I seem to recall a 40 cu ft oxygen cylinder as costing around $75 to
$100. I upgraded from a 40 cu ft to a 72 cu ft, and recall $75 or so
for the upgrade. I am still using the "B" size acetylene bottle, but
will probably eventually move up to the next size. The bottles are apt
to cost as much as the torch-regulator-hose setup.
With the small difference in price between filling a small bottle vs. a
larger one, the small bottles are not economical to use, if you use much
gas. This is particularly true of oxygen, where it only costs pennies
more to fill a large bottle vs. a small bottle. Of course, if your
usage is only occasional, the price per cu ft may not matter that much.
To me, the smaller cylinders (under 40 cu ft) are mostly if you want to
carry them up stairs, etc. Most people chain their bottles on carts
(cost $20 and up), so they can wheel them to the work painlessly and
relatively safely. Bottles over 80 cu ft size are generally rented, and
also very heavy to carry, so typically not practical for the small user.
I suggest you look for the following information:
1. Cost to buy a cylinder.
2. Cu ft of gas it holds.
3. Cost to fill the cylinder.
When you have that information, you can probably make a good decision.
Be sure to get a size that your local gas supplier keeps in stock, so
you can quickly and conveniently get a refil (exchange) when you need one.
If you are going to cut more than occasionally, get an oxygen bottle
that is bigger than the acetylene bottle. Otherwise the same size
bottle works out well.
Richard
Eli the Bearded wrote:
In rec.crafts.metalworking,
Don Foreman wrote:
I would recommend going with a 20 cu ft acetylene and 40 cu ft oxy.
The cost isn't much different and they cost about the same to fill so
your gas cost goes way down and you don't have to get them filled as
often. It doesn't take long to deplete an MC acetylene even with
light torchwork. They're a little heavy to "tote" both at once, but
they're very easy to handle on a small two-wheel dolly.
I've seen those kits availble with and without the cylinders. So
you'd recommend I get one without the cylinders and get bigger ones?
I haven't found prices for cylinders online. My local gas supplier
would probably be praxair and I can't find any prices on their site,
nor even what cylinder sizes they would have. Maybe I'll have to
stop by the store.
Elijah
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likes to know exactly what to get before entering the store
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