welding gas prices

upnover

upnover

Grumpy, decrepit Old Man
Moderator
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Morganton NC
Just wondering what you guys are paying??
I had been using Pioneer welding supply in Marion. Kewl place, good guys, good prices. I had been paying $22 bucks for my tank. went yesterday and they charged me $50???
No longer Pioneer, now it's National Welding supply.
So, I had no choice but to pay if I wanted to weld this weekend, but as I told him, I will be seeking another supplier.
Not sure of tank size, it's about 4 foot tall.
Just wondering what you other welders are paying. Oh I own my tanks, just swap out when I need gas
25/75 mix
 
the 75-25 mix is a good combo but it will be a little cheaper on if you go to a 85-15 Co2-argon or even cheaper to change your wire to a dual shield flux core & run straight Co2 as far as torches I pay about $20 for a 60 cu oxy & I use propane for fuel it's real cheap I'll go trhu about 180 cu of oxy to 1 gas grill sizt tank of propane
 
on my job I deal with national welders quite a bit I couldn't tell ya what the price on a 60 cubic foot bottle because we will get 200 & larger but I do know that Co2 is your cheapest shielding gas & the more of it in a mix the cheaper the price
 
Flux core wire is about 2x the price of regular wire though. I normally pay around $25-29 for a 160 size bottle (probably what you have Chip), from Machine and Welding. Nat'l welders is local as well, but their prices are HIGH.

Off topic, but while we are talking about welding and prices, I recently bought two spools of MIG wire, one for a guy at work, and one for me. His was $71 for a 35 lb. spool of .030. Mine was $43 for a 35 lb spool of .035. He said next time he is getting .035 just for the $$$ savings. He does alot of bodywork, which is the reason he uses .030.
 
good point your correct on the flux core prices
 
but flux core wire leaves ugly welds and splatter :(


i pay $25 for my 40CF tank of UniMix (red tank) from National Welders.... plus tax and their stupid fees.... which takes me to almost exactly $30 even.

i thought that was normal.... guess i'm going to seak another supplier as well
 
try the esab 7100ultra with straight Co2 I think you will find it's alot different than the self shielding flux core
 
My bought tank (don't recall the size, but is about 30" bottom-below vavle) is $10-$15/fill for C25 from Linde...
OTOH, my dayjob does about $150k/year with them for other gases (laboratory grade stuff), so I do get a wee discount! ;)
 
upnover said:
Just wondering what you guys are paying??
I had been using Pioneer welding supply in Marion. Kewl place, good guys, good prices. I had been paying $22 bucks for my tank. went yesterday and they charged me $50???
No longer Pioneer, now it's National Welding supply.
So, I had no choice but to pay if I wanted to weld this weekend, but as I told him, I will be seeking another supplier.
Not sure of tank size, it's about 4 foot tall.
Just wondering what you other welders are paying. Oh I own my tanks, just swap out when I need gas
25/75 mix
Click to expand...

That sucks to hear, those guys were pretty cool and knew pretty much everything that is welding. You could ask for 5 lb's of tig filler and they would pull out the exact amount.

Anyway, have you tried the thoroughbred tank exchange at northern/tractor supply? They've actually always had better prices and much better availability (open nights and weekends) than pioneer...just in hickory.
 
national welder is buying up everyone. It sucks, cause their prices are rediculous. $50 is not bad, its more here in Raleigh.
 
I bought a new welder last year. The bottle of Unimix (75/25) I had was for my old 110v, it wasn't very big about 18" tall. Didn't take long to use it up. And of coarse I was in the middle of a project on Saturday evening when it runs out. So I robbed the 20# CO2 bottle from my rig that I use for airing tires. I had to swap the fitting to the regulator also. I've been using straight CO2 for a while now. I get a bit more spatter and the weld seems hotter. I picked up another 20# bottle that someone had left at the dump center. It has National Welders on the top and the valve seemed alright. I'm thinking of using it to swap back to Argon/CO2. I just had the CO2 filled for $22.
 

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When ever I fill mine at N. Welders and they come out with some high price, I just tell them I normaly don't pay that much and they change the price. Same with wire, most places like that will come off the price if you ask. My 160 tank is about $25 and 33lb spool is about $30.
 
I thought they might change to a lower price too. I had sent my son up there to get it for me, so I wasn't there. I called. He just said that's what we charge. No lowering the price, just didn't care.
 
i think i have the same size bottle as u but i get mine at tractor supply or nothern tool its about $32 and u can get it 7 days a week
 
On my owned (not rented)120 cuf 75/25 unimix at Mckinney in Asheville $43.00 to refill .

but I've gotten to know a salesperson a Nat'l since my shop buys from them and he claimes he'll beat that price buy $10 if I buy from them.and they'll fill my Mckinney tank. (duh..ok)
 
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