Choosing a steel tank to purchase

[rob.mwpropane]

Ditto to what these folks have said. Go with the HP100s. They are the ideal tank for most people especially for cold water. We see them a lot here in FL too. I own 4 HP100s myself.

I'd say if you could take it a step farther get the 100HP 3442 E7 7.25” that @Eric Sedletzky suggested. They have a 3/4" neck so easier to clean, and cheaper to get valves for if you ever decide to double them up. They can take the insert for yoke / din and are galvanized (good for salt).

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I'd say if you could take it a step farther get the 100HP 3442 E7 7.25” that @Eric Sedletzky suggested. They have a 3/4" neck so easier to clean, and cheaper to get valves for if you ever decide to double them up. They can take the insert for yoke / din and are galvanized (good for salt).

Good clarification. When I say HP100 that is exactly what I mean. I pretty much discount the 3500 psi tanks with the narrow necks. You don't want those!

I will also add that you want hot dip galvanized tanks and not painted tanks, especially if you are using them primarily in salt water.

Addition: The only manufacturer for US sale these days is Faber. My X7-100s are Worthington but those are no longer manufactured. You can occasionally find these E7 3442 psi HP100s for sale used from Worthington or PSI, but those are increasingly hard to find. You'd have to claw my 4 worthingtons out of my cold, dead hands to get them!

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Good clarification. When I say HP100 that is exactly what I mean. I pretty much discount the 3500 psi tanks with the narrow necks. You don't want those!

I will also add that you want hot dip galvanized tanks and not painted tanks, especially if you are using them primarily in salt water.

I don't know if that's warranted. They're not bad tanks. I have a few (they can be bought pretty cheap). Diving them you wouldn't notice a difference. If I had a choice I'd go for the 3/4" neck and galvanized, but I clean my own tanks... if I wasn't the one cleaning then I don't think I would care as much.

I bought a set of HP100 doubles that are 3500, but it's fine as they came with the manifold. They are painted, I take them in salt, I'm just a lot more careful about giving them a good rinse. I have asspirations of one day stripping them down and using cold galvanic paint.

I'm just saying they're good tanks, just need to know what you're getting into buying them. If I had all the $ and time in the world and was only buying 1 set, then 3/4" no question.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I don't know if that's warranted. They're not bad tanks. I have a few (they can be bought pretty cheap). Diving them you wouldn't notice a difference. If I had a choice I'd go for the 3/4" neck and galvanized, but I clean my own tanks... if I wasn't the one cleaning then I don't think I would care as much.

I bought a set of HP100 doubles that are 3500, but it's fine as they came with the manifold. They are painted, I take them in salt, I'm just a lot more careful about giving them a good rinse. I have asspirations of one day stripping them down and using cold galvanic paint.

I'm just saying they're good tanks, just need to know what you're getting into buying them. If I had all the $ and time in the world and was only buying 1 set, then 3/4" no question.

They bring a lot of non-standard "baggage" most divers don't want to deal with, me included.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

They bring a lot of non-standard "baggage" most divers don't want to deal with, me included.

100% understood... you can send all 3500psi tanks my way

My last set of 3500 were painted and ugly, $75...for both. Really couldn't pass it up. So after hydro it's $145 for a set of HP100's.

My last set of 3442's HP100's was $350 for the both.

The 3500's are more of a pain to service, but they're worth it if the price is right ($205 in savings).

 

[rddvet]

LP85s and HP 100s are tough to beat. They're generally considered the best all around tank. You can use them for single tank, sm, or bm doubles. Not alot of negatives to them. The only negatives for any tank would be whether your shop will fill them to and above rated pressure. Some people like hp 100s because they're 3442 and therefore are more likely to fill to that pressure as opposed to 85s which often aren't filled much past 3000. In my experience I've found it doesn't matter. Too many OW shops just fill all tanks to 3000 psi

 

[rob.mwpropane]

LP85s and HP 100s are tough to beat. They're generally considered the best all around tank. You can use them for single tank, sm, or bm doubles. Not alot of negatives to them. The only negatives for any tank would be whether your shop will fill them to and above rated pressure. Some people like hp 100s because they're 3442 and therefore are more likely to fill to that pressure as opposed to 85s which often aren't filled much past 3000. In my experience I've found it doesn't matter. Too many OW shops just fill all tanks to 3000 psi

I fill 3442 / 3500 tanks to 3900 and 2650 to 3300. So they become ~ 111's and ~ 105's. I can't tell a difference in the water to how they dive at all. The 85's are slightly longer and might help trim out a little better in SM? (I'm assuming here, I've never dove SM).

Not really directed at you, just for anyone reading at a later time and to the OP;

If you do get 85's try and make sure you get the + rating during hydro, otherwise they get demoted to ~ 77's (@ 2400psi). I've always been told (unless you own a compressor) LP tanks are good for northern FL because you can get cave fills, all other places you're better off with HP tanks because most places have joined the 21st century and can fill to HP levels...just my 2 cents

 

[boulderjohn]

If you do get 85's try and make sure you get the + rating during hydro, otherwise they get demoted to ~ 77's (@ 2400psi). I've always been told (unless you own a compressor) LP tanks are good for northern FL because you can get cave fills, all other places you're better off with HP tanks because most places have joined the 21st century and can fill to HP levels...just my 2 cents

Yes, it depends upon your location.

My LP 85s are routinely filled above their rated capacity, sometimes well above it, and I am not talking about cave country.

In contrast, since I have owned my HP 120s, I have never had them filled to their rated capacity.

 

[rddvet]

I fill 3442 / 3500 tanks to 3900 and 2650 to 3300. So they become ~ 111's and ~ 105's. I can't tell a difference in the water to how they dive at all. The 85's are slightly longer and might help trim out a little better in SM? (I'm assuming here, I've never dove SM).

Not really directed at you, just for anyone reading at a later time and to the OP;

If you do get 85's try and make sure you get the + rating during hydro, otherwise they get demoted to ~ 77's (@ 2400psi). I've always been told (unless you own a compressor) LP tanks are good for northern FL because you can get cave fills, all other places you're better off with HP tanks because most places have joined the 21st century and can fill to HP levels...just my 2 cents

I fill mine at home to 3800. Problem is many ow shops refuse to fill any tank beyond 3000 and often less.

 

[boulderjohn]

I fill mine at home to 3800. Problem is many ow shops refuse to fill any tank beyond 3000 and often less.

Yes. The shop where I get my fills has a governor on their system that shuts down when they have filled to 3200. They have to reset things when I bring HP tanks in, and with their reset, I still don't get a complete fill.