Buying HP Steel Tanks - New vs. Used/Old

[Bob01]

I am in the market of getting some HP Steel Tanks....

Recently I did a spur of the moment (ok...impulse) winning bid on a tank on ebay. From doing some research it seemed I made a good buy...providing the tank is good.

(You can see it here http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7175491281)

When I got it I found it out to be actually 100cf

Assuming the LDS finds everything good with the tank on the VIP - My concern is, was this a good thing for me to win this tank? the total cost of the tank will be $156 (tank, shipping & VIP), not to mention a DIN converter for my regulator ($70). In the end I would like to have a matching pair of tanks. - That would require me to find another older style 3500psi 100cf tank.

Would I have been better off, holding off and buying the new HP tanks that are comming out that work with the standard yoke? Steel tanks are suppose to last "forever" providing they are well taken care of? - so this shouldnt really be a variable?

 

[spectrum]

My first concern is that, "I will ship full of air" , 3500 PSI no less. You are obviously dealing with someone who does no know what he's doing or dosen't care.

With an 01 hydro you are back in the shop next season. Add to the cost and risk.

Not knowing the history the insides are an unkown.

A new tank would come with a DIN/Yoke valve suitable to use with a 230 BAR (3442 PSI) yoke if you are so equipped and choose to dive that configuration. Those tanks are out now, including the PST E series and the new Worthington/SeaPearles cylinders.

The odds of finding a sister are slim.

If you were willing to buy as a 90 CF then how about 80 CF? The E7-80 is selling for just about $200 give or take a few bucks depending on the supplier. It's brand new, Hot dipped galvanized and has the DIN/Yoke valve.

All in all for the risk, cost and compatability I would have passed on this cylinder.

Pete

 

[Bob01]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for the reply.
Well I just picked up the tank from the VIP, and it passed ok. With the points you bring up, Im kinda considering selling off this tank...

However with the newer tanks it seems they are rated to 3442 PSI or so with a 10% overfill - What is the likelyhood of a steel tank not being approved for an overfill after its 1st, 2nd, etc hydros? The older style tanks rated for 3500 PSI dont have this issue? What will be the going price for the new HP 100cf tanks?

 

[Dave in PA]

The new E- series tanks from PST and Worthington are rated for 3442 straight up, no '+' required to fill to that pressure. The '+' rating for 10% overfills were for low pressure steels, not high pressure, IIRC. The new HP steel 100 cf tanks seem to be going around $350 each. I just scanned ebay, and there is a doubled pair of Genesis 80s on right now.

 

[hex92]

If you want a matched pair of steel tanks go to techdivinglimited.com. Under specials they are closing out the Faber LP 95s @ $175 each. They come with the pro valve (so they can be DIN or yoke.

They also have HP tanks on sale too. But they have DIN only valves so you would still need to buy an adapter.

IF you decide to buy from TDL let em know I sent ya (send me a PM for my info). Apparently the owner is offering an unspecified prize for those who refer folks to buy these tanks.

 

[Wayward Son]

Larry at scubatoys has good prices on his site for E7 tanks, & Larry gives a discount for SB members if you call him to make the order & ask for it.

Diver's Direct also has good prices on them & last I looked they had free shipping on orders over $250, so that could save some cash. It may well come down to who actually has the ones you want in stock.

The service pressure is 3442, they are NOT rated for a + over fill of anything. Shops should not over fill these tanks.

http://www.diversdirect.com/

 

[spectrum]

Remember to factor shipping if you order a tank. Also some places ship them with the valve removed and thus without a VIP that you'll end up buying locally. Usually I have had VIP and first fill comlimentary on a locally bought cylinder. Some shops even throw in an air card! Just give the locals a chance and see what happens.

Pete

 

[Bob01]

Thank you everyone for your input

What disadvantages would there be if I got one of the new Steel tanks to pair up with the steel 100 I have right now? One will have a 300 Bar DIN connector, the other with a 232 Bar DIN connector. They seem to be around the same size & weight. I dont think I will go doubles.

I stopped by my LDS and they just got the new steel 100s for a total of $340 (including tax), $386 at diversdirect (including taxes)

TechDivingUnlimited.com has HP 100 tanks for $250 (tank + shipping), add $17 for VIP, if they ship the tank with the valve removed...
My question on this tank is that its rated at 3498 with its 10% overfill, does anyone have experience with doing a hydro on a steel tank such as this and it not passing its "+10%" option? What would be the likelyhood of this happening?

- On some side notes they have the 120cf version for 10 bucks more - seems like a really good deal? What disadvantages are their to using DIN vs yoke? It seems DIN is a better design? Besides the higher chance of getting water in the tank during a wet fill & the bother of converting my reg back to a yoke when I go to locations w/o my tanks, what else is there? Would you stick to yoke? My LDS already ordered the DIN converter for my reg, so Im stuck with it....

 

[spectrum]

Thank you everyone for your input

What disadvantages would there be if I got one of the new Steel tanks to pair up with the steel 100 I have right now? One will have a 300 Bar DIN connector, the other with a 232 Bar DIN connector. They seem to be around the same size & weight. I dont think I will go doubles.

As long as you regulator has a 300 BAR connector you should be able to run it into either valve. Without knowing the exact ID of these cylinders you may find that you still have two different weight requirements. It's quite possible that it won't matter. Judging by your profile doubles can probably wait. Learn to get all you can out of singles for now.

I stopped by my LDS and they just got the new steel 100s for a total of $340 (including tax), $386 at diversdirect (including taxes)

TechDivingUnlimited.com has HP 100 tanks for $250 (tank + shipping), add $17 for VIP, if they ship the tank with the valve removed...
My question on this tank is that its rated at 3498 with its 10% overfill, does anyone have experience with doing a hydro on a steel tank such as this and it not passing its "+10%" option? What would be the likelyhood of this happening?

Again I'm not familliar with the + rated cylinder in this range. Having manufactureres and models would be a big help. In general the + rating does not last forever and in some cases hydro shops cannot or will not test to it.

- On some side notes they have the 120cf version for 10 bucks more - seems like a really good deal? What disadvantages are their to using DIN vs yoke? It seems DIN is a better design? Besides the higher chance of getting water in the tank during a wet fill & the bother of converting my reg back to a yoke when I go to locations w/o my tanks, what else is there? Would you stick to yoke? My LDS already ordered the DIN converter for my reg, so Im stuck with it....

The DIN connector is a more positive connection and captures the O-ring better for less chance of a blow-out. You are dealing with a threaded run-in so cleanliness of the valve and adapter are critical. As mentioned you will need to adapt to travel, rent or borrow a yoke valved cyllinder. You can't mount the DIN regulator backwards. The DIN connector is esentially a swivel and there is a static seal in the assembly. If you twist the connector the wrong way it is possible to loosen the swivel assembly and have the static seal get loose and fail. The DIN connector is not perfect but I consider it supperior to a Yoke, especially when using HP cylinders. We went DIN for my rig and my wifes. If you stay yoke make sure that it is rated for the pressure it will be subject to, many are not rated for HP. I'm not aware of the greater risk during a wet fill.

Pete

 

[Bob01]

The tanks I was talking about in my last post

LDS - Worthington 100 CF 3442PSI
DiversDirect - PST 100 CF 3442PSI
TechDivingLimited - Faber 100 CF 3180 psi (3498 with the +10%)
http://66.225.239.89/~scuba/tdl/nst...id=653&zenid=ec50415ad9dae6ba04f22a9850fa8668

It sounds like that +10% thing sounds like it might not be worth the bother?

As for the greater risk of getting water in the tank from a wet fill with a DIN, I remember reading somewhere that with the physical shape of the DIN connector it allows it to hold water (in the event some water splashes up to the DIN from the water tank) - when the filler connects the whip & fills, it then forces that water into the tank.