Have you checked at your local welding supply store, most have the small tanks complete with a carrying rack/lines/gauges and torch head with brazing and cutting tips as a kit all NEW for right around 300 bones. The small tanks are easy to tote around and cheap to have refilled at a welding supply store. The large tanks are bulky/hard to move and expensive to refill. I guess it is all according to how much you are planning on using the rig. I mainly use mine for AC work (brazing) and it has been over a month of fairly constant use since I swapped the oxy tank (acyt usually lasts for about two tanks oxy) you might want to pickup a extra tank of oxy if using it for flame cutting steel as that uses a lot of extra oxy. If a man were careful he could probably run upon a used set for less thasn 100 bones at some of the farm auctions lots of old farmers use them on farm equipment and stuff they get their supplies at the Farmers COOP don't you know.

I use 'B' size tanks (about 2 feet tall) for oxygen and acetylene (and C)2 and nitrogen also). Typically you use twice as much oxygen as fuel, so I end up swapping the oxygen tank more often, but it is far more portable than the corect F tank.
I can pick up a pair of B tanks, one in each hand, and carry them as needed.

I have B tanks of oxygen.
I can get all those I want (for now).
My doctor prescribed oxygen for me but I won't use it.
But they keep bringing me the tanks.
Wish I could use those for something.

I was thinking of about 30cf tanks.
I mite possibly go with propane and oxygen.
For propane do I just get a tank from the local propane supplier.
or do I have to get a tank from a oxy/acet supplier.

I have O/A torch, regulators, and hoses.
I think I can use these with propane.

If I could use those little B tanks I have
and pick up a tank of propane cheap and use my torches
then I would be setup good for a while.

Pooh Bear

Medical tanks have different fittings than welding tanks.

Ahh, that's what I was wondering about too.
Thanks.

Pooh Bear

I emailed the guy on ebay and asked him if the tanks had ownership papers with them.
He said he only includes a reciept for buying them.

Around here you can't get tanks filled without the papers.
I don't think a reciept is enough but don't really know.

I think I will avoid tanks from this seller.

Pooh Bear

I private individual cannot own compressed gas tanks. When you 'buy' a tank the actual owner is waiving the monthly demurrage (rental) charge. I never have my tanks filled, but exchange then for a filled tank. No one has ever asked for any paperwork. I bring in a tank and walk out with the same size tank full of gas.
'Owning a tank would be a really bad idea. You would be required to have the tank tested periodically to assure it will safely hold rated pressure, and then would need to drop it off and wait for it to be filled.
Pay the waiver fee and exchange the tanks as required.

Around here you can own the tanks.
One company will lease the tanks to you for 10 years.
But then only they will fill the tanks.
If you own the tanks then anyone will "fill" them.
Actually you are just exchanging the tank for a full one.

And nobody will do the exchange without the ownership papers.

I found one company years ago that let me exchange a tank.
I had to sign a form stating I owned the tank.
The company moved since then and I haven't found them.
Don't even remember the name of the company.

I got a neighbor with a set of tanks.
They were given to him by some widow in town.
Her husband had owned the tanks for years and she didn't need them.
But there are no papers on the tanks so they can't be filled.
He told me if I could get them filled I could use them.
I have the torch and hoses and regulators for them.
Would probably have to pay to have them tested.
Used to cost $20 to have a tank hydrostatically tested.

Anyone know how to get papers or otherwise get a tank exchanged.

Pooh Bear

Tanks are color coded for ownership, depending on the supplier. If you do a lot of business with a supplier, you will never pay for a test.

Bill

I found out that TSC will do the exchange without papers.
But the tanks have to be in date.
I will probably end up buying tanks from there.

Pooh Bear

For my use I've found the 70 acetylene, and 90 oxygen, work best. You'll find they fit nicely on an old coke or Pepsi two wheeled cart like they used years ago to set up cases of soft drinks at the store front. Add a couple brackets to hold 25' of hose, couple hooks to hold your striker, goggles, wrench and gloves and your good to go.

Mine is mostly used in place but easily transports when needed. Keep in mind that the valve caps should be installed during transport, never lay a compressed gas cylinder on its side (horizontal) with the regulator installed, and always keep it (them) secured in such a manner so as not to have them knocked over. I also keep them in a corner of the shop so that they are not exposed to the routine traffic area, this helps prevent accidentally hitting them with the various material and equipment that goes in and out of the shop.

As has been stated, the right set of tanks for an individual depends mostly on the individual and intended use, and remember there's always a learning curve, sometimes it curves left sometimes right, and sometimes you go full circle. No matter which you decide to get, there will probably come a time when you wish you had got a plasma cutter, and while an excellent tool, they also have limits.
Speaking of limits, "she who must be obeyed" wants me off this machine so she can check her male, I mean mail.
See ya!!
DED

If you buy an oxy acetylene torch set, what does to cost to get a set of tanks?

Is there a deposit so you can bring them back when done? I wouldn't want to be storing them in my basement.

Pooh, obviously, things are not the same everywhere and you have to go with what applies where you reside.
I bought the set shown below *right* from my 82 year old neighbor whose property backs up to mine. He is having health problems and said that he would never use it again, but had used it in his work for many years. It has a good heavy duty torch and old guages. I used up the oxy and just took the tank to a welding supply locally. They just exchanged tank without any problems, no questions ask. I bought a few other supplies while I was there. When the Acetelyne ran out, I was not completely satisfied with the guage, so I took it in with the tank and ask them to check it. I bought a new guage for it, (they wanted to keep the old one to go in their museum ! ":^) They were very helpful, it was not busy at the time, no problems with the purchase and exchange of the empty tank for a full one however. I bought one additional new big tip for the torch that they said would cut thru very thick metal, so long as you had enough oxy to supply what it needed. I have used it to cut right thru a piece of railroad rail easily, and when heating a thick piece of metal to bend, I had my grandson holding it on the metal while I positioned the pipe that I had slipped over the bar to bend it with, he accidentally tapped the oxygen lever and it gouged a pretty deep hole in the bar. A fraction of a second later and he would have put a hole in it.
The set of tanks came on a small two wheeled cart that was top heavy and a little hard to wrestle around if you got off a paved surface. Necessity is the mother of invention, so I set about coming up with a better way to make it easier to move them around where I wanted to use them. Pictures below, might be a good little project to try with your new welder if it would fit your purposes.
Bill P.

This is both the set of tanks, torch, cart plus my welder on a cart that I made for easy moving and room for tool boxes, which always come in handy. I move it with the trailer jack, or dollie in the picture, which I also made, or I can use a device on the lift on my tractor to hook and lift one end and drag it where ever I want it, but it is easy to move by hand.

With the tanks leaned back like they are in the first picture, it is easy to roll around to where you want it. When you want it stable, just lean the tanks forward, they then sit upright on the ground taking some weight off the front wheels and are very stable that way as hown below. All of this stuff that (except the wheels) I made was made from scrap metal that I bought at the local scrap metal yard @ .10 cents per pound, at the time, they later went to .15. When I painted it, I also color coded the frame/handle that holds the tanks and you push or pull by hand with.

This is a little closer view of the welding cart.

And this shows the trailer dollie a little better. The red and silver receiver above the hook being used, will take a square tube with a hitch ball on it that is high enough to fit into a trailer hitch pretty easily.

I think I will just wait and save up money to buy new tanks.

That look like some great things you have built for your tanks and welder.
I thought acetyline tanks had to stay verticle.

I used to have a dolly like that one under your welder only mine was made of wood.
My welder is too small to need a cart. I can just pick it up and move it.
Someday I will get a bigger welder and it will need a cart.

I still haven't had a chance to practice my welding.
Been too hot here to get out and do anything.
Been too busy with other stuff in the cool evening hours.
I can tell welding is gonna be a winter hobby.

Pooh Bear

I understand Pooh. It is mighty hot and dry here too, and in tinder dry conditions a spark could set off a range fire or forest fire, but I weld on concrete and keep a close eye on things as well. I have not felt like doing much lately, only had it out of the shed a couple of times in the past month or so. I let my son use it a couple of times to weld some pipe together is about all. I have a box fan that I plug in but just do not let it blow directly on where I am welding.
Yeah, I think that Ace tanks should be upright most of the time, but even if they were on a two wheel hand cart like a vast majority of people use, most people would lean them over slightly in order to be able to move the two wheel cart around with the weight on them. I doubt that is quite 45 degrees off vertical. I just can't see anyone trying to tote them around completely verticle. I am confident that leaning them no more than that, and just while transporting them will not cause any problems. At least none that are aparent to me thus far. They are stored in the upright position in "park" I guess you would say. I just added my 0.2 worth thinking that it might be helpful, or interest, or perhaps give an idea that you could use. Just my thoughts.
Bill P.

I think the problem with leaning ace tanks over is the
acetone that is in them. It gets into the regulators
and messes them up. Not sure about this.
But I did read something about it somewhere.

Leaning them over a little bit shouldn't hurt them.
But for transport that is why they should be verticle.

And I always thought it was so if they blew their top it would go straight up.
But oxygen tanks are allowed to be transported on their side.

Pooh Bear

The reason that acetylene tanks should never be laid down when is use is because acetylene is a very unstable gas at pressures greeter than 15psi, which is why your regulator line pressure guage is red at all pressures above 15psi.

Acetylene tanks are filled with acetone to insure the volume of the tank will remain full at all times. The Acetylene is suspended in the liquid acetone. If a tank is laid down while the valve is open a portion of the acetone can leak out leaving a pocket space in the tank. If the regulators or torches are not equipped with backflow preventers there is a risk of high pressure oxygen then feeding back into the void in the acetylene tank and rapidly oxydizing the free acetylene gas in the void and it can cause the tank to explode.

NOTE: Be very careful when buying used oxy-acetylene tanks. The tanks are required to be purged and hydrostatic pressure tested once every 5 yrs. You will see the Hydrotatic test dates stamped into the metal on the top of the tank near the valve base. If you buy a tank that has exceeded the 5 yr limit you will not be able to get that tank filled until you pay for the test. ALSO, Pressure tanks are serial numbered and many compressed gas suppliers lease tanks. Often unscrupulous individuals will steal those tanks and sell them through pawn shops, flea markets or on ebay. Most reputable gas suppliers will not fill or service tanks that are stamped as owned or distributed by another gas supplier unless you can show documented proof of origin from the company who's name is stamped on the tanks. You could even find yourself in a hassle with the law for receiving stolen goods..It simply is not worth all the hassle.

Thanks for the information LazyPup, mine are never laid down except to and from the welding supply for exchange. Both O and A have been exchanged within the past six months without problems. The valve is not open, and guages not on when they are transported that way.
When they are in that cart that I made, they are not laid down, you can see the angle they are leaned at and the valves are closed all that time during moving to and from the shed to the area where I use it. I do have new backflow preventers, and I have not heard it pop when I turned the torch off since I put them on. Consequently, I have felt that it was a safe proceedure. What is your opinion ?
Bill P.

I purchased a used small Port-A-Tote Oxy-Acet outfit today and transported it home with the tanks laying on their side. I didn't know better. I don't know if they are empty or full.

If they have gas in the tanks is their still any danger or will the gas stabalize now that they are upright?

Can I open the cylinders now to check them or should I wait a period of time for them to stabalize?

Help!! Rockerman

Oxygen is a compressed gas therefore the tank can be used in any position.

Acetylene is a compressed gas suspended in acetone. As long as the valves are closed tight and the valve caps are in place the tanks can be transported laying down, but they must be firmly secured in an upright position before opening the valve.

Does it matter what size hoses and light-medium-or heavy duty regulators can be used on any size tanks with the proper adapters as long as they do not leak?

Rick