Filling 02/Acetylene tanks
 

I don't use them every day, but when I do need them my oxy/acetylene torches are priceless. I have a 250 cuft O2 tank and a 124 cuft acetylene tank. Since I moved I don't have my regular sources anymore. I went to a local supply to check on getting them filled at some point and they told me unless you have a receipt with the serial numbers on it, you can't get tanks that big filled anymore. He also said you can't buy them now, but it looks like I can on line. He said all you can do is lease them or buy small ones. Madness...
What is everyone doing for filling their tanks? I know I'm not the only one in this situation.

When mine are empty I'm buying the small tanks. Same goes for the argon tank on my TIG welder. I've spent enough on the lease to have bought one. I bought a CO2 tank for my MIG years ago.

I'm thinking that's the route I'm going to take at some point. I bought a tank for my MIG about 8 or 9 years ago. I'm just having a hard time justifying buying new tanks when the ones I have are perfectly good. Some moron just decided it would be "safer" if people were made to spend more... Supposedly this is about tracking who has bulk gas after 9/11. Like people planning to use them for nefarious purposes wouldn't steal them from a supplier's yard anyway.

It's been going on long before that. I've had tanks from my granddad's basement for over 25 years that I couldn't fill. If you don't have the papers for the tank you usually can't get it filled.

I have had my tanks for 20 years and am still using them. I guess that shows how much I use them.:smirk: Cant wait to see what happens when I need to get them refilled. I do know the guy pretty well at the gas company.

I never used to think about it. I'd give them to my buddy at his shop and he'd turn them in with his when he exchanged them. Unfortunately he's not with us anymore and all my other "connections" are 500 miles away now.

I leased for about ten years, made no sense for me to keep doing it for the price. Though they're smaller, I own all my O/A, MIG, TIG tanks now.