Nearly new 30-year-old tanks?

[Compressor]

Take a picture of the numbers stamped on the tank and post here.
You will get a definitive answer. @rhwestfall gave you a succinct answer plus a few others like @Scared Silly.

BTW: Hydro/VIP should cost about $35 to $45 so figure that in the cost. You can buy conditional that the tanks pass hydro.

 

[runsongas]

I went and looked at the tanks today. Sadly, they are all Luxfers made in 1988 and 89. I passed.

just fyi, the phase out for S80s was January 1988

Dates when Luxfer changed its aluminum alloy from 6351 to 6061

 

[CycleCat]

just fyi, the phase out for S80s was January 1988

Dates when Luxfer changed its aluminum alloy from 6351 to 6061

Well, you're right. I went in there with '90 in my head, not '88. I actually miss-typed that last post. They were 87 and 88. I could go look again. I know some were 87. Maybe the 88's were OK.

 

[Scared Silly]

Well, you're right. I went in there with '90 in my head, not '88. I actually miss-typed that last post. They were 87 and 88. I could go look again. I know some were 87. Maybe the 88's were OK.

As many dive shops use 1990 as the arbitrary cut off date I would probably not bother given they are all Luxfer. Your local shop might be fine with filling AL6351 cylinders or even AL6061 cylinders made in the 1980s but then if you travel to another location that shop might not. So no fills.

BTW: Hydro/VIP should cost about $35 to $45 so figure that in the cost. You can buy conditional that the tanks pass hydro.

Though/As the cylinders have not been used for some time the cost that I might add in is the cost of a valve rebuild. $15-$20 including parts.

For the OP the take-a-way is that while the initial cost of each cylinder may be low the additional costs to make them usable can add up to the point where buying a newer Al cylinder with less age related issues is a better deal.

 

[Bob DBF]

As many dive shops use 1990 as the arbitrary cut off date I would probably not bother given they are all Luxfer. Your local shop might be fine with filling AL6351 cylinders or even AL6061 cylinders made in the 1980s but then if you travel to another location that shop might not. So no fills.



Though/As the cylinders have not been used for some time the cost that I might add in is the cost of a valve rebuild. $15-$20 including parts.

For the OP the take-a-way is that while the initial cost of each cylinder may be low the additional costs to make them usable can add up to the point where buying a newer Al cylinder with less age related issues is a better deal.

Another point to add, is length of ownership, I like to buy for the long run, buying a tank with a known defect that could have the tank taken out of service at any VIP or hydro is not a good buy. Even though I used a pair for 25 years, and the shops here will fill them, I retired mine when I found a good deal on some new Als. I'm not afraid of them, any more than any other scuba bomb I own, but they cost too much to own and are near the end of their life.