# MIG Gas - Buy or Lease? - Tank Size?



## CluelessNewB (Dec 26, 2013)

So Santa delivered a new Hobart 210 MVP.  I need gas!  I don't expect to be doing large amount of welding just a bit of repair and small fabrication projects.  My first project will probably be a cart for my new welder.  I'm looking for information on buy vs. lease for the tanks and what a good size tank to get. 

Thanks!


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## Scruffy (Dec 26, 2013)

CluelessNewB said:


> So Santa delivered a new Hobart 210 MVP.  I need gas!  I don't expect to be doing large amount of welding just a bit of repair and small fabrication projects.  My first project will probably be a cart for my new welder.  I'm looking for information on buy vs. lease for the tanks and what a good size tank to get.
> 
> Thanks!



I would check around where u live and look at their hours and if open on sat .
Around here u can either rent 6 months at a time or buy
I would figure the rent vs buying it it dosen't take long to pay for tank plus no annoying bills to pay
Here u just exchange tank , dosen't,t matter if it's rented or purchased.
I do business at a local John Deere dealer, many not the cheapest but their hours and open till noon on sat is worth it to me

Hope this helps a little. Scruffy

I forgot about tank size. Try to stay with a common size. I have one 44 tall 7 diameter and one 60 in by 10 the smaller one is a lot easier to move around and lasts a long time. Not sure of the cubic feet of the tanks. That is what they go by


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## richl (Dec 26, 2013)

You could also consider just using flux core wire,mthis eliminates the need for having an external gas source...there are some drwbacks that may be a "no go" for you. Its a bit harder to control the puddle becuse of the smoke from the flux, the welds tend not be as pretty, and it does take some practice to get the technique to make nice beads a bit longer...aas for tanks, i prefer owning my own, get as big as you can, they are cheaper to use, while they are obviously more expensive to fill, the cost is offset when you use the gas. When you are learning you will burn through the smaller tanks quickly... though its never a good idea to just have tanks full of gas not being used in the shop) so do lots of welding projects...
I prefer solid wire to gas shielded wire, but its not cost efficient for me righ now so i have been using shielded wire the last decade or so... thoug that migt change soon for me.

hth
rich


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## xalky (Dec 26, 2013)

I buy from Maine-Oxy here in CT. There should be one in your area. They're open on saturdays till noon. They treat me well. I buy my tanks, but they only sell up to an 80lb tank, after that you have to lease them. I'm not sure if thats a CT thing, but every welding gas place around here has the same policy. I much prefer welding with gas than flux core especially inside the shop. Outside, flux core has it's advantages as it's not subject to the breeze affecting the weld shielding.


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## astjp2 (Dec 26, 2013)

I have a 300 cubic foot tank of C02 for my mig, I own the tank and this allows me to shop around for gasses to get the best price.  I have 2 each 80 CF tanks for tig, one is pure argon, the other is 75/25.  Each material you weld requires a specific gas.  Aluminum likes the straight argon, steel is either straight CO2 or 75/25 depending on the alloy.  Tim


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## RandyM (Dec 26, 2013)

CluelessNewB said:


> So Santa delivered a new Hobart 210 MVP.  I need gas!  I *don't expect to be doing large amount of welding just a bit of repair and small fabrication projects*.



Congratulations! This is what we all thought when we bought our machines.


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## Rbeckett (Dec 26, 2013)

I bought my tank from Tractor Supply and I can swap it 7 days a week if need be.  Some folks have has issues with Gas Pony but I have had great results with mine and would recommend it to anybody with a smaller machine..

Bob


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## Ed. (Dec 28, 2013)

I rent my cylinder as that is the only option I have here in Australia, the E size I have is 4.1cubic meters which does a lot of welding time @ 8l/minute and lasts me on average about 1 year (about 8.5hours at 100% welding time), but in reality most weld jobs are only a few seconds or a minute here and there,  although 8.5 hours doesn't seem a lot it really is in a hobby. That is unless your in production in a commercial environment. The rest of the time you are assembling, cutting, measuring, grinding etc and not much welding.

However I have since found out that there is a company that will sell me a cylinder but their refill is quite expensive and I have to get it from them as no other company will refill them, however I am now getting to the stage where most of my welding projects are finished so a gas bottle will last me several years and I will save on the exorbitant rental cost.

Once this bottle is empty I will be sending it back and looking to getting my own cylinder.

Cheers

Ed.


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## Gary Max (Dec 28, 2013)

I bought both 75/25 and 100% Argon tanks----- heck I even spent the extra bucks to buy a spool gun and Al wire for it. They have been waiting on me to get some Free time to use them for over a year now. Tanks where $300 per.


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## GK1918 (Dec 28, 2013)

My take on this, is we own all our cylinders.  The mig cylinder is around 90 bucks.  We deal with Air Gas 'thats all we have around here'
they dont fill them we exchange them.  Far as I know Air Gas suppose to be nation wide i think... As far as argon I think an exchange is
around $25 more or less......I dont like renting things its like an itch that dont go away like taxes......


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## pipehack (Dec 28, 2013)

IMHO. I would buy. I have a 125 C.I. 75-25% tank. The initial purchase is the price. After that you only have to swap out the tanks at your LWS. I just swapped mine out two weeks ago at AirGas for $42.00. I deal with one particular guy there and he's good to me on the prices. Takes a little off on the amount. I thing I get a contractor price. AirGas is probably the closest place for me s
and that's where I bought the tank. I have a Lincoln 180c and am very happy about it.


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## ericc (Dec 28, 2013)

Hi.  It depends on how much welding you do.  I don't use much gas, since I mostly do gas-less welding.  I own small tanks of oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide.  If you plan to do a lot of welding, the hassle of small tanks is not worth it.  The welding shop near my home rents medium tanks for $4 per month and $120 refundable deposit.  You can burn through a tank of oxygen in one heavy session, then you will be glad that you have the bigger tank.  But, most of my cutting is with a hot chisel and a striker, or a saw.  My little 40 cf oxygen lasts me 1-2 years.  I picked this up for $60 on Craigslist.  Do the math.  This tank paid for itself in a little over a year.  If you fill a lot, the rentals are worth it, since they cost less per cubic foot, and you have to go in less.

I have a buddy who used to weld a lot.  He rented 2 large tanks.  Then, he stopped welding for a few years, and put the tanks in a storage unit.  He could have bought 3 sets of tanks new for what he paid in rental fees.  Rent your first set of tanks and see how you like welding.  But, make sure to return them as soon as you find out that you aren't using them.  Also, keep an eye on Craigslist.  Then, move fast.

I own a tiny argon tank which I bought on Craigslist for $20.  It takes me a year to go through this thing, since I only use it to fix boo-boo's.  I lent it to a neighbor who was migging a broken aluminum trailer.  After going in to refill it several times in a few weeks, he figured that the rental was a better idea,


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## Tony Wells (Dec 28, 2013)

If you're a welding shop, rent.....you return empties before the month end and do not pay rent on the empties sitting around. You can keep 10 bottles and only pay rent on what you have on hand on billing day. Some call it demurrage.

If you're a hobbyist, buy. Rent will pay for bottles in a few months or a year or two depending on what size you buy. Buy the largest you can fit in, or are allowed to. Generally the WS will not sell outright the larger size, so if you plan on a lot of use, renting may be your only practical option. Unless it were pretty extreme, for a hobbyist, I'd say even buying 2 smaller bottles so you would rarely run out is not out of the question. At least on the higher consumption gases. 

I run a one man shop (me) but I don't do a ton of welding. It's machine shop, after all. But I have 2 MIG machines, and each has a bottle which I own. And I have a bottle for my TIG, and a set for oxy-fuel. I own all of them. I have been down the rental path, and for my use, buying makes more sense. If it's a weekend job, I plan for it......or an emergency, I jusst have to hope I have enough gas on hand, or it has to wait. Actually I have friends I can probably borrow gas from. But in the last 17 years of having my own shop, never had a problem doing it the way I do.


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## Cobra (Dec 28, 2013)

Around here I looked when I first purchased my Oxy Acetylene outfit. If you are not going to go through the gas regularly and fairly quickly, you are way ahead to purchase your cylinders.  The rent eats up the cost of a cylinder very quickly!  Did the same when I purchased my MIG unit. 
Jim


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## The_Crusher (Dec 28, 2013)

I own all of my tanks as well. i have the receipts for them and when I change them out I don't have to worry about them being tested every 4-5 years etc. The weld/gas shop is about 3 miles from my house and my buddy owns it so he has even come and got me a tank on Sunday...lol!


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