Are these tanks worth it? 1986 & 1988 vintage aluminum Luxfers

[douglasvb]

I have the opportunity to pick up three aluminum 92's and am trying to determine if there is any reason such as bad alloy, etc, that I shouldn't get these tanks.

The tank markings are:

dot3al3200-s92 us7301Luxfer 4^88
dot3al3200-s92 us7289Luxfer 4^88
dot3al3200-s92 us2449Luxfer 7^86

They have been VIP'ed in the last month and hydro'ed in '06 and '07. They're full of air and have K valves.

According to this site the tanks are made with Luxfer 6351 aluminum alloy.

The guy wants $350 for all three tanks.

What do you all think? Worth it?

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Scuba Toys sells them brand new for $149.95 each and you get 10% off or 14.99 which makes them $134.96 and they have a pretty good shipping deal. Since they are new you wouldn't have to worry about rebuilding the valves in them any time soon and you would have a couple more years on before you need another hydro

Aluminum 80 Tank, Scuba Tanks, Luxfer, Aluminum 80 Tank

So new is 404.88 plus shipping.

 

[Debraw]

You can get 3 brand new tanks for just $100 more plus shipping, so maybe $160 more. 20 years old. Luxfer does not have a lifetime warranty. 20 year old tanks is to old for me. My first two tanks are approaching 10 years old and I am seriously considering purchasing new ones. If you still want to save the $160 or so dollars ask the guy if the valves have ever been rebuilt. It would be terrible if the burst disc blew on you and you had to spend up to $50 a valve to get them rebuilt. Also you have no guarantee on how he treated those tanks. He may have over filled them every chance he got. This makes the aluminum not last as long. Eventually, they could fail hydro. How much will you think you have saved when the hydro fails a few years from now or the next vis you discover a crack, or ding, or corrosion that was not there before or had gotten worse. Check with your local LDS, maybe they can work out a deal with you. I use to give free air fills to people who bought tanks from me.


Scuba Tanks, Aluminum 80's, Pony Bottles, Spare Air Bottles, Steel Cylinders

The above is my opinion and should not be taken as fact, it's just my opinion.

 

[piikki]

I would absolutely not buy those tanks but that's me.
Too expensive.

ups I edited the rest of the response into the black hole.... oh never mind

 

[Puffer Fish]

I would not buy them, even at a lower price... many places will not fill them.. some only if they VIP them... not worth the hassle.

Just look for tank deals, and you can get almost new ones for that price.

 

[mike_s]

According to this site the tanks are made with Luxfer 6351 aluminum alloy.

that line you posted right there is reason enough not to buy them, even for $20 each, (unless the valves are new and you want the valves)


You will have a hard time finding shops fill 6351 alloy tanks.

20+ year old tanks like that are not worth anything.

 

[Rickg]

Does anyone know if there is any recycle value for Luxfer 6351 aluminum alloy in CA?

 

[tc]

The 6351 alloy tanks now require an eddy current test each time they are hydro'ed.

This is to detect potential cracks in the necks that have developed in a few tanks made from this particular alloy over time with sustained loads.

There are a lot of local places that will not fill them anymore.

I'd keep looking, why pay top dollar for tanks that you may have trouble getting filled?

 

[pasley]

dot3al3200-s92 us7301Luxfer 4^88
dot3al3200-s92 us7289Luxfer 4^88
dot3al3200-s92 us2449Luxfer 7^86
Ah, the joys of sustained load cracking. These are suspect alloy and some shops are refusing to fill the tanks in Floridia and California (Sports Chalet for example is reluctant to fill these). Back in 2006 when Luxfer was doing a buyback program they were worth $50.00 each, but that program is now over.
Scrap metal value is approximately $28 to $32 per tank.

I would say he is a tad overpriced, by several hundred dollars. 3 brand new AL80's at SC would run you less.

 

[douglasvb]

Well, you all convinced me that I should keep looking for the right deal on tanks. I'll pass up these 92's. In case anyone else wants them, here is the link to the craigslist ad. NOTE: Link removed for the moment. PM me if you want it.

I just wish it were easier to find inexpensive tanks. Being a poor grad student makes it difficult to justify the expense of a new tank!

Thanks for your advice and opinions!