What are people paying for their welding gas?

I've recently renewed my argon gas bottle, 3 foot high one, and it had me wondering what people are paying - the whole gas bottle business appears simply geared for trade businesses.

I paid 31.43 for the bottle, and also then have to pay 68.50 per year for the bottle hire. Plus an 11 admin charge for bottle changeover.

I've heard stories of bottles going out of side doors, but does anywhere actually cater for the home hobbyist, so that you don't have to get lumped with an annual fee for having the bottle itself?

 

Can't remember how much I pay for refills but I think it was 50 quid for the gas and about 6 quid a month bottle rental, thats with Air Products. I know they were cheaper than BOC when I did some digging previously and I assume it still is as the Wife works for a metal fabrication business and they get all their gases from Air Products.

 

Don't pay for gas. i manage to "borrow" them from work.
There's places mentioned on the mig welding forum that are good for the hobbyist IIRC.

 

I knew of a West London vendor who was happy to let a bottle go for a few drinks. But alas, I think the guy has left now.

Gurds

 

Any links?

 

i got mine from welduk, 90 to buy a full bottle 200bar 10litres, then it will be 40 for refills i think. No rental, no messin about. Its argon mix too

http://www.welduk.com/Details.asp?ProductID=664

 

I always wondered about this, because a few years ago I went to a welding place near Witney and I think I spent something between 100 and 150 (I really cannot remember exactly how much) for the following:

- A bottle, probably a 3' one like yours Chris;
- A new proper regulator to go with it;
- And a fill of CO2.

The bottle has some company name on it and a number to ring if it goes missing (or something like that) but it was just sold to me without mention of rental or anything! Whether I had this bottle legally or not I often question!

Chris, could eBay be a place to look for a bottle?

 

Found these
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=9334
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4527
can't do links properly on my phone.

 

excuse my ignorance, but i always thought you had to have a business to get a gas bottle, good bye halfords, hello a gas bottle supplier! this should save some money.

 

I've always picked mine up at machine mart, halfords when desperate on a Sunday afternoon!
10-15 for a small bottle (0.5 L?) does seem to last a longtime

 

Those small bottles work out a fortune if doing any serious welding.

 

Can't you just use co2 for mig? My mate just got a bottle of beer gas from the pub and uses that.

 

Seems like 100% co2 works with the right wire, if your friendly with your local pub.....

 

CO2 will work, but you'll get better quality welds with the CO2 Argon Mix. I don't really know if it's true, but I've been told in the past that pub CO2 is 'Wet' and for welding you want 'Dry' CO2, and that the 'wet' type would cause more impurities in the weld, and lead to corrosion.

If that's the case, it would be fine for welding up a hack to MOT it for another year or two, but not if you're trying to build or restore a car for the long term.

You need a CO2 Argon mix for stainless welding too.

 

I've used co2, and co2/ar for welding mig

good job I don't do much welding hence not having go though much gas!

 

i pay around 60-70 a year rental then about 30 a refill. miles cheaper than the ****e bottle from halfrauds, i did have to buy a new reg and that when i got it but still miles better.

 

just got mine refilled worked out about 50quid from boc but about 20 of that was admin charge!! think my rental has gone up to about 50-60quid now, its got really expensive in the last few years, the little bottles aint worth a **** and pub co2 leaves you with ****ty horrible welds really got to find a better way of doin it

 

I've just bought a welder with a regulator for big bottles as I didn't want to shell out a tenner each for the little bottles when I've been told that they only have about 3-5 minutes welding time in them!

I thought with co2 you need a heater inline to warm it otherwise it comes out cold and gives crap welds?

A friend of mine has 2 larger co2 and 1 acetylene and his rental for the year has gone up to about 330!