WTF is Up With Argon?

pontiac428 said:
My dad was a regional manager for Praxair, covering gas and welding alloys. I used to get cylinders for close to nothing, and it was good. Then I got stuff at cost or a great discount. Eventually, like now, I have to walk in the front door and plunk down my credit card like any other schmoe. I own a lot of gas cylinders, and some of them sting more than others (Ar/CO2/O2 mix), but its not all that bad. Larger tanks save more money and go dry less often, if you can fit them on your cart (and in the back of your compact Hyundai to get them home).
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Welcome, fellow schmoe...
 
I stopped going to airgas after I realized they charged a haz mat fee on every item they sold. Buy a drill bit, hazmat fee added, buy a grinding wheel, hazmat fee added, new mig gun tip, hazmat fee added. I asked the sales guy why and his response was because you can use a drill bit or grinding wheel to make something hazardous, so we can charge the fee. If I recall, it was in the neighborhood of 5-10 percent. Now I go next door to purity cylinder gas and buy the same stuff for less money and no hazmat fee tacked on.
 
Barncat said:
I stopped going to airgas after I realized they charged a haz mat fee on every item they sold. Buy a drill bit, hazmat fee added, buy a grinding wheel, hazmat fee added, new mig gun tip, hazmat fee added. I asked the sales guy why and his response was because you can use a drill bit or grinding wheel to make something hazardous, so we can charge the fee. If I recall, it was in the neighborhood of 5-10 percent. Now I go next door to purity cylinder gas and buy the same stuff for less money and no hazmat fee tacked on.
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I figured our welding store did that to discourage small purchases. Multiple items only were charged one hazmat fee. Now, if they charged a hazmat fee for every line item, that would be a drag. The local industrial supply store just went to line item minimum to discourage small (hobbyist, most likely) purchasers.
 
Airgas is a ripoff, the other day they charged me $35 for a 20 lb CO2 refill... A few months ago I paid $20 at my old supplier. Unfortunately he's down in NYC, a 100 miles away. Up here Airgas is the closest to me about a 10 minute drive, the next nearest gas supplier is at least 45min drive. Ugh...
 
The hazmat fee is bogus! It's not a law, it's a stupid store policy and a bait and switch tactic. If they're going to charge a fee, I'd better get a hard copy MSDS for each item as required by federal law... and a set of vehicle placards so I can legally transport the merchandise too.
 
pontiac428 said:
The hazmat fee is bogus! It's not a law, it's a stupid store policy and a bait and switch tactic. If they're going to charge a fee, I'd better get a hard copy MSDS for each item as required by federal law... and a set of vehicle placards so I can legally transport the merchandise too.
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Got my last pizza from Pizza Hut a couple weeks ago.

$2 cost of doing business in California fee. That's in addition to the $4 dollar delivery fee, none of which goes to the driver. All added at the very last page before submitting your order.

I **** you not.

Sad part is that idiots will continue to pay it instead of driving them out of business.

I mean, if the pizza was good then MAYBE. But it's far from good!!!

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
 
I am reviving this thread to report on my recent experience. I have never had an issue with Airgas Charlotte before.
I currently have an Airgas 150CF cylinder of Ar that is now empty. In 2019 I paid $35 to refill it. Subsequently, Airgas deleted my account and has no record of the tank or my previous purchases. Airgas now wants $110 to refill it.
Linde will not touch an Airgas cylinder and will not give out prices over the phone.
Arc3 wants only $35 for a refill and will take an Airgas cylinder on exchange.
Guess what is going to happen here??? Are they going to lose a customer and a cylinder?
 
rwm said:
I am reviving this thread to report on my recent experience. I have never had an issue with Airgas Charlotte before.
I currently have an Airgas 150CF cylinder of Ar that is now empty. In 2019 I paid $35 to refill it. Subsequently, Airgas deleted my account and has no record of the tank or my previous purchases. Airgas now wants $110 to refill it.
Linde will not touch an Airgas cylinder and will not give out prices over the phone.
Arc3 wants only $35 for a refill and will take an Airgas cylinder on exchange.
Guess what is going to happen here??? Are they going to lose a customer and a cylinder?
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Not surprising given the track record I've seen on Airgas. The big issue with them is that the stores are independently owned (at least the ones I'm aware of) and they can come up with any policy they want and claim it's being forced on them by corporate.

Arc3 likely has a hydro facility that simply pops the Airgas collar off and puts their own on it (or a blank)...they're just a press fit and any good hydro shop probably has the setup to change them.

All but two of my tanks are from the mom & pop shop 15 minutes from my house....they're just easier to deal with. The big places really only care about big corporate accounts where all the bottles are leased and they take a truckload to them on a regular basis.
 
Yes. I get the impression Airgas wants the small business and hobbyists to go away. That's a shame. I could see a day when it becomes hard to buy Ar at all.
My collar looks to be integral to the tank. Is that possible or is the paint hiding the seam?
 
rwm said:
Yes. I get the impression Airgas wants the small business and hobbyists to go away. That's a shame. I could see a day when it becomes hard to buy Ar at all.
My collar looks to be integral to the tank. Is that possible or is the paint hiding the seam?
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I'm not a true expert on the topic, but I haven't heard or seen a tank with a collar that was integral to the tank. It's certainly possible, but I don't think it's common. Collars often fit really, really well and certainly look like they're part of that tank when you look at where the two meet. Sometimes you can see the line, sometimes not. The threaded part that the cap goes on is also part of the collar and is pressed on/peened slightly over the part of the tank that the valve screws into. I didn't realize the collar was a separate piece until I started reading about tanks on the welding sites and paid attention to my own tanks which are from three different welding shops and some from the mom & pop have names of long defunct gas companies.
 
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