Swinging a big stick (SMAW discussion)

[dandimand]

on that note praxair has treated me very well and told me about that crap 7018 rod they had they dont sell it anymore they sell esab excalibur etc... talk to sam on annacis island ive gotten way better deals from them on everything i bought and will be transferring my bottle contracts to them from boc as well.

[Coalsmoke]

Air Liquide, at least for me, has the cheapest bottle / gas prices. Annual rent is about $12 less per year than BOC and each 245cu ft oxy fill is about $3 less per fill than BOC. They are also cheaper with tri-mix. I gave up on praxair, are there 2 praxair locations in the valley, or I wonder if management changed?

[dandimand]

not sure what your paying but i pay 4.00 per month for demurrage 20 for large oxygen and 45 for either argon or 75/25 large bottles.

[Coalsmoke]

my 100cu ft tri mix is $60/year, which works out to $5/month, and $75/year on each 245cu ft oxy, an oxy fill is $38 (IIRC) and about $55 for the 100 cu ft fill of tri mix. I didn't shop around when I got the mig gas, but I did all my looking for the big oxygen bottles, as I use them the most.

[dandimand]

your getting hosed even from boc i was getting much better pricing than that but there rates jumped a bit plus there service sucked hence the change. I used to pay 16.00 for a large oxygen from boc and 45.00 for mig mix and argon these are the really big bottles at least 5' hi .

[Coalsmoke]

your getting hosed even from boc i was getting much better pricing than that but there rates jumped a bit plus there service sucked hence the change. I used to pay 16.00 for a large oxygen from boc and 45.00 for mig mix and argon these are the really big bottles at least 5' hi .

Dan, call Boc, tell them you want pricing for an account in which you'll be in their fisrt bracket (something like under 6000 per year in gases, call praxair, BOC, and call air liquide. air liquide came up the cheapest by far. peoples' rates have gone up, WAY up in the last 10 years. such is the way of life man.

[1fasbu]

Pass the gass

Gasses are quite the rip off in my mind. We're a dealer and it's ridiculus what some companies pay in bottle charges.
Coalsmoke: school is good, by the time I get a degree I should be stupid like some of the engineers I know ! Congrats on getting the truck mobile . How does the truck handle the weight?

[HAWK]

I know it's all different in the Southern US. In TN I pay an upfront $150 charge for a 5 year lease on my 300+ CF tanks. That works out to $30/year! For fills I pay $21 for a 300CFH for argon or a 92%argon/8%CO2 mix. I pay next to nothing for UHP+He at $69 per 300CF. I only use C25 in a 40CF and they cost $11 to fill.

Gas is a strange critter. Lots of dealers really gouge worse than a carbon rod if you let them. It's a great source of income for them.

[Paul Seaman]

HAWK is right the greatest margin of profit for welding supplies is in the compressed gasses.

[OldSparks]

For fills I pay $21 for a 300CFH for argon

Gas is a strange critter. Lots of dealers really gouge worse than a carbon rod if you let them. It's a great source of income for them.

Never realized such variance. Last argon fill was $124 (can.) for 329 cu.ft.....with service charges and taxes it was $145 (can.) total. Not looking for sympathy...just ouch.

[Coalsmoke]

Gasses are quite the rip off in my mind. We're a dealer and it's ridiculus what some companies pay in bottle charges.
Coalsmoke: school is good, by the time I get a degree I should be stupid like some of the engineers I know ! Congrats on getting the truck mobile . How does the truck handle the weight?

Nah, you'll stay smart, just remember your roots and keep it practical and applicable Thanks for the congrats on the truck, it handles the weight well. I'm really glad I have the Cummins in it. I just find myself thinking more in terms of "freight train" as opposed to "race car." It is heavier than expected though, but not too bad.

[Coalsmoke]

not sure what your paying but i pay 4.00 per month for demurrage 20 for large oxygen and 45 for either argon or 75/25 large bottles.

sorry, but what is "demurrage"? Are you saying you are paying $20/month to lease you oxygen bottles, or did I misunderstand? I was looking again at what you're saying you are paying but the costs on your end seem off the charts.

BTW, how's that new hot rod coming along?

[dandimand]

45 a year for demurrage which is rental and 20 for ox fill and 45 for either argon on mig mix for fill .car is coming back to shop tomorrow from upholstery shop i was supposed to do some mobile welding tomorrow but welding on the side of the queensboro bridge is not my cup of tea if your intr ill pass the info on to you but i think they need tickets though .its just welding guard railing but you have to wear a harness on a plank and this just isnt what im into .

[Coalsmoke]

45 a year for demurrage which is rental and 20 for ox fill and 45 for either argon on mig mix for fill .car is coming back to shop tomorrow from upholstery shop i was supposed to do some mobile welding tomorrow but welding on the side of the queensboro bridge is not my cup of tea if your intr ill pass the info on to you but i think they need tickets though .its just welding guard railing but you have to wear a harness on a plank and this just isnt what im into .

Thanks for teh offer on the contact, but I'll pass on the bridge work. Being 3 stories up welding on buildings is enough thrills for me, I'll stay clear of "over-the-side" bridge work for the time being, plus, its not covered by insurance, soooooo.... It seems from talking to a few new contacts / potential clients that the forestry and heavy equip. industry should keep me busy, my old contacts are currently worth their weight in gold, but it will be interesting to see how things pan out.

If I may ask, how big are your oxy bottles. Mine are about 5' x 10"round. If yours are compreble in size, I'll call Praxair again and ask them what's going on. Still, I know from when I was shopping around Air Liquide came up the cheapest by 10%, and they are the closest, so I'm not expecting any great improveent in rates. Maybe if I sent my bottles down to Tn. for refilling. It would seem that us northerners are getting gouged across the board. Still, in the big picture, if I pay 38 or 48 for 245cu ft of oxygen, it won't cause me to go into a screaming fit That oxygen goes a long ways, long enough that it should be well spread out over a decent profit, and I'm saving a lot with propane, so it balances. Life is often what a person makes it.