Welding supplies cost

[GeoHorn]

While repairing my damaged auger from drillin’ post holes I ran out of acetylene …and also was gettting low on C25 welding gas….so I called the local welding suppliers for refills.

Just FYI…and to ask for comparisons if anyone has any… I own my bottles and paid $68 for a standard #4 acetylene exchange and $57 for a 80 cu ft (Q) bottle of C25 argon/CO2.

(a new Made in USA 25 ft twin hose was $45.… 12-lb spool of .035 solid wire $48)

Anyone else find these prices typical?

 

[Motion]

The prices aren't out of line, the hoses should last a while, you may be able to shop the wire but why you're already at the supply house. I believe with all consumables, just pay as you go. I have a problem with any supply house I enter, can you spell wanting and needing.

 

[DustyRusty]

I paid $27 for a B tank of acetylene and $18 for an MC tank. This was at the plumbing supply house, and the gas supplier was over $50 for a B tank exchange. If I remember correctly a 40 CF oxygen cylinder was just shy of $60 exchanged. I have been exchanging all my empty cylinders on the assumption that it is never going to be less than the price is today.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I gave up on oxy-act years ago.....seldom used and made an induction heater for nuts.
Got a free mig/tig/gas/flux wire welder last week...priced out gas+reg and wire spools...
yeesh......
Far cheaper for me to keep using the AC only tombstone as rods are far less that wire.

 

[Henro]

Just an after thought...but propane works fine if you are just cutting and not welding with the gas set up. I don't weld with gas so that works for me...

 

[GeoHorn]

I gave up on oxy-act years ago.....seldom used and made an induction heater for nuts.
Got a free mig/tig/gas/flux wire welder last week...priced out gas+reg and wire spools...
yeesh......
Far cheaper for me to keep using the AC only tombstone as rods are far less that wire.

I bought a Forney plasma-cutter last year and have used the snot out of it cutting hundreds of R-panels and up to 1/4” plate steel. I have little need for the oxy-acetylene torch for cutting any more but I have it available.

 

[Nicksacco]

I decided to get a contract with my local gas supplier and a 125 CF argon tank is about $80 trade in.
I've never used gas welding - always used MIG and now TIG.
I use an induction heater also to heat nuts and bolts and to bend some metal - with the occasional use of a propane torch.

Showing my age: When we were kids, you used to be able to get carbide and make acetylene gas!

 

[In Utopia]

Just gave $54 for acetylene exchange in Utopia.
Ran out just when I started to cut the bolts on the blades of my shredder.
Replacing them turned out to be a real hassle.

 

[Yooper]

You can switch to straight C02 and save some money there. Its all I have ever used with hard wire (.035 x ER70S) and flux core. Have to turn up the heat just a bit and you will get more spatter.

 

[Oil pan 4]

Don't use C25. I made a gas mixing rig back about 2014 out of junk in my junk collection I found that I liked using straight CO2 or a 50/50 mix of CO2 and argon. Then I could mix C90 for thin metal and when I wanted really pretty welds.
I can get a 50lb CO2 bottle filled for around $50. A 300cfm bottle of C25 holds about 30lb of gas. So using CO2 is a fraction of the price of running argon mix. I only ever used L56 wire for CO2 and argon mixes. .
Also running NR211 Flux core wire with like 5cfm of CO2 coverage runs amazing. The slag falls off on its own.
I hated running out of acetylene so much I bought my miller 625 plasma cutter back around 2004 and I love it. It reduced cutting torch use by around 95% and the plasma cutter seemed to work better on heavy painted metal, instantly discovered the advantages on rusty metal and is perfect on thin metal.

 

[Oil pan 4]

Just gave $54 for acetylene exchange in Utopia.
Ran out just when I started to cut the bolts on the blades of my shredder.
Replacing them turned out to be a real hassle.

I try to take mine off every year or every other year. The first time I took them off the 3/4 impact running about 140psi barely broke the last one loose.

 

[lugbolt]

CO2 lays down a little better, makes for a smaller bead. Seems to penetrate a little better but it really doesn't. I have used it for decades because it's cheap. On thin stuff stargon is much better. On thicker stuff CO2 works, so long as its not sensitive to excessive spatter.

prices aren't too bad, certainly cheaper than it is here. I gotta go get a bottle of Argon (330) soon for the TIG and am not looking forward to that. Real expensive. I have to get it at TSC. LWS is a LOT higher, and they won't even touch the bottle unless it's "their" bottle.

 

[GeoHorn]

CO2 lays down a little better, makes for a smaller bead. Seems to penetrate a little better but it really doesn't. I have used it for decades because it's cheap. On thin stuff stargon is much better. On thicker stuff CO2 works, so long as its not sensitive to excessive spatter.

prices aren't too bad, certainly cheaper than it is here. I gotta go get a bottle of Argon (330) soon for the TIG and am not looking forward to that. Real expensive. I have to get it at TSC. LWS is a LOT higher, and they won't even touch the bottle unless it's "their" bottle.

Lugbolt, do you mean “Linde” when you post “LWS”….?? The reason I ask is that my Linde dealer will exchange any bottle without regard to brand … at least I think that’s the policy. I tried to turn in my old “Flat Top” acetylene bottle at other welding supply houses and they won’t take it. But Linde only said, “Wow…haven’t seen one of these in a few years!” But he took it and gave me a standard bottle in return.

 

[DustyRusty]

Many of the bigger dealers will work with each other to get their bottles back by swapping the other guy's branded bottles for their own branded bottles. It is good business for them to do so.

 

[lugbolt]

LWS=local welder's supply

no linde here

there are two major suppliers plus tsc. TSC is a lot more expensive but they don't care who's bottle is who's they swap them out regardless. all their stuff comes from...one of the local suppliers, that won't touch a bottle that is not theirs.

go figure.

 

[Henro]

I bought a Forney plasma-cutter last year and have used the snot out of it cutting hundreds of R-panels and up to 1/4” plate steel. I have little need for the oxy-acetylene torch for cutting any more but I have it available.

If one is just cutting/heating steel, propane and O2 is more cost effective...seems to be for me anyway.

 

[GeoHorn]

If one is just cutting/heating steel, propane and O2 is more cost effective...seems to be for me anyway.

I’m not a real iron-worker…and when I decided I wanted to put up my own version of a hangar I ordered a bunch of beams, R-panel, and rolls of insulation… and the only way I knew (at the time) how to cut flange-beams was oxy-acetylene… so I bought a “starter-kit” at the local welding supply and learned to keep the gloves on before picking up steel I’d just cut.
I did have a professional welder make the critical joints of the clear-span. (wifes‘ cousin who builds refineries for Exxon-Mobil.) He laughed at the “smoke and spatter” welds I first put together…and spent a week of his vacation teaching me. It was a learning experience.) 22 years now and no failures of the hangar or the 13’ X 44” overhead door I designed… the ”straight-line-winds” that took the roof off the adjacent house did no hangar damage.

ps; I did have an experienced crew do the slab. I had considered doing that with some buddies but thankfully was talked out of it by the truck driver who delivered the granite-gravel to level the site. Looking back on it… man I was ignorant and over-confident back then.