Did I Waste My Money on a Brand New CO2 Tank?

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mikem2690

mikem2690

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Joined
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I bought everything I need to start kegging. Now all that's left to do is to fill up my co2 tank and get started. I bought my co2 tank brand new. I called my local gas supplies store and they told me that they can exchange my brand new tank for a full used one the same day, if I want to keep my brand new tank they can send it out to be filled and get it back for me to pick up in about a 1-2 weeks. Is there any benefit to owning a brand new co2 tank, or did I just waste my money?
 
i've been exchanging for years. the only benefit to buying and having it refilled is so you can have a nice shiny new-looking tank, as you're the only 1 using it. i don't care about all that
 
I wouldn't say you wasted money, perhaps lack of knowledge. I've exchanged tanks for years. Sometimes they're new, others are beat to crap. They all pass inspection for safety and usability though. Chock it up to lesson learned.
 
mikem2690 said:
I bought everything I need to start kegging. Now all that's left to do is to fill up my co2 tank and get started. I bought my co2 tank brand new. I called my local gas supplies store and they told me that they can exchange my brand new tank for a full used one the same day, if I want to keep my brand new tank they can send it out to be filled and get it back for me to pick up in about a 1-2 weeks. Is there any benefit to owning a brand new co2 tank, or did I just waste my money?
Click to expand...

That all depends on how much you paid for it and how much they charge for the one they would have provided you with if you had just bought it from them.
 
Whoa, find another filler! I wouldn’t let my new bottle get exchanged! NO WAY! I’m cautious leaving my 80cf N tank overnight at my welding supply shop for a fill even though they swear it’ll be there in the morning (and it always is; good guys there).

If you bought the tank then you own it! Find a different filler and keep your brand new tank! Also, two weeks is unacceptable. To fill a Nitrogen tank is special; to fill a co2 is easy and can be done any time of the day in two minutes. Put some personal stickers on the tank so you know you're getting the same one back (or monitor the serial numbers...stickers are easier). I wouldn't accept an old used tank in exchange for a brand new one even if it passed inspection 20 times last year!
 
wow guess i'm lucky that the keg shop down the street fills it right when you come in. I've never had to wait more than about 2 mins for a fill on my tank that I bought brand new.
 
The only downside i see to owning is you need to have it pressure tested every 5 years, i forget 20 or 30 bucks and took the better part of a week
 
They all pass inspection for safety and usability though. Chock it up to lesson learned.
a18
k3
 
discooby said:
Whoa, find another filler! I wouldn’t let my new bottle get exchanged! NO WAY! I’m cautious leaving my 80cf N tank overnight at my welding supply shop for a fill even though they swear it’ll be there in the morning (and it always is; good guys there).

If you bought the tank then you own it! Find a different filler and keep your brand new tank! Also, two weeks is unacceptable. To fill a Nitrogen tank is special; to fill a co2 is easy and can be done any time of the day in two minutes. Put some personal stickers on the tank so you know you're getting the same one back (or monitor the serial numbers...stickers are easier). I wouldn't accept an old used tank in exchange for a brand new one even if it passed inspection 20 times last year!
Click to expand...

Unfortunately for mikem2690 there is a big difference in his market (Maine) and your market (Las Vegas). I have been in industrial gas and welding business for over 20 years and there are not an abundance of distributors let alone ones with cylinder filling facilities in Maine. And even if they have a Co2 capabilities they most often don't have the personnel available to "fill while you wait".

mikem2690, my advice to you is if you want to keep our shiny new cylinder find a fire extinguisher service facility in your area. It's been my experience that most of them will fill while you wait, at a better price than most industrial gas distributor. If you strike out there find a paint ball shop and they may be able to fill you tank, but they are usually a bit pricy.

I found this facility relatively close to you:

Quality Fire Protection‎
15 Old South Road
South Berwick, ME 03908
(207) 384-6211
 
You didn't waste your money. Ask them how much they will sell you a used one for and you'll see it's pretty close.
 
Really they wont fill it there? That is interesting but I guess every place is different. I bought a nice shiny new 5# one and I have only had it filled it once but it is lasting a very long time.
 
biohaz7331 said:
Really they wont fill it there? That is interesting but I guess every place is different. I bought a nice shiny new 5# one and I have only had it filled it once but it is lasting a very long time.
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It makes a big difference "where" you live, biohaz, you and I live in college towns= lots of people= lots of Co2 availability.
 
I've only found a handful of gas suppliers that will refill on the spot in the entire city of New York. Some will refill if the tank is left behind, others will only swap. I also bought a shiny new cylinder only to find this out. At least I did ultimately find someone to fill it, but they do it as a favor as it isn't their regular business.
 
No, you didn't waste your money. I bought a new tank and then when I went to get it filled they wanted to charge me $18 to swap it out or $24 to fill it and come back and get it. $6 dollars per fill and my time is not worth a shiny tank that you can't see in the kegerator.
 
ChefRex said:
The only downside i see to owning is you need to have it pressure tested every 5 years, i forget 20 or 30 bucks and took the better part of a week
Click to expand...

After 5-6 years, trade it in until you get a shinny new(er) one and from there on out go back to refilling.

Use the system my good man!
 
No worries!

I bought my first one "new". It was nice and shiny and it was mine!

Later, when I started SCUBA diving, I found out what those numbers stamped in the tank meant. It had been hydro tested no less than four times? Doh!

Now, as long as it has a current hydro stamp and a good fill, I'm happy.

Get used to what a full 5# tank feels like.

BTW I just chalked it up to tuition in the School of Learning...
 
You should also check out fire inspection places that fill fire extinguishers. The one I go to sells C02 tanks for kegs and does refills. They dont do exchanges. I recently had a tank that needed recertification and the owner said they would do it and fill it for a batch of sweet stout.
 
Having never tried to keep a tank, doesn't it have to go in for hydrostatic testing every few years anyway? Will they do THAT while you wait? I always assumed that no matter what that shiny new tank will have to get turned in.
 
I think hydro is done every 5 years for an aluminum tank. Longer for steal with a star stamped next to the date. one of the nice things about exchanges is that you don't need to worry about that.
 
bad67z said:
Unfortunately for mikem2690 there is a big difference in his market (Maine) and your market (Las Vegas). I have been in industrial gas and welding business for over 20 years and there are not an abundance of distributors let alone ones with cylinder filling facilities in Maine. And even if they have a Co2 capabilities they most often don't have the personnel available to "fill while you wait".

mikem2690, my advice to you is if you want to keep our shiny new cylinder find a fire extinguisher service facility in your area. It's been my experience that most of them will fill while you wait, at a better price than most industrial gas distributor. If you strike out there find a paint ball shop and they may be able to fill you tank, but they are usually a bit pricy.

I found this facility relatively close to you:

Quality Fire Protection‎
15 Old South Road
South Berwick, ME 03908
(207) 384-6211
Click to expand...

I've been all over the place in the Portland Maine area (gas distributor, fire extinguisher place), and the cheapest I've found is an exchange. Between that and the other intangibles associated with filling (why are they never open on weekends?!?, hydrostatic testing (although I haven't been there yet), having to wait (its never been a 2 minute affair for me...try 20-25 minutes))...exchange is the way to go, at least in this neck of the woods.

To the OP: lesson learned, the tanks I get in exchange look pretty new anyway. At the end of the day its a tank, right? Going to bounce around and get dinged up. Lives in the back of a refrigerator after all....

You could return or sell the new one and buy a used tank, but then that is more time out of your life. Suck it up and move on, if you ask me.
 
Thank you everyone for your feedback. Unfortunately the answer to my question seems to be overall, Yes I did waste my money on a new co2 tank. After reading through the reply's, and looking at the pros an cons I have decided to just exchange my new tank for a filled used one. It's cheaper, takes less time, and I don't have to worry about getting it inspected. I am going to chalk it up as a lesson learned, and let this be a cautionary tale to any one looking to purchase a co2 tank. Here is what I got from your replies.

[Buying Used CO2 Tank Benifits]
Cheap, Can Exchange For a Full One For Less Money Than Having One Filled, Less Time Wasted Getting it Filled, Don't Have to Worry About Getting it Inspected, You Might Get Lucky and Exchange Ugly Used One For a Shiny Used One.

[Buying New CO2 Tank Benifits]
Shiny...Thats About It.
 
mikem2690 said:
Thank you everyone for your feedback. Unfortunately the answer to my question seems to be overall, Yes I did waste my money on a new co2 tank. After reading through the reply's, and looking at the pros an cons I have decided to just exchange my new tank for a filled used one. It's cheaper, takes less time, and I don't have to worry about getting it inspected. I am going to chalk it up as a lesson learned, and let this be a cautionary tale to any one looking to purchase a co2 tank. Here is what I got from your replies.

[Buying Used CO2 Tank Benifits]
Cheap, Can Exchange For a Full One For Less Money Than Having One Filled, Less Time Wasted Getting it Filled, Don't Have to Worry About Getting it Inspected, You Might Get Lucky and Exchange Ugly Used One For a Shiny Used One.

[Buying New CO2 Tank Benifits]
Shiny...Thats About It.
Click to expand...

Was it much more than a used one cost? When I bought one not too long ago, the price differential wasn't that much. I wouldn't beat yourself up over it....
 
Check with Maine Oxy. They may take your bottle as a 'buy in' to the system. If not, you could still do the buy in and use your bottle as a spare. Then you just need to find a drop which may be a NAPA, a welding shop, hardware store, etc. I do that with oxygen for cutting torches which is much easier than lease for my now limited use and use of propane over acetylene.
 
I own both of my tanks and I can paint my name on them, shine them up, whatever I want. I pay $1 a pound for fills while I wait. Hydro testing runs me $12 and it takes about 48 hours. I have two tanks so I don't miss it.
 
mikem2690 said:
Thank you everyone for your feedback. Unfortunately the answer to my question seems to be overall, Yes I did waste my money on a new co2 tank. After reading through the reply's, and looking at the pros an cons I have decided to just exchange my new tank for a filled used one. It's cheaper, takes less time, and I don't have to worry about getting it inspected. I am going to chalk it up as a lesson learned, and let this be a cautionary tale to any one looking to purchase a co2 tank. Here is what I got from your replies.

[Buying Used CO2 Tank Benifits]
Cheap, Can Exchange For a Full One For Less Money Than Having One Filled, Less Time Wasted Getting it Filled, Don't Have to Worry About Getting it Inspected, You Might Get Lucky and Exchange Ugly Used One For a Shiny Used One.

[Buying New CO2 Tank Benifits]
Shiny...Thats About It.
Click to expand...

i think you end up paying for the tank with an exchange anyway in the form of a deposit. i could be wrong.
 
my advice to you is if you want to keep our shiny new cylinder find a fire extinguisher service facility in your area. It's been my experience that most of them will fill while you wait, at a better price than most industrial gas distributor.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Bobby_M said:
I own both of my tanks and I can paint my name on them, shine them up, whatever I want. I pay $1 a pound for fills while I wait. Hydro testing runs me $12 and it takes about 48 hours. I have two tanks so I don't miss it.
Click to expand...

$5 fill is the absolute lowest I've seen anyone pay for a fill. Most people think they are doing well at $12 a fill. Average is $16-20 based on what I've read.
 
I have always looked at the purchase of a cylinder (CO2, O2, Argon, .etc) as the entry fee to the club. Once you buy a tank just swap it out and never worry about hydro testing or waiting again.
 
I bought a brand new tank and took it to get it filled, exchanged it for a full tank that was only a couple months older than the one I had purchased. Most places have old tanks and new(er) tanks for exchange.
 
If it matters to you, ask the exchange guy if they have a newer-looking tank to give you...most of the time they'll oblige....

again, on my list of things that need to get/stay clean, my kegerator tank is waaaay down on that list.
 
Make sure you have a spare tank. It's horrible to run out of co2 on a Friday evening and have to wait til Monday to fill it.
 
I ran into a similar problem in Eugene: My kegerator (Costco) came with a shiny new CO2 tank. The first three gas distributors would only exchange. Being vain, I kept looking.

In the meantime, I went to a paintball supply store and bought a 20oz tank and an adapter that allowed the tank to fit my regulator. The first fill was free. Subsequent fills are $5. Afterall was said and done, the paintball tank and adapter cost me nearly as much as a new 5lb tank. Dang.

Nevertheless, I finally found a place in another city that was near my work that would refill a 5lb tank for $10. So, all is good. I have a new tank, plus a back-up. Now, if I could just find a back-up cheap dual regulator, I have a perfect way to force carb without messing with my kegs in the kegerator.
 
Bobby_M said:
I own both of my tanks and I can paint my name on them, shine them up, whatever I want. I pay $1 a pound for fills while I wait. Hydro testing runs me $12 and it takes about 48 hours. I have two tanks so I don't miss it.
Click to expand...

+1

Hydrostatic testing is cheap. I also know what was in my tanks and how they were treated. I wouldn’t want to buy a scuba tank that had air in it sitting for 4 years in a hot garage and, even though the tank was still to date, refill it and dive on it. I’d get it cleaned and retested even though the date on the tank said it was still good… better yet, I have my own.

How easy is it to exchange uncommon sized tanks (like a 20lb co2 or 80cf N)?? Also, the bigger your cylinder the better the value; I pay a dollar more to fill a 20lb than a 5lb and my fills run $15 while I wait 3 minutes.

The OP’s problem is there is no place to refill so the only alternative is exchange. If you can refill then I’d keep the cylinders.
 
Out of curiosity, how much would most places charge for a "core" if you DON'T show up with a brand new tank? I have the same deal. All local places that I can find are exchange only.
 
pjcampbell said:
Out of curiosity, how much would most places charge for a "core" if you DON'T show up with a brand new tank? I have the same deal. All local places that I can find are exchange only.
Click to expand...

They don't charge anything. It would be an "in-kind" exchange (used for used). This would be the preferable way to get into an exchange (assuming you figure that a new tank is worth more than a used tank).
 
What I meant is if you didn't have a core to return. The answer at my place was $70... so for $55 I was better trading in my shiny new tank than paying their fee. I gave up on trying to find a place to fill mine and took their used tank. It looks good enough. I am sure AirGas doesn't mess around with their tanks.
 

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