Argon pricing???

[Rambozo]

...Leases are a rip off!

Except maybe one of those 99 year leases. Seeing as they just exchange leased bottles and you never pay for a hydro. Sometimes I've had my owner bottles exchanged with no charge, but last time I had to pay the hydro charge for the exchange. Plus they will do free valve changes on leased bottles and if there is a questionable valve that might have been leaking they have always credited me a free fill. A lot depends on use, too. Sometimes I empty a bottle in 2 weeks, and sometimes 2 years.

[Kempy]

Hydro-static testing was done when I got the bottles cost $15.00 each I got my VIP certificate cost $110.00 (Visual Inspection Procedure). I fill the bottles myself and do not over fill more then the Plus + mark at the end of the date it was tested that given you 10% over fill. I got some bottles over 25 year old and are like new maybe filled 20 times in its life so far. From a welding supplier maybe filled 300 or more times and droped, left outside, empty with the valve open rusty can't see the names or thing like that yes test many times. If the bottle was new and fell off a dock or truck and it got a dent or deep marks in it it will fall VIP inspection and now scrap.The bottom of the bottle are well over 1 inch thick for 2400 psig bottles alot more for 3200,3600,4500 and 6000 psig are almost 2 inches thick. Bottles drop and land on the bottom will not do anything thats why they make them like that. But heavy side hits or welding marks usally are scraped. The life of a bottle can be alot I have seen one made in 1936 and still in service.

[blacksmith]

I am paying $20.50 in houston for a large bottle with a $5 a month bottle rent.

What dealer?

[Kempy]

That is a good deal $60.00 rent a year $20.50 gas comes to $80.50 a year to my gas is $62.00 for ever no rent. Would be nice to be in Houston buying it at that price I wounder what Helium is now about $120.00 here if you can get it I have heard I is over $220.00 in some places. 1.9% of helium in Amarillo's natural gas fields and around that area.The U.S. alone produces 75 percent of the world’s helium.
But now"Helium is absolutely essential to MRI production," says Tom Rauch, global sourcing manager for GE Healthcare, one of the largest manufacturers of MRI systems. The most important component of an MRI system is a large magnet containing superconducting wire cooled to 4.2 Kelvin, or minus 452 F. "Helium is currently the only element on Earth that can effectively keep the magnet this cold and consequently allow for the high field strength, stable and uniform magnetic fields that make modern MRI systems possible," he says.
Need to find a new way to weld with out Helium.

[everlastsupport]

Did exchange on a rental Friday, 389 tank C25 (heavy sucker). $28.00. Was very happy and all smiles until I got back to find one of the regulators has a leak.

[txshockwave]

What dealer?

matheson tri gas. but we go through 15 bottles a month. I doubt a person off the street will get that price.

[SeanMurphy265]

I got a deal of the lifetime today for a 330cfm 75/25 mix today! I got it for $32.00 + tax the price of a refill!!! I up graded my 80cfm owner argon to a 125 cfm two weeks ago. I got a bill from Airgas for my renewal lease (125cfm) $84.00 for the lease, hazmat, and taxes. I'm taking both of my lease bottles back to airgas on Monday. Those things will bleed you dry!

[agent4573]

Bought a tank in long beach a few weeks ago, 160 for a 330c.f. tank filled with straight argon. Didn't get any paperwork with it, but the neck is clean and it just passed its hydro test. Exchanged a size 1 bottle of 75/25 last week and it cost me 25 bucks for the exchange.

[zedron]

I got a deal of the lifetime today for a 330cfm 75/25 mix today! I got it for $32.00 + tax the price of a refill!!! I up graded my 80cfm owner argon to a 125 cfm two weeks ago. I got a bill from Airgas for my renewal lease (125cfm) $84.00 for the lease, hazmat, and taxes. I'm taking both of my lease bottles back to airgas on Monday. Those things will bleed you dry!

Wow. They mess up on cashing you out or something? LOL. I get my gas through a client/friend who has contract with the gas company and they get charged $52 for a 330cf 75/25 mix and $30 for a 330cf Argon and they use a pallet of 75/25 a week. The benefit they/I receive is that they dont charge them for bottle rental so they save quite a few bucks there as well. And I get the savings passed on to me too. Just make a call and tell my client/friend I need a bottle of Argon, they add the bottle to their already guaranteed order of 16 bottles of 75/25, It arrives every Monday, I go their and give them $30 and swap them out. So no bottle rental fee for me nor do I have to purchase one ever.

[Spike]

Bought a tank in long beach a few weeks ago, 160 for a 350c.f. tank filled with straight argon. Didn't get any paperwork with it, but the neck is clean and it just passed its hydro test. Exchanged a size 1 bottle of 75/25 last week and it cost me 25 bucks for the exchange.

I pay between $95-100 out the door for my 350cf (size 5) bottles of argon.
I never lease a bottle. When I need another bottle I buy one. If you go garage saleing or browse c-list you can usually find someone selling an old oxy acetylene set up with some bottles. Get a bill of sale when you buy the bottles from them and you can exchange them at your local exchange no problem... Loads cheaper than buying new, too.

[Jason]

I am jealous after reading this thread. Leasing bottles here from Praxair is rather expensive and getting them filled costs me a bit too. I have changed from Praxair to Air Gas and the fill is cheaper and I have found that they are more enjoyable to deal with. A bottle fill still costs more. To fill my 125CF 75/25 costs ~$50 and to fill a 300 in that size is ~80. I filled a 80CF bottle of CO3 from praxair and it was well over $50 I gave all their bottles back as soon as I emptied them and purchased my bottles from Air Gas.

[everlastsupport]

My last 390 refill was $28 (rental) but they kill me on all my owner bottles.

[Jason]

I love this praxair... ok not really. I returned a bottle mid December (year lease ended 2/18/13) and just had to call because they charged me a months lease on that bottle that I returned. Turns out when I took it back the guy that returned it did not back date it and it ended up charging me. The months lease on a 80CF bottle is $23.36 I guess as that is what they charged me. I had a problem with I took my 150CF argon bottle back to them after getting my 300 to. Makes me want to avoid them all together. Anyone else have problems with Praxair or does it seem like its only this store that can't seem to get things right. The year lease on the 80CF here is $69.27+tax.

[youngnstudly]

I believe the price of a straight Argon refill from Airgas on my 150 CF bottle was quoted at $92.00! I asked about upgrading to a 250 CF bottle later and how much the refill on that would be, and I was told $108.00! The initial cost of buying my 150 CF cylinder was just over $300.00 "out the door" (IIRC...may have been a little more) and the first fill up was only like $35.00 with the bottle purchase.

[performance]

Well, after about 12 years with an account with Airgas, my lease bottles came up for their yearly renewal. I have 4 full size cylinders, and 3 of them are on the same renewal cycle. I expected it to come this month and it did, but when I opened up the bill, I saw a 500.00+ charge. I nearly fainted, then got angry and called them up. A new kid, somewhat ill informed, told me the lease prices had risen considerably. I told him not more than DOUBLE last years. He said he'd get the boss on it, and said knew it sounded a "Little" high but not that high. I told him if the boss confirmed it, they could come and pick up my bottles (their route runs right by my shop), and I'd go with the guy just down the road who was a little higher, but NOT that HIGH. That sort of upset the kid. The boss has been there for some time. Mind you they have always treated me fair. But to even think that all the business and relationship meant so little just burned me. I repeated the "if it is even 80.00 it is too high and you can come pick them up" to the kid. About an hour later "Bobby" the store manager who has always been fair gave me a call with a new price...just under 70.00 bucks each for the year. Which is about the same as what I paid them last year... He apologized. Apparently the main office had made a mistake or something and "doubled" the price of everyone's bill. They had to go in manually and back out all the prices at the local store and mine was one that got sent out before that could be done...or something to that effect. I am not sure what really happened, but they have my business for another year.

[Rambozo]

My LWS used to offer free 30 day lease with every fill. For shops that killed a bottle a month or more it was always a great deal. Now they were bought up by Praxair, and they decided customer service wasn't something they wanted to offer anymore.

[youngnstudly]

Apparently the main office had made a mistake or something and "doubled" the price of everyone's bill. They had to go in manually and back out all the prices at the local store and mine was one that got sent out before that could be done...or something to that effect. I am not sure what really happened, but they have my business for another year.

It's nice to see how they treat longtime customers! I guess I have something to look forward to now with Airgas. You didn't happen to get a letter from the main office like the one below in regards to the mistake, did ya Mark?

"Dear Mark,

We are SO sorry you got charged double, and we fully agree that is completely outrageous and out of line! Please except my personal apology for next year's triple price hike at this time as well! It's another one of those pesky computer glitches that happens to work very well in our favor even before we send out the bill. We only meant to screw over the guys that can't badmouth us in a way which effects business greatly, and you just happened get on that list entirely by 'mistake' (read: greed)! Thank you again for your business and please tell your friends about the pleasant experience you had with us!

Your trusty Airgas Main office,
(enter name here)"

[everlastsupport]

It's nice to see how they treat longtime customers! I guess I have something to look forward to now with Airgas. You didn't happen to get a letter from the main office like the one below in regards to the mistake, did ya Mark?

"Dear Mark,

We are SO sorry you got charged double, and we fully agree that is completely outrageous and out of line! Please except my personal apology for next year's triple price hike at this time as well! It's another one of those pesky computer glitches that happens to work very well in our favor even before we send out the bill. We only meant to screw over the guys that can't badmouth us in a way which effects business greatly, and you just happened get on that list entirely by 'mistake' (read: greed)! Thank you again for your business and please tell your friends about the pleasant experience you had with us!

Your trusty Airgas Main office,
(enter name here)"

That is funny. I have only went in AirGas twice, but it sounds like the guys I met in there.. I have hear other than swear by them. Not me.

[Jason]

Man a 150CF for over $300... I paid $273 out the door for my 300 from airgas. This store also gives the first fill free when you buy the bottle. So for $273 I got a 300 bottle of argon out the door. They are doing away with the 150CF tanks and if you have one or lease one, it is only filled to that of a 125. My 125 was only like $70 cheaper. Its for my MIG and I did not want to lug another 300 around for that but it runs out too fast, he said he would allow me to upgrade it. Praxair wouldn't sell me a 300. They said the largest they will sell is the 150 and that it was $300. This is what initially sent me to Airgas.

[DaveO]

I've been keeping a watch out for customer owned bottles on CL. The trick there is to look not only in the For Sale area, but also in the Garage Sale section (someone mentioned that earlier) because when a search does not look in the Garage Sale section.

But that still hasn't helped me, and I found a site called http://www.freetoolshopper.com/ that allows you to search nationally by city and state. Didn't find anything for my area at that site either, but when a search yields no hits in your area it gives results for the entire nation... and my search for "argon" in VA yielded results in SC, CA, GA, AZ etc... which is say, locations of other members on this board. So it may be worth a look.