Tank purchase

[PADI Knight]

Was playing around on Ebay today not planning to bid on anythin just looking and happened on a steel 72 2250 with last visual August 05 and Hydro October 04. Seeing a low bid of $23.99 I said "what the hey I'll see what it goes up to when I submit the next bid". Well had to make a couple of submissions to see what the "top" bid was for and at $26.49 I found out. I though hmm well there's no way in gods blue ocean that I'd ever get a steel tank with current inspections for $26.49 so I went about looking around at other interesting items.

Before I logged off I was curious to see what the final bid was as I knew there was no way a steel 72 would go for $27.00 and to my surprise I won the darn thing for $26.49 shipping will be $32.72 so I will have a tank for $59.21. Called my LDS and spoke to the owner who was floored I was just in there this past weekend and we were talking about tanks. He said he'd be glad to fill it as soon as I get it in.

So is this a deal or what? :10:

 

[oxyhacker]

Depends on the color.

So is this a deal or what? :10:

 

[PADI Knight]

I think it's multi colored looks like someone painted over the orginal yellow with a blue since the blue is scraped off in areas. Still with current inspections seems unusual from most ebay scuba items I've looked at. They're hardly ever current on service.

 

[jumbo]

did it come with a mesh tank protector, if not what a steal, no pun inteded. I have picked some steel 72's for ten bucks at a garage sale.

 

[Scottri]

It's a good deal unless it has that stupid epoxy liner it in.

 

[PADI Knight]

[/IMG]

Here's the tank.

 

[PerroneFord]

I thought about bidding on it.. but then I decided by the time I got it cleaned up, I could have just BOUGHT a tank.. and I want 95s or 104/108s anyway.

Good luck with it.

 

[PADI Knight]

I mainly dive at a local quarry last dive all day about 7 or 8 dive had 1800 left so a S79should do me fine here. You said "by the time I got it cleaned up, I could have just BOUGHT a tank" Sanding priming and painting isn't costly for me I like doing the work and have the equipment I would need. It looks like its been painted once anyway so once it comes in and I talk to the LDS again to see if they'll fill it if I repaint it a nice underwater visable color.

 

[Creed]

You can sometimes score a real deal on older 72's from ebay. I bid $5 on one that supposedly had an epoxy lining(it was actually some sort of paint. Scary what some guys would breathe from). With $18 shipping, I came out with a tank and valve for $23. Then, using parts I had laying around, I built a tumbler, and tumbled it for a few hours with some rocks and spent brass shells, then washed the interior out. Had it hyro'd and vip'd for $25. Less than $50 for a working cylinder. Tech said that the inside looked wonderful. Plus, when I was dropping it off for hydro, the tech mentioned that he had a 72. I picked it up, with a hydro and vip included, for another $50. They both work like champs, although the boot on the dive shop one is loose, and I normally ditch it when I get the tank on. But don't count on getting lucky everytime. I almost bid on another 72 not too long ago, and noticed an red spot on the neck. It turned out it was a deep rusty gouge. So, don't bid so much that you will be screaming when it fails a hydro/vip.
I recently picked up an old USD manifold off of ebay, and will probably be hunting down another set of 72's to make a set of doubles. Being short, they fit better than 80's.

 

[dpbishop]

I've had 3 aluminum tanks crump on me this fall; one was a luxfer of the wrong alloy, the other two failed visual. One of those was my newest tank. My steel 72, which my brother bought new @1970, is still working fine. Take care of it and it will last a lifetime.