"Cheaper" oxy-acetylene

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by d2dave

Last week I started the process of ridding myself the burden of BOC.

I ran out of mig gas so I took it back to BOC, politely told them they can stick their rented bottle where the sun don't shine,
then almost directly across the road went to Bunnings and picked up my rent free bottle.

Now just can't wait for my oxy and acetylene to run out

---

I simply can't afford them. I understand BOC gasses is obviously commercially aimed business. Commercial customers simply include bottle rental as a part of doing business.

Now take your average DIY type person. If I have a oxy set in tiny "D" sized, a shielding gas bottle for the MIG... and say a bottle of nitrogen for gassing accumulators and testing A/C systems.

Even if I don't use them, not even once in the year.... I'm looking at about $200 a year per bottle ... just to have them sitting there. The is $800 a year for bottle rental. Which is obviously insane.

My fix was to forget the oxy set. return the shielding bottle of gas and tell them to stick it where the sun don't shine quite a few years back. You see a local welding place in town started stocking tiny exchange bottle. The gas price is large. But I've found I only use a bottle a year .... So instantly saved $200 a year by returning the bottle.

It was such a hit, the couldn't keep enough bottles in stock. People were happier to drive hundreds of kms to exchange there bottle than pay the staggering amounts the BOC wanted for bottle rental.

Refrigeration, I grabbed a bottle of Hychill -30 .... once again, I own the bottle. No rental.

Rental costs absolutely crippled the DIY type person. Returning the bottles as soon as you do any small task ... yes will save on rental. However, you have used 0.05% of the gas of an oxy set that probably just cost you $150 to buy ..... to return it within a month .... absolute insanity.

Anyway, I'll ask around town and see if anyone does nitrogen where you can own the bottle. IF not, I will actually take up BOC on there offer.

seeya,
Shane L.

Wow ... take your BOC bottles back even if they are still full.

Coregas "Trade n Go" Size D Acetylene Gas | Bunnings Warehouse

CHeck this out .... $100 for a D sized bottle from bunnings, the oxy is $70 bucks. You will be paying $400 a year is rental alone for these oxy bottle sets bottle from BOC. :o :o :o :o

This is the only reason for the BOC offer, it's no longer a captive market where they can screw us over in every possible way.

EVERYONE GIVING BOC $400 a year just so they can use there oxy set ................. FREE BOTTLE RENTAL AT YOUR LOCAL BUNNINGS STORE !!!!

The deposit on the bottles is a few hundred dollars, but that's it - hang onto the bottle for 5 years then take it back - and still get your money back.

It doesn't just work for small customers either - our company has recently switched to Coregas on a national deal - we gave them a deposit based on expected volumes (which we know quite well) then only ever pay for the gas refills now - the gas is marginally more expensive than before, but the beancounters in our corporate office have still calcualted a huge saving for the company going forward.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Homestar

The deposit on the bottles is a few hundred dollars, but that's it - hang onto the bottle for 5 years then take it back - and still get your money back.

It doesn't just work for small customers either - our company has recently switched to Coregas on a national deal - we gave them a deposit based on expected volumes (which we know quite well) then only ever pay for the gas refills now - the gas is marginally more expensive than before, but the beancounters in our corporate office have still calcualted a huge saving for the company going forward.

---

Yes, there is the deposit, but as you said, it's refundable. The $600 everyone is "donating" to BOC use the oxy set and mig welder isn't though :)

$600 every single year, buys a **** load of (refundable) bottle deposits !

I was looking at speedygas about 3years ago. And worked out it was cheaper to courier a MIGshield bottle down from Sydney.... A BIG one, if it last me 3years, I could throw it to the tip, and it was cheaper than renting from BOC gasses the same cylinder for 3 years :o

But now we all have ready access to rent free bottles transport and free. Yes, FREE, you don't ahve to buy the bottle. As you are given your $$$ back when you return it :banana: :banana: :banana:


seeya,
Shane L.

Hey all you lot are in Victoria. does this work in Queensland as well?.
I got rid of the acetelene and use propane but still have a D oxy and a D mig gas that I havent used in over 12 months..

So what's the deposit Shane?
How many years would you, on average, sit on a D size oxy and acetylene set?
What are you using it for, exactly? (Cutting, heating, welding, brazing, flame hardening, metal spray transfer?)

I'm failing to compute your definition of 'a **** load' given the reference to your $600 per year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by scarry

Bunnings have a system for oxy & acet bottles,only for the 'D' size.

The system has only just started in Brisbane,may have been in other areas previously.

There is no rental,a deposit on each bottle of $200,then the cost of the gas.You keep the bottle as long as you want.Return the empty bottle and get your deposit back or take another and only pay for the gas.

The volume in the bottle is slightly more than the volume in the BOC bottles.Gas price very similar to BOC,slightly cheaper.

We have a couple of Coregas bottles now,as it is called and will gradually change the 8 we have over to Coregas.

Slightly over one years rental from BOC equals the deposits we will pay on the 8 bottles.

Convenience for us is another reason we will go the core gas way,Bunnings are everywhere,where the BOC branches and subbranches are getting less and less.

---

All old news guys,we have been using the system for over 12 months,no issues at all,except the pressure relief valve blew on an oxy bottle in one of the vans once.

Back to Bunnings and they swapped it over at no cost.

We have no BOC bottles anymore.

The other thing about Bunnings is they are open 7 days:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

So what's the deposit Shane?
How many years would you, on average, sit on a D size oxy and acetylene set?
What are you using it for, exactly? (Cutting, heating, welding, brazing, flame hardening, metal spray transfer?)

I'm failing to compute your definition of 'a **** load' given the reference to your $600 per year.

---

I'd say about a year for each bottle. I don't have an oxy set.... You havne't been able to give them away for the last 10years ... 'cos no-one could afford the bottle rental. 1 mig gas, 1 oxy == $600 a year rental.... even if you only use them 1/2 dozen times a year.

oxy sets are brilliant, cutting, heating to shrink metal, burning bushes out etc, etc, etc... just like a welder and lathe you wonder how you ever did without one.

I have intended for quite a few year to go oxy/lpg. The problem is first it would be $500 for a decent LPG setup with cutting tiips.... And I'd still be looking at $200 a year rental for the oxygen bottle (with the shielding gas bottle, were back to $400 a year). There isn't a snowmans chance in hell that would happen. Every month my wife cracked the ****s when the rental for the shielding gas bottle rolled in ( especially if I had a nitrogen bottle at the same time ... so was doubling up).

This may sound like nothing to you, so you can't understand the issue. Think from the perspective of someone that does all there own work ( paying someone else just means it won't be done). single wage earners with 3 young kids don't have a single cent to throw away each year, let alone $600 a year rental..... for nothing. Gas prices aren't included in that remember... That $600 is just to have the bottles sitting there.

A once off bottle deposit... you might be able to go 1/4's with a few mates on the bottle deposit (eg: $400 deposit for two bottles). But every single year, paying the same $400 out ....... Yeah right. All our wives would demand they are returned immediately. Actually, I'm going to do that ... I could easily scare up 1/2 dozen mates that would kill for access to a oxy set...

seeya,
Shane L.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

I was just returning a nitrogen bottle again to BOC Gasses, I did my whinge I always do about there crazy rental prices.... When the guy says "Hang on " ... pulls out a printout. "We can now do a deal, the "D" sized nitrogen is now $70 a year with two free refills in the first year... then one a year afterwards".

So basically $70 a year with a freebie gas fill thrown in. To put this into perspective. The bottle I just rented. I think I grabbed it last December:

-- $65.00 ( ~~ ) for the bottle of nitrogen
-- $17'ish a month for rental.

So that bottle has already cost me $150 to have here.

This deal also goes for welding gasses and shielding gasses. I just tried to find the link on there website, but it doesn't exist.

So guys, if you reckon you would use about 1 bottle a year of gas. It's basically rent free to grab a bottle of gas for your mig/sphere regasser/oxy set now. I'm guessing they will only offer this if you return a bottle and say "No I'm not paying rental" and don't swap it. If you just swap your existing bottle, they won't say ****, 'cos obviously they still have your business and will charge you ~$17 +++ a month ... for each bottle as always.

seeya
Shane L.

---

Thanx for this post, I just got back from BOC and my Argon expenses have halved. Just ask for the "D-Plan" $165 a year, bottle comes full and 1 more refill in 12 months.

Thanx

Dave

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SouthOz

Thanx for this post, I just got back from BOC and my Argon expenses have halved. Just ask for the "D-Plan" $165 a year, bottle comes full and 1 more refill in 12 months.

Thanx

Dave

---

Yep, brilliant isn't it .... Share it around !! 'Cos they won't :)

seeya
Shane L.