Small town monopolies suck

I used to lease my CO2 bottles, but that became cost prohibitive, so I decided to just buy one. All I wanted was one 10# cylinder. So, I went to the local welding/gas shop. The clerk showed me a bunch of dusty, used cylinders and told me to pick the one I want. I asked about the price. He looked it up in a book and quoted the price at $141 for a 10# cylinder...EMPTY! I asked if that was for a new or used cylinder, and he confirmed that the price was for the used cylinders in the back. I asked if there was any way he could lower the price of a used cylinder. He didn't believe me when I told him that I've seen new cylinders for under $100. When he refused to budge on the price, I told him I had lost interest in buying. He then said, "Well, when you get one, you can have it filled here - just leave it for a COUPLE OF DAYS."

A few phone calls to beverage distributors and welding shops confirmed that the shop I visited is the only one within 150 miles capable of cylinder filling and sales. I like small towns for a lot of reasons, but I hate experiences like this!

I'd spend the extra for a 20 pounder and double the time between visits to that place.

BM - that's exactly what I did. There's a brand new 20# cylinder on the way from MicroMatic. I wonder how many days it'll take these ******** to fill it. Other shops fill cylinders while you wait...for a cheaper price.

did you try fire extinguisher shops? I spoke with a local volunteer firemen and he sent me to a place that refills while you wait and are 3 $ cheaper than the local welding supply ...

springer - the same shop is the only place in town that services fire extinguishers.

Yuri_Rage said:

BM - that's exactly what I did. There's a brand new 20# cylinder on the way from MicroMatic. I wonder how many days it'll take these ******** to fill it. Other shops fill cylinders while you wait...for a cheaper price.

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Take comfort in the fact that by the time you have to get a refill...numb-nuts will be gone. (And maybe some competition will show up in town).

Competition is not likely. This place has been the only game in town since at least 1999 (the last time I lived here).

Yuri_Rage said:

springer - the same shop is the only place in town that services fire extinguishers.

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Damn so if you use one then you need to need to leave it a few days to be refilled ... sucks if there is another fire .

Wow, I thought I lived in a small town. Here, they'll fill it up while you wait, or worst case scenario, you can come back in a couple hours and it'll be filled.

I can't imagine anything like that lasting up here. Its just a bit on the lazy side unless they've got a huge list of people waiting.

Yuri_Rage said:

springer - the same shop is the only place in town that services fire extinguishers.

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They keep fire extinguishers for days? I'm surprised they can get away with that, they certainly can't up here!

A couple of days?

Well, I guess it takes him a while to exhale a tank full, what with the high pressure and all.

It seems like they'd have a faster turnaround, what with all the hot-air he's been blowing about expensive tanks!

*ba dum ching*

I wonder if a sixer of cold homebrews would speed things up a bit.

So what's the deal with shipping co2 containers full? If it's not combusitble what's the big deal?

Explosive decompression.

It's basically a pressure-fueled rocket waiting to blow.

TwoHeadsBrewing said:

So what's the deal with shipping co2 containers full? If it's not combusitble what's the big deal?

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MythBusters blew a CO2 tank by rapidly knocking off the valve. It'll shoot through a cinder block wall. Pretty dang cool, if you ask me... but definitely not safe.

Business Opportunity!

Get a second tank so the few days the other is getting filled will be more tolerable? It's certainly more expensive, but is an option. I like BM's suggestion as well, though.

I used to live in a small town lke that. All the business owners had an attitude if you don't like it go elsewhere. Unfortunately for them there was another tiny town 15 miles away.... with crappy let slightly better businesses/services so everyone went there. The best part is instead of service/competition of customers improving in the original town, the business owners got together and demanded the local government use tax dollars launch an all out campaign to get people to 'buy local'.
THere's something to be said for good old fashioned capitalism.

Actually, I may just drive all the way to San Antonio when my tank is getting low. I have no desire to do business with that shop.

Everyone wonders why i left Texas. This is one big reason.

Just a note on the title... All monopolies suck, not just small town ones.

Yuri_Rage said:

Actually, I may just drive all the way to San Antonio when my tank is getting low. I have no desire to do business with that shop.

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That's more like it. When you find a place that does business like that, it's best not to patronize them at all. Good luck in finding a solution.

If an establishment can't fill on-site, your choices are either a) exchange your bottle for their filled ones or b) mark your bottle and wait for it to be filled off-site and then returned. Most customers just exchange which is probably why they're charging you full price for a used one... the first time you exchange, you have a used bottle anyway. The plus side of this is you never have to worry about re-certifying your bottle. I went through this exact same scenario at my local place. As far as their high prices, no explanation other than your small town theory...

I asked for price on a 5# tank at our local place, and it was like $110. I bought on internet for $60 or so. I went to have it filled, and told them, and they were pretty amazed. Plus side is, I can get it filled while I wait and I get my own tank back!

The business owners around here (pop. 1800) all have fairly good attitudes, even through the next town over isn't much bigger. There was a woman who ran a restaurant/bar, that was open when she felt like it and refused to sell you more than two drinks. She lasted about 8 months.

On the other hand, I have to drive 50 miles to swap my CO2 tanks.

Homercidal said:

I asked for price on a 5# tank at our local place, and it was like $110. I bought on internet for $60 or so. I went to have it filled, and told them, and they were pretty amazed. Plus side is, I can get it filled while I wait and I get my own tank back!

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my local guy charges $80 to purchase a 5lb tank. Its also full at time of purchase , 15 $ when you exchange a tank .

I'm under a bit of a time crunch this week - I brewed some beer that I hoped to have on tap for a family visit that starts today. I figured I'd put it on CO2 Monday, and it'd be good to go for the weekend. However, I didn't count on having to source a CO2 cylinder from out of town. My 20# tank from Micromatic showed up today, so I took it back to the crappy shop in question to have it filled (just this once), hoping I'd be able to convince them that overnight was long enough to keep it. Check THIS out: they only fill tanks once or twice a week at an offsite location. The guy confessed that they use about 50-100 lbs of CO2 just to get the fill system running, so they don't just fill one tank at a time. Sounds to me like it's time to upgrade the equipment! I've NEVER seen an act like that anywhere else, including some pretty damn small towns (like NORTH POLE, ALASKA!!!).

I might have CO2 by Friday...

Never again.

Yuri_Rage said:

BM - that's exactly what I did. There's a brand new 20# cylinder on the way from MicroMatic. I wonder how many days it'll take these ******** to fill it. Other shops fill cylinders while you wait...for a cheaper price.

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Yeah seriously that is ridiculous. It takes a few minutes flat. I don't imagine they have huge runs on CO2 filling where lines form out the door? Are you in the paintball capital of the world???

Yuri, does that same shop service all of the restaurants/bars CO2 needs in the area? For their beer/soda.

Warped - I have to assume they take care of any local/small business needs. I'd be willing to bet that some places get their CO2 in San Antonio, though (about a 2.5 to 3 hour drive).

Yuri, have you checked with all the local liquor stores. All of them here fill CO2. That's where I get mine.

I could have sold you one of my 20# tanks. whoop

I wonder if the local bars and restaurants just get their Co2 swapped by whoever is distributing the soda syrups to them.

Boerderij Kabouter - called 'em all, including the wholesalers. They all recommended that I go to the place I hate.

That is soo boo.

Kevin Dean said:

Just a note on the title... All monopolies suck, not just small town ones.

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Not to get this moved to the debate forum, but what Yuri's describing h'aint a monopoly. It's supply & demand. Not enough demand to make it worthwhile for someone else to offer up competition.

It's been said that the only true monopoly is one that's created or propped up by government.

I know it sux to have to wait a few days, but this guy is only in business because he voluntarily chooses to be. It's just simple capitalism. I mean, he could just shut down his shop tomorrow, and then there'd be no place to get welding supplies. Sh*tty service is better than no service at all, or having to drive a few hundred miles to the next store.

But if Yuri's willing to drive to San An, then hey, the guy can suck on his poor service and high prices.

You know what you should do, you should call walmart and tell them that your small town needs a super-center that has a gas station and can fill propane tanks and other gasses. That will solve your problem right quick, what you need is some good old fashioned competition.

We have a WalMart Supercenter. Yours fills CO2 tanks? Ours most certainly does not. It just sucks my will to live.

Yuri_Rage said:

It just sucks my will to live.

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Umm, dibs on the uber-brewrig??