Making Sure I'm Not Getting Ripped Off

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grimstuff

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So I'm getting quotes of between $140-190 to buy a used 20 lb CO2 tank at local gas supply stores PLUS $28-30 for the gas.

Am I getting ripped off?
 
The wisdom of buying new aside, Amazon shows 20 pound steel tanks for just under $130 delivered in the US. So I'd say they aren't doing you any favors...

Cheers!
 
The wisdom of buying new aside, Amazon shows 20 pound steel tanks for just under $130 delivered in the US. So I'd say they aren't doing you any favors...

Cheers!

But what's the point in buying new, when the easiest method is to exchange? I don't care about having a shiny new one. I just want the gas.
 
Hence my preface - or did you miss that?

Point is, you could buy a brand new steel tank for appreciably less than the best offer you've received for used. OK?

Sheesh...

Um, I get that. I'm not trying to exasperate you, I'm just asking a question and I'm really, really stupid, so I understand if you have to ask me if I got your "preface" about wisdom or whatever in buying new and exchanging for old.
 
Not sure what's typical in your neck of the woods, but around here, a 20lb refill can be had for about $18. Also, you might try beverage supply stores - I found one where I was able to get a CO2 tank "rental" that amounted to a $50 deposit with perpetual $15 exchanges for their 15lb CO2 cylinders. Whenever I run out, I bring the cylinder back and swap it out for a fresh one for $15, done. If I had paid for my own 15lb cylinder, I'd have to drop off said cylinder and wait for them to batch fill it later in the week, and still be out the $15. I'm not really sure how they make out on the deal, but I've sent a few buddies that way already.
 
What's the fascination with exchanging? Buy yourself a nice tank and get it refilled.

Yeah, but it some places you just can't get it refilled anyway- you have to exchange. I had a nice shiny aluminum 5# tank, but locally they only exchange. So now I have a beat up old steel tank. The good thing is that I never have to hydro test- it's just exchanged when it's empty!
 
Here's the deal: I live in a rural area. Two gas supply stores in town. We don't have fire extinguisher stores or beverage supply stores. I live in a town of 15,000. Both the guys I spoke to from these gas supply stores seemed reluctant to turn on the machine or whatever the hell fills the cylinders for "just one" cylinder. I don't want to be "that guy" bringing in his precious shiny cylinder for one fill up, waiting around, and right in the middle of the work day. I am extremely busy during business hours. So exchanging, to me, sounds way more convenient.

I can see why some prefer to buy though, ideally I would too, but the logistics and cost just don't pan out. Every place online only sells new. And for a 20 lb new tank, it comes out to be about $100 plus $30-40 for shipping. There is ZERO chance of me finding used on Craigslist, because as I mentioned before, this is a very small town and the only CO2-related equipment I've seen are some weird things used for indoor marijuana grows (...in fact, maybe that's why theyre so expensive around here...).

So I'm about to bring my lube down to one of these stores and just bite the bullet. I just wasn't prepared for the fact that getting the damn Co2 for my new keg setup will cost me almost $200.
 
Well, what's the problem with buying the new one off of Amazon (or whatever), since it's cheaper than what they're offering to sell the used one for, and then proceeding to exchange THAT one? That way, you still can exchange the tank, AND you can save a few bucks in your up front investment. Wouldn't that work?
 
I must be lucky. Local gas shop will refill in less than ten minutes while you wait.... No complaints or questions asked. Town of less than 8,000 people.
 
Well, what's the problem with buying the new one off of Amazon (or whatever), since it's cheaper than what they're offering to sell the used one for, and then proceeding to exchange THAT one? That way, you still can exchange the tank, AND you can save a few bucks in your up front investment. Wouldn't that work?

Yeah, you'd think he'd have come up with that right around post #3, but he totally missed it...

Cheers!
 
Yeah, you'd think he'd have come up with that right around post #3, but he totally missed it...

Cheers!

Thanks for pointing this out, man. You're swell. :fro: What you may have missed is that the one on Amazon is $107.95 + $27.95 shipping. Using the complicated mathematics of addition, that's just a hair under the price I'd pay here at a shop. :drunk:

As stated previously, there is zero benefit in the fact that this one is new, since I want to exchange it.

This is me walking into the shop with lube in hand: :(
This is me walking out of the shop with my Co2 ready to make some god damn beer: :cross:
 
Thanks for pointing this out, man. You're swell. :fro: What you may have missed is that the one on Amazon is $107.95 + $27.95 shipping. Using the complicated mathematics of addition, that's just a hair under the price I'd pay here at a shop. :drunk:

As stated previously, there is zero benefit in the fact that this one is new, since I want to exchange it.

This is me walking into the shop with lube in hand: :(
This is me walking out of the shop with my Co2 ready to make some god damn beer: :cross:

How about this one, before you go freaking out on more folks trying to help you:

For crying out loud, dude. In post #2, a guy pointed out that there was a CO2 tank on Amazon that could be delivered for $120. Here it is. Took me all of 90 seconds of scrolling on Amazon to find it. Keep the lube.
 
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grimstuff said:
Here's the deal: I live in a rural area. Two gas supply stores in town. We don't have fire extinguisher stores or beverage supply stores. I live in a town of 15,000. Both the guys I spoke to from these gas supply stores seemed reluctant to turn on the machine or whatever the hell fills the cylinders for "just one" cylinder. I don't want to be "that guy" bringing in his precious shiny cylinder for one fill up, waiting around, and right in the middle of the work day. I am extremely busy during business hours. So exchanging, to me, sounds way more convenient.

I can see why some prefer to buy though, ideally I would too, but the logistics and cost just don't pan out. Every place online only sells new. And for a 20 lb new tank, it comes out to be about $100 plus $30-40 for shipping. There is ZERO chance of me finding used on Craigslist, because as I mentioned before, this is a very small town and the only CO2-related equipment I've seen are some weird things used for indoor marijuana grows (...in fact, maybe that's why theyre so expensive around here...).

So I'm about to bring my lube down to one of these stores and just bite the bullet. I just wasn't prepared for the fact that getting the damn Co2 for my new keg setup will cost me almost $200.

At my local place they hook your tank up to a really big tank, set yours on a scale and open the valves. It takes 2 minutes.
 
Last go 'round for me.

This is the brand new 20 pound CGA tank I found on Amazon.

$119.95 + $14.49 shipping.

Yeah, I said $130, it's $134.44. Tough nuggies. It's still less than "$140 to $190".

And trust me, any tank exchanger will take your brand new tank, even if you paid less money for it than what they wanted to charge you...
 
How about this one, before you go freaking out on more folks trying to help you:

For crying out loud, dude. In post #2, a guy pointed out that there was a CO2 tank on Amazon that could be delivered for $120. Here it is. Took me all of 90 seconds of scrolling on Amazon to find it. Keep the lube.

I am always grateful for help. I just don't take kindly to "some" people insinuating right from the get go that I am some sort of idiot and jumping all over me when Im merely asking a question., as shown in post #4.
 
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I am always grateful for help. I just don't take kindly to "some" people insinuating right from the get go that I am some sort of idiot and jumping all over me when Im merely asking a question., as shown in post #4.

For crying out loud, Grimstuff! You can buy one online for $130 dollars! That's $10 less than you can buy one in a store! Bam, problem solved. Now, stop being a little ***** and asking more questions. Sheesh... Can't you just accept help when it is offered to you?

;)

Seriously, though. I think I can take it from here, and thanks for the input.

Cheers.
 
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