Talk to a local gas supplier.

You do NOT want to actually own the bottles.

They require periodic pressure testing and re-certification.

Most places will waive the demurrage charges (monthly rental) if you pay a few hundred per cylinder.

They will then allow you to simply exchange the cylinders for filled ones.

They technically still own the cylinders, and have to perform the testing and certification as needed.

If you get an old cylinder you may find it cannot be filled without being certified.

A friend who 'saved money' by getting a very large acetylene cylinder used it for over 5 years before needing a fill.

It was so far out of data he had to pay extra charges to even exchange the cylinder.

I trade mine about every 2 years empty or full to stay in the good graces of my gas supplier.

I have to disagree with much of the above advice.....

I feel very qualified for comment, I own a Welding Supply Company and have been selling these products since the late 70's. I have through the years been a distributor for Air Products, Liquid Carbonics, Air Gas, BOC, and Puritan Bennett.

I sell to small individual customers, and commercial accounts from one man operations through large corporate accounts. I sell in Pa, Md, Va, Washington D.C., Delaware.
We sell most gasses, and all cylinder sizes.

Purchasing your cylinders is your best overall deal, many companies try to not sell you cylinders but try and talk you into renting, either monthly, yearly or a longer term lease.......First in doing this, they lock you into them, it is their cylinders, you are their captive customer.

2nd They are making lots of money from you on these charges, the prices of the long term lease for example more than covers their cost to purchase the cylinders

If you renew your lease, it is 100% profit, if you turn your cylinders back in and end your lease, they have the cylinders to lease again to someone else

As far as testing on the cylinders, their are two general categories of test for high pressure cylinders, 5 year and 10 year test cycles, and if the cylinder qualifies for a 10% overfill. The format for a retest marking is: Month Facility  Year  Plus Rating  Star Stamp.
The + symbol indicates that the cylinder qualifies for 10% overfill. Â A Star Stamp indicates that the cylinder meets the requirements for 10-year retest, instead of a 5-year retest. Acetylene cylinders generally do not require periodic retesting, unless a problem develops with the cylinder.

Testing charges vary I have seen retail pricing from 20.00 to 50.00 for the retest, or more........So if you had to pay a test charge once in a blue moon, it would still be much cheaper than cylinder rental , or lease charges (and as it is your own cylinder you have the freedom to go to any supplier you wish for your product***)

For our customers that purchase cylinders from us, we generally exchange empty for full (Unless the customer wants to keep the exact cylinder they purchased)
If the cylinder is sized correctly for the customer and their needs, We usually see the customer at least once a year (Some much more often , others a little less often)

Volume users turning once a month or more, seldom if ever get charged any rental, or have to take leases, they are just paying for product used.

If they are a regular customer, we maintain cylinders and do not charge for the retests, how ever if the customer wishes to keep the exact cylinder they purchased, or If they are an extreme slow turner seeing them once in five or more years, then we do charge for a retest. Our current test charge is about 30.00

*** A side note on suppliers.
Some companies will only deal in certain sized cylinders for non commercial customers. Some places will only rent or lease and will not deal in sold type cylinders. If you find this is a stores policy, remember they are wanting to lock you into them as a customer, through the money you tie up in rent or lease charges.....My personal store, we sell cylinders and hope our customer service and care as well as reasonable pricing helps assure the customer will return, we feel no need to contractually bind them to us.

Yes Please talk with your local gas supplier, how ever, if they try to talk you into lease or rental of cylinders, I would suggest looking for a different supplier

To the above poster, you say, "I trade mine about every 2 years empty or full to stay in the good graces of my gas supplier."
No disrespect, this is silly practice on your part. You are trying to preach about the money saving doing it your way and yet you are willing to turn in partially full cylinders, to stay in good graces with your supplier.

Of course they will love this it is money ahead for them, getting money from you before it is time! There is no reason to do this, none what so ever! If it is something you actually do, You are only throwing dollars away with this practice.

I was young when I started my business, I actually had a competitor come and visit me, and put his arm on my shoulder as if he was trying to give me fatherly advice, he stated the virtues of not selling cylinders, instead offering leases......I politely let him speak, when he was done I said, I do not feel a need to lock my customers in with this kind of practice, I like to give them free choice, I think you can do it your way, I will continue to do it mine! (The guy never paid me another "friendly visit")

I wish you were in my area, I would help you out.

Talk to local welding supplies
You can get cylinders off Craig's List, BUT
Make sure you have a supplier that will work with you and fill them/exchange them before you pull the trigger and spend your money!
Some will be very willing to work with foreign to their system cylinders, others will not.

I own two oxygen and two acetylene bottles purchased over 10 years ago from different private parties. I have never had any trouble bringing them to the local gas supplier for exchanges.

Robert

"To the above poster, you say, "I trade mine about every 2 years empty or full to stay in the good graces of my gas supplier."
No disrespect, this is silly practice on your part. You are trying to preach about the money saving doing it your way and yet you are willing to turn in partially full cylinders, to stay in good graces with your supplier. "

Congrats on how you run your business.

That is not how it operates in many areas.

If you check in to Federal law, you will find out that even 'buying' a gas cylinder is not actually allowed (it would be illegal to refill it without testing every time).

Since my 'purchased' cylinders cost about $100 a pop paying $50 for a required pressure test would be a significant bill.

You are 'buying' a demurage waiver (rental charges) not the cylinder itself.

That is not how it operates in many areas.
If you check in to Federal law, you will find out that even 'buying' a gas cylinder is not actually allowed (it would be illegal to refill it without testing every time).
Since my 'purchased' cylinders cost about $100 a pop paying $50 for a required pressure test would be a significant bill. You are 'buying' a demurage waiver (rental charges) not the cylinder itself.

You Sir are wrong and uniformed.
Someone has really conned you
Again I have worked with Air Products Inc, Liquid Carbonics, BOC, and Air Gas. I am very well versed with legality concerning sales and distribution of these products.

Your in absolute error with your information. Cylinders can be legally sold outright and are done each day through out the globe. Personally Our company sells products in Pa, Md, Va, W Va, Ohio, as well as Washington DC.

I have had customers that have come to us from other states, moving to this area and they had documentation of their cylinder purchases, we were able to honor these sales and work with them.

We follow government regulations including DOT policies.
You may choose to make uniformed statements, But it is what I do for a living, my company takes the rules and regulations very seriously as it is our living.

Cylinders do not require testing for each fill if they are private ownership. The still follow standard rules 5 year test if no star, 10 year test if a star follows the test date.

As far as quoting this is not how it works in many areas,
If you buy into what a supplier wishes to tell you to make a sale , Do as you wish, but I encourage people to shop smarter.....You can own your own cylinders, It is legal and for many a much smarter way to spend your dollars instead of renting. Do research you can and will find my words are true.....Oh BTW if someone quoted you 50.00 a pop for hydrostatic testing, they are robbing you silly
I charge less than half that retail..