I feel like a tank pauper, having only one al 80 and an al 72 (share with my daughter).
Does anyone have thoughts on buying used tanks?
Does anyone have thoughts on buying used tanks?
Do you have your own tank?
- Thread starter diverkim
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david.tolan
Contributor
At my LDS, one of the instructors is in charge of the air. He's got lots of letters after his name to do with Chemistry from his life before he became a dive instructor.
He's REAL proud of the air quality, especially as he points out, he uses _WAY_ more air from their compressor than anyone else.
As far as I remember in Ireland there are certificates when a compressor passes inspection. It's worth asking to see these when getting fills.
Bad air can ruin a lot more that your tank.
Dave
Yes I own two HP120 tanks, only because it is difficult if not impossible to rent anything other than AL80s and a love air. I have two for two tank boat dives. I dont think it makes sense to buy AL80 tanks unless you have your own compressor. You can rent them for less and even if you own them, you have to take them by a fill station anyway, whats the point?
MadReefer
Guest
I have only rented AL80s. My daughter, 12yo, dives AL 67s as does my wife. We are all going to get our own tanks next month. primarily due to wanting to round out our gear, but also to save bucks in the long run when diving fw. We dive as a family about 20 weekends a year and 5 bucks a day per tank racks up quickly. plus, we have had experiences where tanks smaller than AL80s were not available at dive locations that are shall we say...out of the main stream.
jmtcw
Mad
jmtcw
Mad
caymaniac
Contributor
I've one Al80, and 3 steel72's, my oldest tank is over 22 yrs old and has a T valve, the other 2 Steels are J valve. I usaully use one of my steel tanks and lend my Al80 to my dive buddies because they use air faster than I do.
Dive Safe,
Caymaniac
Dive Safe,
Caymaniac
notabob
Contributor
I say go for it, but use common sense. Tanks, especially steels, are normally very tough and tend to last decades if you take care of them. Have the tanks visualed by an LDS before you buy them, if they pass and are in hydro - go for it. If you buy them over the internet (i.e. through eBay), get some sort of an assurance from the seller (although that may not be worth much) that you can return them if they fail a visual as soon as you receive them. That way you're only out the cost of shipping.
-Roman.
Tanks will last for decades if:
They are not over-filled on a regular basis.
They are kept dry, this applies to steel more than it does for aluminum.
Regular over-fills will destroy a tank in 10 years or less, depending on the level of the over-fill pressure. I dive with a friend who fills his LP steel 90 to 3100 psi (212 bar). They are listed at 2450 psi (169 bar). Sure, it gives him more air, and sure they will handle the pressure and not fail as they are "guaranteed" to withstand up to 4000 psi (275 bar). But in 10 years his tanks will most likely fail a hydro test and he know this and is willing to except this cost.
The choice is yours ultimately. Do you want to buy tanks that will be disposed of in 10 to 15 years, or resold if and when you no longer dive.
The only way I would buy used, is if they were returnable for a full refund if they failed a hydro test, or have been tested and passed a within the last 2 years. The only exception to this is if the person selling the tanks is known to myself or some with whom I can trust. Too many "deals" on eBay I fear will only turn out to be junk. Besides, a brand new shiny AL80 with valve is only $200.00 cdn, so used tanks are just is not worth it.
They are not over-filled on a regular basis.
They are kept dry, this applies to steel more than it does for aluminum.
Regular over-fills will destroy a tank in 10 years or less, depending on the level of the over-fill pressure. I dive with a friend who fills his LP steel 90 to 3100 psi (212 bar). They are listed at 2450 psi (169 bar). Sure, it gives him more air, and sure they will handle the pressure and not fail as they are "guaranteed" to withstand up to 4000 psi (275 bar). But in 10 years his tanks will most likely fail a hydro test and he know this and is willing to except this cost.
The choice is yours ultimately. Do you want to buy tanks that will be disposed of in 10 to 15 years, or resold if and when you no longer dive.
The only way I would buy used, is if they were returnable for a full refund if they failed a hydro test, or have been tested and passed a within the last 2 years. The only exception to this is if the person selling the tanks is known to myself or some with whom I can trust. Too many "deals" on eBay I fear will only turn out to be junk. Besides, a brand new shiny AL80 with valve is only $200.00 cdn, so used tanks are just is not worth it.
otter-cat
Guest
I've got two steel HP 100's which are used. They were given to me by the owner of my LDS in return for my assistance as DM in all of his OW classes.
Because my tanks came from the LDS, even though they were used, I knew they were OK, because I had seen the owner do the visual inspection himself, and could see for myself that the hydro dates were (are) current.
If you want to buy a used tank, definitely have someone at your LDS do a visual inspection on it, before you buy it, even if it has a current VIP sticker.
If you are considering buying a used tank on ebay (or other non-local source) have the seller email you pictures of the tank that show the serial number, the hydro dates, and a VIP sticker. If you buy it, you still want to get at least a new visual inspection before you use it!
Properly cared for, steel tanks can literally last decades. I'm not sure of the life span of aluminum tanks, but with proper care, they too, will last many years.
Because my tanks came from the LDS, even though they were used, I knew they were OK, because I had seen the owner do the visual inspection himself, and could see for myself that the hydro dates were (are) current.
If you want to buy a used tank, definitely have someone at your LDS do a visual inspection on it, before you buy it, even if it has a current VIP sticker.
If you are considering buying a used tank on ebay (or other non-local source) have the seller email you pictures of the tank that show the serial number, the hydro dates, and a VIP sticker. If you buy it, you still want to get at least a new visual inspection before you use it!
Properly cared for, steel tanks can literally last decades. I'm not sure of the life span of aluminum tanks, but with proper care, they too, will last many years.
sdexcalibur
Guest
At 15 a pop to rent a tank it could get costly. I ended up buying a al 80 3000 psi. Bought it used from the dive shop for 80 dollars. I wanted a steel but at 299.00 I'll stick with this for now.
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