Welding gas supply- Where do you get yours

Sam.

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I just looked up BOC and their prices are fair enough but for a DIY or sporadic welder, they're expensive and not close to the prices of stargas.
rental was around 130 a year for a 20litre bottle and thats just for the standard bottles not even their new vipr bottles which are even more expensive.
That'll probably be normal price, not the hobby deal? Hobby is around £60 for a Y size pure argon and roughly the same again in rental. Though they've added extra charges on the hobby deal recently that make it a bit worse (e.g. a "handling fee" when collecting).
 

-Pete-

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-Pete-
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BOC for a size Y is around £60 rental per year, and a fill of gas is about £60.

Stargas's website are quoting 89 euros for a refill of a slightly lesser quantity of gas, and they're quoting 189 euro up front for the bottle. Not sure if that first price includes the gas or is just the deposit ?

So you'd be on your way for about £120 with BOC, and at least 189 euro for Stargas ?

Whatever way you look at it, BOC is cheaper, and the more you use, the better value it is.

Although if you're a very infrequent user, then yes the likes of Stargas would make sense.

I changed my MIG to Hobbyweld a few years back before BOC had dropped their prices ( or before I found out there were deals available ), but the Hobbyweld is actually really **** value. Last refill I got for the MIG was £57, which for about 1/4 the gas of a BOC bottle is just silly. But as I use very little gas...it'll do for now.

Not actually sure if you get the deposit back on the bottle when you return it to them and stop using it. If they did, it would make a move to Stargas tempting.
see my dilemma is im switching between mig and tig a lot but primarly im on tig so I need pure argon most of the time and it also gets used up a lot more realtively speaking, especially with needing to run pre flow and post flow cycles. I'll need to call them and discuss prices. I was already for moving to full size 47l bottles but I like to 20l or portable work if it arises. Ill need to make some calls but so far it looks like I'll be sticking with the stargas 20l bottles. the rental vs usage is still a bit of a negative for now. I can't guarantee what i'll be using next so it's hard to schedule for pure argon vs argon mix for mig. stargas looks the least offensive option for now anyway.
 

Antoin

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I get mine from Charlie up at NIFEX in Hannahstown.
From memory (got the bottle years ago) its £90 to buy the bottle then £30 (argon/CO2) for a refill or £20/25 (CO2). Filled to 200bar.
Bottle does me ages so id be losing a fortune if i went the BOC rental route.
 

Apis

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I don't see anyone mention Air Products gas. Heard they were cheaper than BOC? Anyone here use them?
 

stevieturbo

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see my dilemma is im switching between mig and tig a lot but primarly im on tig so I need pure argon most of the time and it also gets used up a lot more realtively speaking, especially with needing to run pre flow and post flow cycles. I'll need to call them and discuss prices. I was already for moving to full size 47l bottles but I like to 20l or portable work if it arises. Ill need to make some calls but so far it looks like I'll be sticking with the stargas 20l bottles. the rental vs usage is still a bit of a negative for now. I can't guarantee what i'll be using next so it's hard to schedule for pure argon vs argon mix for mig. stargas looks the least offensive option for now anyway.

I just use the HW for the argonshield equivalent for the MIG, and BOC for the Argon.

I rarely use the MIG...so the HW almost makes sense. I've used a bottle this year, but I'm doing a lot of rust repairs at the minute. That was first bottle I got in about 3 years or so I think. So cost per year is low

But for the TIG, although not a heavy user either, I still feel the BOC makes reasonable sense. Although Stargas isnt bad.
 

Antoin

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I get mine from Charlie up at NIFEX in Hannahstown.
From memory (got the bottle years ago) its £90 to buy the bottle then £30 (argon/CO2) for a refill or £20/25 (CO2). Filled to 200bar.
Bottle does me ages so id be losing a fortune if i went the BOC rental route.

Edit; thats for a waist high bottle for reference.
 

Bryan

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Anyone still with BOC? I've just been looking at my account and the yearly rental is now £79 for the size Y bottle of Argosheild and it costs £88.56 for a refill. I know everything is going up but this is taking the biscuit now.

When I was in with the BOC agent the last time I mentioned that I have a spare bottle. His advice was to get it refilled by somewhere in the hills above Lisburn. Does anyone know any more about this and the costs involved in a refill?
 

carmad.

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Anyone still with BOC? I've just been looking at my account and the yearly rental is now £79 for the size Y bottle of Argosheild and it costs £88.56 for a refill. I know everything is going up but this is taking the biscuit now.

When I was in with the BOC agent the last time I mentioned that I have a spare bottle. His advice was to get it refilled by somewhere in the hills above Lisburn. Does anyone know any more about this and the costs involved in a refill?

i herd there was a place on the glen road in belfast that does red derv and coal ect they also do gas refills

i get mine in fyfes but you have to buy their bottles and no rental fee last one i got full was about £80
 

Nicky

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I made the switch to StarGas from @lightning a brave few years ago now, and can’t complain about the prices of it. Think I paid £70/79 for the bottle 5 years ago and it hasn’t cost me anything other than gas since. I use the Star MIG and have had no problems with the bottle, pressure or quality of the gas.

Looking at buying an AC/DC TIG welder here after doing the SERC TIG course last year, so will likely just go for the StarGas TIG Argon too for simplicity.

@Bryan you shouldn’t be too far from a stockist, if not Denis Wilson’s:
C756406E-7C3D-4EF8-94F6-4FE69E74F63D.jpeg
 

-Pete-

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I made the switch to StarGas from @lightning a brave few years ago now, and can’t complain about the prices of it. Think I paid £70/79 for the bottle 5 years ago and it hasn’t cost me anything other than gas since. I use the Star MIG and have had no problems with the bottle, pressure or quality of the gas.

Looking at buying an AC/DC TIG welder here after doing the SERC TIG course last year, so will likely just go for the StarGas TIG Argon too for simplicity.

@Bryan you shouldn’t be too far from a stockist, if not Denis Wilson’s:
View attachment 391004
@Nicky -PM about a tig welder. I have one as new that i' considering selling with all the accessories and even a bottle of gas etc.
 
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