Do you own your own tank just for home use? Cleaning and testing your gear?

[Satrekker]

Pick up a used AL80 for under $100 and fill it. Keep it at home to clean and check gear as well as have an actual tank you can take to a swimming pool locally to get wet and play around a bit and work on some skills. The cost in gas and time for a trip back and forth to your local dive shop to rent and return a tank is probably close to the cost of buying a used tank imo. It is if you value your time, and you're more likely to practice skills in a pool with the convenience of having a tank at home.

 

[fred32176]

I bought an old al 80 with a 1000 psi for $50. I use it when cleaning regulators and lightly inflating my BCD while it dries.
It just went out of vis and hydro, but I don't expect to invest in either until I need it filled - hopefully many cleanings from now.

 

[Joneill]

The major benefit of owning your own tank(s) is being able to go local diving any time you want. No harm in buying your own tank but I honestly don't see much benefit of owning your own tank if likely to only be flying to a place you're likely to rent tanks. Assuming you're keeping your gear properly serviced there's simply no reason to add a need for tank vis and 5 year hydros if not diving locally since should already be rinsing your gear at the conclusion of your diving, as opposed to after the flight home...
(If owning a tank gets you diving locally that would be great though... )

I completely disagree - I have no desire to dive locally (NJ - too cold for me) but own 2 tanks.

I have an Al80 that I use to check gear (for example, I check IP and proper reg function before every trip) and a smaller (6 cu.ft.?) that I use to soak my regs when I get home from a trip. I do rinse everything after my last dive on a trip, but rinse tanks tend to still be a bit “salty/dirty” so I like to do an extended clean soak when I get home.

Dealing with hydro every 5 years is not a big deal for the convenience of being able to monitor/check my gear as needed.

 

[Bob DBF]

I've bought all my tanks to dive, the fact they are hanging around to test gear is handy. If I didn't dive locally, I might pick one up to test with, but more likely I'd move on to another hobby.

 

[L13]

Pick up a used AL80 for under $100 and fill it.

Where do I find a used AL80 for under $100?

 

[spoolin01]

Where do I find a used AL80 for under $100?

Are prices that high now? Just saw a modern Catalina AL80 go for $50 on craigslist SF Bay Area, and another unspecified tank is being offered at $110.

ETA: I see new tanks are crazy-priced. Glad I held onto that AL80 after all.

 

[CT-Rich]

You have all the time in the world to find a cheap tank for testing. Every year someone decides they need to clear out the basement. put it on Craig's list cheap. You can probably eve get one full. Since you aren't planning on breathing it, how long it was in pappy's garage is irrelevant. For your purposes, cheap is good. If it needs to be filled eventually you will get hammered on vis and hydro. Don't buy a an empty tank out of hydro without expecting to pay $50 to get it re-certified. No reason to think their isn't a cheap tank out there for next to nothing, as long as you aren't in a hurry.

 

[spoolin01]

An additional reminder for the AL80s: get the DOT-3AL tank, not the old shunned alloy model.

 

[USdiver1]

I always keep a full tank around, very useful to top off low pressure vehicle tires and wheel barrow tires, blow compressed air into hard to dry areas after washing the car, etc.

Oh yeah, you can go diving too.

 

[fred32176]

I found mine of Facebook marketplace. Wait like a spider and eventually someone will want to get rid of an ugly cylinder for a low price.