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Thread: Welding gases

  1. #16
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    Nope.... not yet.
    Several others do Argon though. Supagas for example. But you have to buy the bottles....

    AFAIK Bunnings is the only one with this kind of deal in Victoria.
    Cheers,
    Joe
    9"thicknesser/planer, 12" bench saw, 2Hp Dusty, 5/8" Drill press, 10" Makita drop saw, 2Hp Makita outer, the usual power tools and carpentry hand tools...

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  3. #17
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    Do your maths.
    Rent is wasted money but you get the gas at half the price of the "good guys" who sell you a cylinder that only they will refill.
    Rent you can stop and go to someone else, for example BOC charges 190 rent, Airliquid 170. Refill with BOC is 90, with the other mob is 75 ... with speedgas it is 135. Why?
    Because it is just another way of "getting" you. Buy your cylinder if you use less than 3 bottles a year and as soon as you buy them, write to the ACCC and complain that you should be able to get your cylinder refilled by anyone not just that supplier since the cylinder stopped being theirs and is now yours.
    If enough people complain the price of argon should be the same or similar and not double because you are now screwed and have to go only to them.
    Lodge your complaint here
    http://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/complaints-problems
    “We often contradict an opinion for no other reason
    than that we do not like the tone in which it is expressed.”

    Friedrich Nietzsche


  4. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael G View Post
    Most of the plumbing outlets around here will do oxy and acetylene bottles. The one I find hard to get is Argon. Do they do that?

    Michael
    Future Tools, Cormack Road for buy your own argon...and oxy...they were supposed to be getting Acet around this time of the year, but dont know if that has happend as yet

  5. #19
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    Yess this is all very interesting.

    Note that Coregas is owned by Wesfarmers.....who own Bunnings among others.....look at their web site, they have plenty of sites...but they seem to be making big business noises...its another player though......HMM...will bunning run a gass depot at all their stores...hmmmgood question.

    I have not spoken to the power 10 agent to see if they stock at all stores.

    I did speak to the speedgas agent......looking at the price.....if you factor in delivery ( which is "free")..its not so bad.

    For those of us that do not use volume of gas...the rental IS the predominat issue...if you buy the biggest bottle you can deal with that is where the economy is IF you are not paying rent.

    the other real option for the innert gasses like the argon blends is to get a decanting hose.....have your "owned" bottle......when you are getting low and have a project on.....go to one of the thw usual suspects, take home a rented bottle.....decant half ( that is all you can) into your ownned bottle and use the gas in the rented bottle as fast as you can.....from what I understand you get charge no rent if the bottle is returned in under a week.

    Yes I know there are "issues" with decanting...but it can be done reasonably safely with the innert gasses and propery fabricated decanting hose.

    One thing is for sure......we are seeing competition comming to the gas market where there was once a duopoly.....lets see how it plays out.

    cheers
    Any thing with sharp teeth eats meat.
    Most powertools have sharp teeth.
    People are made of meat.
    Abrasives can be just as dangerous as a blade.....and 10 times more painfull.

  6. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by soundman View Post
    I did speak to the speedgas agent......looking at the price.....if you factor in delivery ( which is "free")..its not so bad.
    I don't know about your neck of the woods, but when I priced gas from speedgas a couple of years ago now, their "free" delivery area was relatively small and the rest was a "well, there'd have to be a delivery charge" area. I note that my closest speedgas now has a van running around selling welding supplies, (a lot of low grade knock offs among them so beware and examine closely), door to door. A good service if you don't mind the fact that the one van has an impossibly large territory and you can only catch the rep, maybe once a week, so if you have a breakdown, you better hope it is on the right day. I have come across a few of their forklift gas cylinders that will not seal properly either.
    Overall, I am not a big fan of speedgas, based on what I have experienced personally, but other outlets may have their ducks in a row.
    Competition can only be a good thing though.
    One thing that is sadly lacking from many suppliers is staff that have a decent trade background and actually know what they are talking about rather than simply spruiking the latest propaganda from head office.

  7. #21
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    Well Ive just taken delivery of my G of argon mix.

    The local agent covers quite a bit of area like from the border up to the sunshine coast and west to Toowoomba and works from a rural property way out the back of Ipswich.....

    His free delivery area is quite large and he seems to get round it every week.

    Remember a lot of these guys are agents and some may offer better service than others and offer different companion services if any.

    As for bottles not sealing.....hell CIG had a lot of that happening at one time.

    As far as staff knoweledge.......are we talking about a full service welding shoppe here or just a guy who delivers gas.

    Appart from LPG that my guy does not seem to do much off..what is there to know...6 different gases or blends and 3 bottle sizes......hardly rocket science.

    I and many others are not big fans of the two usual suspects either...generall very poor attitude and quite prepared to give the big end of town a great deal while running roughshod over the small fella.


    My days of renting bottles are definitely numbered.

    cheers
    Any thing with sharp teeth eats meat.
    Most powertools have sharp teeth.
    People are made of meat.
    Abrasives can be just as dangerous as a blade.....and 10 times more painfull.

  8. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by soundman View Post
    The local agent covers quite a bit of area like from the border up to the sunshine coast and west to Toowoomba and works from a rural property way out the back of Ipswich.....

    His free delivery area is quite large and he seems to get round it every week.

    Remember a lot of these guys are agents and some may offer better service than others and offer different companion services if any.

    As for bottles not sealing.....hell CIG had a lot of that happening at one time.

    As far as staff knoweledge.......are we talking about a full service welding shoppe here or just a guy who delivers gas.

    Appart from LPG that my guy does not seem to do much off..what is there to know...6 different gases or blends and 3 bottle sizes......hardly rocket science.

    I and many others are not big fans of the two usual suspects either...generall very poor attitude and quite prepared to give the big end of town a great deal while running roughshod over the small fella.
    Good to see that your agent is giving good service, definitely is scope to tickle the 2 big boys up as you dead right when you describe their take it of leave it attitude.
    I guess I was commenting more on my local supergas agent and the range of services they offer and also the general trend within the industry here. Supergas was the sole gas only retailer here until they branched out into the suppy field and the other two players were always both gas and equipment suppliers.
    As much as I would have liked supergass to be a viable option for me, their overall pricing actually didn't put me a whole lot better off when compared to my current supplier at the time.
    If it is working out for you blokes up north, then there is some hope that things may improve here eventually.

  9. #23
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    Anyone looked at the prices for gas here:

    http://www.tradegas.com.au/index.html

    Might be worth a look for those that use a bottle only every couple of years. Not sure if there range is only oxy and acetylene and couldn't find any prices on line.


    Tools

  10. #24
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    Yeh that wesfarmers/ coregas/ bunnings arrangement is only in victoria ( I believe) as we speak..it is suposed to roll out nationwide over the christmas new year period.

    But they only seem to be offering D size and only oxy and accetlyene.....THE most expensive way to buy both.

    cheers
    Any thing with sharp teeth eats meat.
    Most powertools have sharp teeth.
    People are made of meat.
    Abrasives can be just as dangerous as a blade.....and 10 times more painfull.

  11. #25
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    You pay for the convenience I guess. Looks like they are in NSW now as we'll.

    tools

  12. #26
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    looks like oxy and acetylene are available at the following bunnings stores n NSW and VIC.

    NSW Locations
    Alexandria Warehouse
    Ashfield Warehouse
    Balgowlah Warehouse
    Bankstown Warehouse
    Belmont NSW Warehouse
    Belrose Warehouse
    Bonnyrigg Warehouse
    Campbelltown Warehouse
    Castle Hill Warehouse
    Cessnock Warehouse
    Cross Roads Warehouse
    Dural Warehouse
    Glendale Warehouse
    Greenacre Warehouse
    Hoxton Park Warehouse
    Kirrawee Warehouse
    Kotara Warehouse
    Lake Haven Warehouse
    Lidcombe Warehouse
    Maitland Warehouse
    Mascot Warehouse
    McGraths Hill Warehouse
    Minchinbury Warehouse
    Mittagong Warehouse
    Morisset Warehouse
    Narellan Warehouse
    North Parramatta Warehouse
    North Penrith Warehouse
    North Wollongong Warehouse
    Nowra Warehouse
    Penrith Warehouse
    Port Stephens Warehouse
    Rouse Hill Warehouse
    Rydalmere Warehouse
    Seven Hills Warehouse
    Shellharbour Warehouse
    Thornleigh Warehouse
    Tuggerah Warehouse
    Villawood Warehouse
    Wallsend Warehouse
    Warrawong Warehouse
    West Gosford Warehouse

    Victorian Locations
    Bayswater Warehouse
    Bendigo Warehouse
    Box Hill Warehouse
    Caroline Springs Warehouse
    Coburg Warehouse
    Craigieburn Warehouse
    Croydon Warehouse
    Dandenong Warehouse
    Epping Warehouse
    Fountain Gate Warehouse
    Frankston Warehouse
    Geelong North Warehouse
    Hastings Warehouse
    Hawthorn Warehouse
    Hoppers Crossing Warehouse
    Keysborough Warehouse
    Maribyrnong Warehouse
    Melton Warehouse
    Mentone Warehouse
    Moorabbin Warehouse
    Mornington Warehouse
    Northland Warehouse
    Notting Hill Warehouse
    Nunawading Warehouse
    Oakleigh South Warehouse
    Pakenham Warehouse
    Port Melbourne Warehouse
    Scoresby Warehouse
    Springvale Warehouse
    Thomastown Warehouse
    Vermont South Warehouse

    and they are asking $299 for the acetylene and $269 for the oxygen.....does not say what the excahnge fill or the refund on an empty bottle is.


    My expectation is around $90 to 100 for a fill.
    cheers
    Any thing with sharp teeth eats meat.
    Most powertools have sharp teeth.
    People are made of meat.
    Abrasives can be just as dangerous as a blade.....and 10 times more painfull.

  13. #27
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    I posted in another thread that this list may not up be to date.
    Call your local Bunnnies to find out if the have the bottles.
    I got mine from Bunnings in Kangaroo Flat, Victoria, long befor it was listed (as Bendigo Warehouse).
    The refill price is $69 for oxy and $99 for acetylene.
    You get your $200 per bottle security deposit back when you want to stop using them.
    NO MORE RENTAL.....
    Cheers,
    Joe
    9"thicknesser/planer, 12" bench saw, 2Hp Dusty, 5/8" Drill press, 10" Makita drop saw, 2Hp Makita outer, the usual power tools and carpentry hand tools...

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