al100 tanks

[SephirothQ]

This is a bit of an afterthought since I have already bought them. I was wondering how well or how poorly I did. I bought a pair of al 100 luxfer cylinders and an al 30 luxfer pony bottle for $190. They are dated 1 90, 4 90 , and 8 90 respectively. They were hydroed in 8 96. they are out of hydro and visual. They don't look to have been used much. The 100's have boots on them and the pony has a bracket on it. All the tanks have sherwood 5000 valves. I will probably have an extra $150 getting the tank current. so how did I do? I read that you guys here have a love/hate relationship with al100 tanks. Some lov ethem others hate them. I have a large size frame. 6'1" 220 lbs. So i think i can handle the extra weight. I know the first think someone will say is that I should have bought steel tanks instead but money is an issue right now. I just bought a bunch of other gear as far as a BC, wetsuit, computer, regulator, etc.

 

[JohnB47]

When money is an issue, aluminum tanks make cents.

 

[SephirothQ]

I would have liked to gotten a pair of steel 100's instead but I can't buy one for the price that i paid for the three. This way i figure i can get a few dives in with the pair of AL100's and have an al 30 pony that i can figure into my gear a while later.

 

[redacted]

They should be great tanks as long as you can avoid the few shops that may not want to fill such an old Al tank for whatever excuse strikes their fancy. And, so long as the industry does not decide to blackball all Al tanks over 20 Y/O, you should be able to get back what you put in them on an upgrade to steel when you are ready.

 

[a22shady]

For the price as long as they pass hydro is a good deal. IMO I would save for a set or Worthington X-7HP100 as they have better in weight characteristics then the alum. tanks they are I think 1.2lbs lighter overall and are not positive at the end of the dive. and Will/should atlast the aluminums

 

[spectrum]

Hey, they are what they are. Once recommissioned you'll have a few decent capacity cylinders for a reasonable price. They are beasts but if you have the stature to deal with them you're good to go. As was also mentioned, there are shops that have unfounded aversions to 20 year old cylinders so beware.

Pete

 

[halocline]

I'm on the hate side for the AL100, but hopefully you'll have a better time with them. You could double them for the all time heaviest and floatiest doubles known to mankind. You can use the 30 as an O2 bottle to suck on after carrying the doubles from your car to the boat or shore. Doesn't that sound like fun?

 

[deepstops]

I'm on the hate side for the AL100, but hopefully you'll have a better time with them. You could double them for the all time heaviest and floatiest doubles known to mankind. You can use the 30 as an O2 bottle to suck on after carrying the doubles from your car to the boat or shore. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Much like a boat, the two best days of ownership is the day you buy them and the day you sell them.

 

[Scared Silly]

For std al80 $100 each in hydro would be top dollar. For an al30 also $100 in hydro. But being that old and condition dependent you are probably looking at a bit less. Being that old and out of hydro $150 would been more reasonable, not withstanding being Al100s and the pony bracket.

Suggestion, take the cylinder to the local hydro shop yourself. Around here I pay under $25 for a hydro. I think a vis would be around $15. You might save $10 or so by not having the dive shop arrange for the hydro.

 

[SephirothQ]

I dropped off the tanks at the LDS the other day. $37 for a hyrdo per tank for the al100, and $32 for the hydro on the pony and $12 for a visual inspection per tank.
Total cost so far
$341