Worthington or Faber steel tanks?

[rileymartin]

Is there any difference in reliability between the worthington and faber HP steel tanks? Are either more or less prone to rusting/pitting? Can one hold up to overfilling better than the other?

Thanks,

Riley

 

[spectrum]

The simple elegance of hot dipped galvanize (Worthington) is hard to beat. The Faber finish does good.

Some Faber models are much more negative.

Pete

 

[Scott L]

The simple elegance of hot dipped galvanize (Worthington) is hard to beat. The Faber finish does good.

Some Faber models are much more negative.

Pete

+1...

 

[Chugwhump]

I own 1 faber 149, 2 Worthington 130's, and two PST 130's steel tanks.
The faber is kind of a pain as I do not want to chip up/scratch/gouge/scrape the epoxy paint.
The galvanized tanks when rinsed and wiped with fresh water are about bulletproof.
The Faber gets a little more tlc.
My best trim when diving is with the faber 149.

They are all huge tanks.

Chug
Hope this helped in some way.

 

[Crush]

(Sorry for hijacking)

I live in Canada. I'd love to buy some Worthington HP tanks (made in Canada), but the Faber are paradoxically cheaper from many on-line shops, even when you consider shipping.

Are there any economical vendors of Worthington HP tanks in the North, or does such a thing not exist?

 

[Scared Silly]

While many like the HDG of Worthington at the end of the day what it came down to for me was the form factor of the cylinders. The dry weight and buoyancy characteristic gave the Fabers the edge over the Worthingtons for my diving. Of course when I got a deal on two used ones that did not hurt my feelings any either.

 

[belairbrian]

I have been plagued by this same question for months. But I pulled the trigger today. Went with the Worthingtons. I talked with several owners of both and concluded they both will hold up about the same if properly cared for.

So it came down to price plus shipping ( no local source for either). Dolphin Scuba started a 3 day sale and the 80's I wanted are $239.97 plus shipping. But from CA to AL is $70.

I called Divers supply in GA and they matched the price but only $20 shipping for the pair. Already got the shipping notice. BTW they ship with a VIP sticker and minimum air pressure.

 

[a22shady]

When I was shopping for HP100's and going over all the info/Stats on the tanks Worthington X-7 HP100 were best for me. They had the best weight/buyancy characteristics of all the tanks and being lighter then the other "not by much" would help once I go to doubles.

As far as realiability I don't think either is that more realiable then the other. The faber would chip quicker due to the painted outside but they have a special "ZINC" coating on the inside of the tank that helps it not to rust. But the worthington are Hot dip galvanized so it makes them resistant also. Each have there uniqueness about them either tank If taken care of will last a very long time.

 

[Leadking]

When I was shopping for HP100's and going over all the info/Stats on the tanks Worthington X-7 HP100 were best for me. They had the best weight/buyancy characteristics of all the tanks and being lighter then the other "not by much" would help once I go to doubles.

As far as realiability I don't think either is that more realiable then the other. The faber would chip quicker due to the painted outside but they have a special "ZINC" coating on the inside of the tank that helps it not to rust. But the worthington are Hot dip galvanized so it makes them resistant also. Each have there uniqueness about them either tank If taken care of will last a very long time.

Faber cylinders do not have a "ZINC" coating on the inside, they have a phosphate finish (iron phosphate)

Both are good quality cylinders. The Worthington's should be hydro'd by a facility that understands that galvanized cylinders need a slightly different protocol.

 

[oxyhacker]

The iron phosphate is, I am told, not a big deal - it is actually just a fortuitous side effect of the cleaning process the tank undergoes, and probably isn't going to have much long term effect anyway.

I have a real prejudice in favor of hot dip galvanization, but you just don't hear of the sort of problems at hydro time with HP Fabers as have haunted the HP PSTs. When the Worthington HPs first came out I asked a Worthington rep if they would require the special "rounding out" procedure the PSTs did, and he told me they did not, and hinted that there was something a bit sketchy about the PSTs, that they did need it. So it is somewhat ironic that Worthington has changed its mind, and has me wondering if maybe there is some inherent problem with galvanization and the steel alloy used in exemption tanks.

Not that I would avoid Worthingtons for this reason. Make sure the hydro shop does the rounding out, and the tanks should outlast you. And hot dip is hard to beat for exterior durability.

Leadking, you know a heck of a lot about tanks and especially Worthingtons. I'd be interested in your comments on the above.

Faber cylinders do not have a "ZINC" coating on the inside, they have a phosphate finish (iron phosphate)

Both are good quality cylinders. The Worthington's should be hydro'd by a facility that understands that galvanized cylinders need a slightly different protocol.