Want to buy my own tank but have some Q?

[spabula]

I just bought a brand new Faber LP steel 108 for $200 with a DIN valve. I like it better then an AL 80. It is much better diving with a drysuit on with this tank.

 

[crpntr133]

Personally if I was going to go steel I would go LP or PST and not have to wonder if I was going to get a full fill. Several of my DB's have HP steels and the fill issue is major with them. With my AL-80 I have never gotten a short fill. Most are 3,000-3,200 range.
Someplaces charge morefor a HP fill..$3-$5. Don't know if that is the norm but I have seen several LDS that charge more.

 

[O'Malley]

...been following this thread beacuse I was undecided...steel vs. aluminum; in the end, it was steel...picked up 2 PST E7-100's this afternoon!

 

[offroaddiver]

One of the questionswhen I was considering buying a tank was the difference between renting a tank and getting a fill (money wise). There are some places that charge per fill *not a cubic foot charge and others that charge by cubic foot. I have borrowed a friend's tank and used it down to 500 psi then used his air tool adapter to blow out my gear and help dry out the wet suit and then filled it. It cost me around 4$ extra for the cubic foot fill than the LDS charges per tank.

 

[spectrum]

One of the questionswhen I was considering buying a tank was the difference between renting a tank and getting a fill (money wise). There are some places that charge per fill *not a cubic foot charge and others that charge by cubic foot. I have borrowed a friend's tank and used it down to 500 psi then used his air tool adapter to blow out my gear and help dry out the wet suit and then filled it. It cost me around 4$ extra for the cubic foot fill than the LDS charges per tank.

$4 extra because you took it down below 500 PSI or whatever that means in CF for the unspecified tank?

What are they getting for a "standard" filll?

$4 is about the going rate for any air fill around here.

Pete

 

[mossym]

Personally if I was going to go steel I would go LP or PST and not have to wonder if I was going to get a full fill. Several of my DB's have HP steels and the fill issue is major with them. With my AL-80 I have never gotten a short fill. Most are 3,000-3,200 range.
.

even witrh 3200 in an e7100 you're getting more than 90cft of gas...and thats on a short fill...i'd take that over an al80 anyday, then throw in the bouyancy characteristics and i'm sold...

if your buddies are consistenly getting short fills, there must be a shop around you somewhere that can fill them...

and OT, but this was my 1000 post!!!

 

[scubapro50]

I can remember the days when you purchased a tank from a local dive shop and got an air card for 25 free air fills ..... this was a great idea because the shop owner keep the customers comming back and it gave us a chance to sell or upgrade the diver into new gear or offer a deal on a great dive trip.

 

[Locus]

Personally if I was going to go steel I would go LP or PST and not have to wonder if I was going to get a full fill.

First off, thanks to Scubapro50 for necro'ing this thread right when I'm trying to get educated about buying steel tanks.

crpntr133, what did you mean about preferring PST tanks? How would that assure you that you get a good fill? I'm looking at a used PST HP 120 right now with recent vis and hydro for $200. Think it's a good buy? I'll have to get my regs converted to DIN to use it, but I was probably going to do that anyway.

 

[Ghanguss]

One advantage of an Alum tank is they don't rust. My older steel tank (20 yr old) is about to be retired due to rust.

I have an Al80 that is older and is still going strong.

I recently bought two new steel tanks and both are showing rust stains around the neck after 2 months use. (I soak them in fw after each use)

I like my steels but the rust thing is something I need to watch closely now.

 

[Diesel00]

I just bought a 2nd steel tank. The first time I used an AL tank I ended up floating to the top of the surface on a shore dive. I bought a steel right after that. My one steel is 5 years old and has no rust yet. The other I just bought a week ago and am using it this weekend. They are Fabers which are powder coated.