Best Place for Argon Gas for MIG welding.

[marshman]

For years we have had an account with BOC as we had Oxy - Acetylene and Argoshield bottles. Just had a letter saying their prices are going up again. We no longer use the Oxy Acetylene - well used it twice in the last 12 months, and the Argoshield lasts a fair time depending on what projects are on the go (bottle size X approx 19kg). BOC operate a rental scheme on the bottles which in round numbers is £100 per year per bottle !! plus the cost of a refill. OUCH. The current 3 year renewal is up in January and we are returning the oxy - acetylene - can't justify £200 per year just to have it sitting there. I also want to ditch the Argoshield and go elsewhere, £100 a year rental on the bottle is too much.

Anyone know a more economical alternative - I would like an Argoshield equivalent ( Argon/CO2/O2 mix) in a similar sized bottle.

Thanks

Roger

[new to this]

Roger

i had the same thing with BOC,i now use Barnet Welding Gas 01727 568017

Dave

[marshman]

Roger

i had the same thing with BOC,i now use Barnet Welding Gas 01727 568017

Dave

Thanks Dave, they look good, shame I am outside their delivery area. Would consider collecting, but St Albans is a bit far for me - on top of the fuel for the car there would be a £4 Dartford Crossing surcharge!! Their prices look quite good though - and they do Acetylene - at a price!

Roger

[Bumpa]

I use Adams Gas https://www.adamsgas.co.uk/ They seem to have stockists in lots of places and also send bottles by courier. I have found them to be no problem here in SW Scotland. BOC rental is much too much for the home hobby welder.

[geeksteve]

I use these guys https://www.sgsgases.co.uk/ - one-off 6ish quid i think for the bottle then just pay for refills.

[Matt Cotton]

Hi Roger. I used

https://hobbyweld.co.uk/

Seemed very reasonable and they have many branches in the UK.

Regards MC

[marshman]

Thanks chaps, will make a few calls to to the "local" stockists tomorrow to check prices/availability. More choice than I thought. We have had an account with BOC for around 40 years - everytime the 3 yearly charge comes up we say we'll look at it then forget!! Not this time though! Just goes to show the power of "inertia" once you have signed up for something it is easy just to carry on

[Carledo]

Another vote for Hobbyweld, I too had an account for many years with BOC, till I got fed up with the extortionate standing charge. Also the fact that they charged for delivery, even though I had to drive a 25 mile round trip to collect it from my nearest agent (now closed)

Hobbyweld have agents all over the country, don't have a standing charge and refill prices are reasonable. Works for me!

Steve

[cliftyhanger]

Another vote for Hobbyweld, I too had an account for many years with BOC, till I got fed up with the extortionate standing charge. Also the fact that they charged for delivery, even though I had to drive a 25 mile round trip to collect it from my nearest agent (now closed)

Hobbyweld have agents all over the country, don't have a standing charge and refill prices are reasonable. Works for me!

Steve

My local Hobbyweld stockist has shut, so about 20 miles (though friend lives there, so not a real issue)
Other word of warning, KEEP THE PAERWORK SAFE. When I went to change cylinders, it was a right faff as teh original supplier had recorded it as a cash sale. Luckily, the missus found the paperwork carefully filed by me (unusual!) so sorted. But they won't exchange without the receipt or account details. Or so it seems. Now I tuck the receipt in teh mesh stuff on the bottle, won't get lost too easily

[Bumpa]

As an aside, I find it amusing that Clive thinks 20 miles is rather far away. I was of the same mindset when I lived in the south-east, but after 40 years in SW Scotland I would consider a 20 mile journey for a bottle of gas a local trip. Actually for me its nearer 30 miles each way, but still pretty local.

[cliftyhanger]

As an aside, I find it amusing that Clive thinks 20 miles is rather far away. I was of the same mindset when I lived in the south-east, but after 40 years in SW Scotland I would consider a 20 mile journey for a bottle of gas a local trip. Actually for me its nearer 30 miles each way, but still pretty local.

Nah, it is just that the first 2 bottles were in town, but 3rd time place had shut. Still on the hobbyweld site though, so maybe it was just temporary. Be odd to have a city without an outlet. But there you go.
And I do drive a fair bit, in a normal year probably 18-20k. And I don't have a real job

[TrustNo1]

i've just switched to using 'Hobbyweld' gas, a local firm delivered for free.

Bonus being that there is no monthly rent to pay on the bottles, just a one of 'buy' the bottle and then pay for refills or swaps. if you ever give up using gas they will buy the bottle back.

[Carledo]

I've not had a problem with paperwork with 2 bottle changes so far. I'm only using the skinny 9litre bottle these days as I don't do that much welding any more. But a friend today has taken on a Hobbyweld bottle, £70 to "buy" the bottle and £42 a refill (prices are going up, my bottle only cost £35 a couple of years ago and my last refill back in February was only £32 (from the same agent)

Being out in the sticks just the right side of the Welsh border, my nearest agent is around 15 miles away, but that's par for the course around here!

Steve

[sprint95m]

BOC are a supplier of industrial gases.

It was a few years ago that
a friend of mine got a contract to clear scrap from a local power station as part of the decommissioning.
He was buying lorry loads of gas on each purchase.
A cylinder of oxygen could last as little as eight minutes.....




Ian

[cleverusername]

I use Hobbyweld and I have never had any problems with refills, using two different stockists. I just bring in the empty and they give me a replacement, no questions asked. it is blatantly obvious it is one of their bottles. Maybe we are more relaxed about these things up north?

Frankly I don't understand why anyone uses BOC, their rental charges sound like another example of ripoff Britain.