. good luck

Fri Nov 12, 2010 6:23 pm

I called the welding supply shop and they did say that if I wanted to, I could swap it out for a smaller tank. Although once I buy it and get it filled, it really isn't much cheaper than just buying the tank rights directly through the dealer and I don't have to drive nearly as far to get to the dealer. I think I'm going to either keep looking on c-list for a smaller, cheaper tank, or just buy through the dealer.

Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:18 pm

Once you own the tank, you just have to pay for the gas when you refill. That's usually an outright exchange for a full tank of the same size. I think the three foot tall tanks are the 60's. They should last you quite awhile, as long as you shut the valve off when not in use.

Sat Nov 13, 2010 5:20 am

I have found that upgrading the tanks, ( going larger) has saved me a bit of money, with not running out during the middle of the job, and having to drive to town to swap out empties , we have also added a sec tank, for back up
and yes we do own our tanks

Sat Nov 13, 2010 9:49 am

http://cgi.ebay.com/80-CF-WELDING-CYLINDER-tank-bo...319wt_1141

I bought a 40 CF tank from them a month or so back, as it was the best deal I could find on a small tank. I have serious space constraints so small was essentially. And none of my projects are high enough of a priority that they can't wait for a swap/refill if I run out.

And 80CF tank should get you around 4 hours of gun time.

I also picked up one of these to have on hand:
http://www.amazon.com/Hobart-770626-20-Ounce-Fixed...amp;sr=8-1

Not what you want for bodywork, but it makes a nice backup or for when I specifically want straight CO2 instead of C25. Especially when you consider the fills only cost about $4 and get you around 40 minutes of weld time.

Also check out this forum: http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/ They are very helpful.

Fri Nov 19, 2010 9:32 pm

Anyone know what an S-type tank means? I checked out a tank today from a guy selling it on craigslist and the ad said it was an S-type, which he said meant it was user owned. When I got there, it had a company's name stamped around the neck, which I thought meant it wasn't user owned. He said he had taken it to a local supplier and they told him he would be able to sell it, and I called and talked to them while I was there. The guy on the phone said it could be a user owned tank, but he would have to look at it to be sure.

I went ahead and bought it because it was cheap and the guy said he would give me my money back if I couldn't get it filled. I'm going to take it in the morning to try and get it filled. In the meantime, does anyone know what the S-type means and how they can tell by looking at it? There are some other stampings around the neck. There's one side that has the hydro test dates, and more stuff on the other side, but I'm not sure what any of it means. I've been trying to do a google search about it, but I can't find any definition for it anywhere.

Sat Nov 20, 2010 5:44 am

For the record I have a 20cf tank that I had to have refilled 3 times when I welded in new metal which included pans, napoleon hat, bottom of the frame head and pan drops. I would recommend something bigger than that for sure.

Sat Nov 20, 2010 10:50 am

A 160cf Argon/co2 mix will be good.Easily handled and relatively portable on a welder cart.I just got mine refilled yesterday $68.00 out the door I do own the tank.

Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:23 pm

Turns out the bottle I bought off of craigslist was a rental and I couldn't get it filled. The guy did give me my money back for it, so it only cost me the time to drive out to his house a couple times. And the guys at the welding shop felt bad for me and gave me $50 off a tank from them, so I picked up a 155cf tank today. Now I just have to learn how to use it.

Mon Nov 22, 2010 4:03 pm

Does anyone know roughly how long a 20 cu ft tank would last?

Mon Nov 22, 2010 5:14 pm

travis1488 wrote: Does anyone know roughly how long a 20 cu ft tank would last?

Typically you will run 20 CF/hour, so you should get ~1hr of arc time from a 20cu ft tank.