Get the biggest tank you can....you won't be sorry.

[Steve]

At what point does it need to become stationary? Granted, there's a 'duh' factor built in, too big to mount to a cart safely... what I mean is, what size would you guys think about chaining it to a wall versus on a cart?

Is there any downside to a long hose and some sort of quick connect? I ask because where I weld and where the tank would mount is on the other side of the shop from where it's practical to store my welding carts.

Unless Tractor Supply DOES have argon at my local store (I don't think they do, I think it's all 25/75) then I'm like an hour out using my wife's Civic to pick up gas, as I doubt a 250 would be too easy to move on my RoadKing. Basically, I'll either go small and frequent or huge and borrow a friend's truck every once in a while. Trying to decide what to do. If a hose and quick connect works great, that might make more sense, no?

Big bottles require a big cart. It depends on the size of the wheels and the design of the cart as to what size bottle can be safely used mobile wise. I planned ahead in case I wanted or needed to go to a larger size tank. The mod to my cart was easy to do. The 4 wheels each can handle up to 350 lbs. for a total of 1400 lbs. so with all my welders,cables and tanks on the cart the total weight is around 450 lbs. which has plenty of safety margin. My cart is 2 and a half feet wide at the wheels so it is plenty stable. The larger wheels roll over obstacles easily. I see no problem with rolling the 350 tank on the cart. The only problem I see is when I get older and the 350 or even the 250 gets to be too much to lift onto the cart. Lifting 170 lbs. of dead weight is not a problem right now, but in 20 or 30 years from now, it might be.

The other big thing is transporting the big bottles. The 125's fit perfect in the back of my car. The 250 I have to move my front passenger seat down and have the bottle hang into the front seat. The 350 is going to be a monster. It is heavy and it is big. But, it will save me tons of gasoline and cheaper to fill volume wise so it is worth the hassle to haul it back and forth from the LWS. $85 for a complete fill for three times the gas at $45 in my 125 is a no brainer. I will save $50 on gas for the 350 over the cost of filling the 125 three times. like getting a third 125 free!

Quick connect fittings I have heard may leak as they are less secure as a screw on fitting. Just something I have read somewhere else. May or may not be valid. I have not seen very many quick connect fittings for shielding gas so there must be a reason why they don't offer them. Automotive type quick connects always leak on me. The quick connect on my Powertig 250EX seems to leak a little. The direct connect on my Hobart holds the pressure of the argon / co2 forever while the quick connect on my Powertig loses pressure after a few hours. I have a direct connect barb from the regulator to the back of the machine and of course the quick connect at the front. Could be an internal leak or a leak right at the connector. Not sure. The leak is not enough to affect the weld so I just let it go.

[DaveO]

The 125's fit perfect in the back of my car... {snip}... it is worth the hassle to haul it back and forth from the LWS.

It's been a while since I've looked into this (and I will need to look into it in the near future)- but don't LWSs deliver? Or do people find it too much hassle: you have to be there to meet the guy, empty bottle has to be unrigged and ready to swap, heavy truck in your driveway, dropping bottles off the back making a ding in your driveway, etc?

[Steve]

It's been a while since I've looked into this (and I will need to look into it in the near future)- but don't LWSs deliver? Or do people find it too much hassle: you have to be there to meet the guy, empty bottle has to be unrigged and ready to swap, heavy truck in your driveway, dropping bottles off the back making a ding in your driveway, etc?

They charge a delivery charge which would kill the economics of getting a larger tank. I was told that a delivery charge of $62 for a tank which I will not pay. I'm 26 miles from my LWS. And not all LWS have delivery available when you need it. Delivery is great if you have several tanks that need refill but for one or two tanks, it just does not make economic sense.

[DaveO]

Ouch! $62 does change the math. I figured the LWS would have a route truck that covers the southwest corner of town on Tuesdays, or something, and that a more nominal fee would apply. $62 sounds almost like a one-off delivery charge to send a truck out to you only, maybe? I'll have to keep that in mind.

[zoama]

Big bottles require a big cart. It depends on the size of the wheels and the design of the cart as to what size bottle can be safely used mobile wise. I planned ahead in case I wanted or needed to go to a larger size tank. The mod to my cart was easy to do. The 4 wheels each can handle up to 350 lbs. for a total of 1400 lbs. so with all my welders,cables and tanks on the cart the total weight is around 450 lbs. which has plenty of safety margin. My cart is 2 and a half feet wide at the wheels so it is plenty stable. The larger wheels roll over obstacles easily. I see no problem with rolling the 350 tank on the cart. The only problem I see is when I get older and the 350 or even the 250 gets to be too much to lift onto the cart. Lifting 170 lbs. of dead weight is not a problem right now, but in 20 or 30 years from now, it might be.

The other big thing is transporting the big bottles. The 125's fit perfect in the back of my car. The 250 I have to move my front passenger seat down and have the bottle hang into the front seat. The 350 is going to be a monster. It is heavy and it is big. But, it will save me tons of gasoline and cheaper to fill volume wise so it is worth the hassle to haul it back and forth from the LWS. $85 for a complete fill for three times the gas at $45 in my 125 is a no brainer. I will save $50 on gas for the 350 over the cost of filling the 125 three times. like getting a third 125 free!

Quick connect fittings I have heard may leak as they are less secure as a screw on fitting. Just something I have read somewhere else. May or may not be valid. I have not seen very many quick connect fittings for shielding gas so there must be a reason why they don't offer them. Automotive type quick connects always leak on me. The quick connect on my Powertig 250EX seems to leak a little. The direct connect on my Hobart holds the pressure of the argon / co2 forever while the quick connect on my Powertig loses pressure after a few hours. I have a direct connect barb from the regulator to the back of the machine and of course the quick connect at the front. Could be an internal leak or a leak right at the connector. Not sure. The leak is not enough to affect the weld so I just let it go.

I use standard 1/4"npt quick connects on my PP256 and they don't leak at all. I have a female coming from the welder solenoid, a male for the argon bottle and two males (one in, one out) on the air pressure regulator. It's a very simple setup and works well.

[Trip59]

Standard like in compressor/airline fittings? May I ask what brand, every damned one I have leaks a bit, I've bought from HF, Home Depot, Lowes, they all leak either constantly or at certain angles. Compressed air is pretty cheap, gas isn't.

[zoama]

Standard like in compressor/airline fittings? May I ask what brand, every damned one I have leaks a bit, I've bought from HF, Home Depot, Lowes, they all leak either constantly or at certain angles. Compressed air is pretty cheap, gas isn't.

Northern tool. The males should have nice clean edges and if a female leaks, toss it an put on a new one. I turn the gas bottle valve off when I'm not using it.

[DVA]

I think the title says it all. Last time I ran out of gas I was in the middle of welding and was kicking my self for not purchasing a larger bottle.