Used Worthington X8-119 Buying Advice Please

[Locus]

I've found a Worthington HP 119 for sale in my area. Made in 2009. Vis is due in April and hydro expires in September. Seller is asking US$225 obo. What is a fair price for this tank? I almost never see these for sale around here, so I don't know what the going rate is.

Also, I notice some rust near the valve; is this anything to worry about? Looks a bit bright, so I was thinking of asking the seller to vip it before I buy.



I know a lot of divers prefer HP 130's to 119's because the increase in weight is so small relative to the increase in capacity, but I don't have the budget to buy new so I'm working with what's available. Presently I use LP95's for single tank diving and, since I'm already used to this size cylinder, it seems savvy to trade up to a higher capacity if the price is right.

(For those reading this from Florida: I know, my 95's are 130's at 3600psi, but I'm a long way from cave country and nobody will do that here.)

Thanks in advance for any input!

 

[sea_ledford]

You could ask for it to be VIPed first, but I doubt it'll happen.

My general advice on buying used tanks if you can't look in them yourself, is to not pay more than you are willing to lose. With AL 80s that usually means buying new, but steels are a different story.

Looking at my 119's, the ones that haven't been used in a while all have a bit of rust around the neck like that one, but not as much. With steel you can always get them tumbled, and they should be fine. But is adding the cost for VIP, Hydro and tumble worth the savings? Looks like they are only $450 new.

Sorry can't help out with going rate for a used one, but are the in demand around there?

 

[rhwestfall]

Serious searching might lead to better, but you have to decide if it is worth your time, or not finding it in the time that you need. I was fortunate to get 3 new HP100's for $250 each (It could have been less, but it was a CC purcahse)...... Not sure if I will/could do it again..... That being said, I paid $430 each for new HP120's because I needed them, needed them )2 clean, and thus supported my LDS.... YMMV

 

[drinksfromtap]

To give you some reference points, I recently sold a steel Sherwood HP-80 with a brand new hydro and VIP for $170, and it went fast (like, within a day or so) and I got full asking price. A friend who had gotten out of diving gave me that tank, which had sat (pressurized) in a garage since the early 1990s,and it passed VIP and hydro with no issues. I bought a steel, O2 cleaned, Faber HP 120, 3180+ rating with a new (couple months old) hydro and VIP for something like $225 about the same time. I bought and sold both tanks in Florida within the past year.

If you're nervous about the condition, something that might be worth trying is to meet the seller at a shop you trust (and that has suitably capable staff) and pay for the VIP yourself. If it passes, buy the tank and if it fails, you're only out the cost of the VIP.

 

[rhwestfall]

regional, regional, regional...

 

[Scared Silly]

My suggestion would be to offer the asking price based on the cylinder having a new hydro and current vis. There is nothing wrong with getting the requal six months early. If it passes then you are golden, if not the seller has a paper weight. If the seller does not want to that, offer the asking price less the cost of the hydro/vis less another 10% of that for your troubles. With the agreement that if it does not pass monies will be refunded. Otherwise it is crap shoot without looking in it, which I would do given I do inspections so have some idea what to look for.

 

[Locus]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. The seller came down to $225 with a current vis payed for by him prior to the sale. I was going to counter-offer down another $25 (to pay for the hydro), but then just this evening I fell ass-backward into a really good deal on a pair of 100's and I couldn't pass it up, so it looks like my tank budget for the time being has been spent...