Question Blue Steel Faber FX Series HP 100 vs XS Scuba Faber HP 100

[Divin'Papaw]

Plus O2 cleaning for nitrox, which is another $60. No reputable shop will VIP these tanks for Nitrox without doing an o2 cleaning.

And before anyone says it, its silly to invest in a brand new and and not have it ready for nitrox, even if you dont regularly dive nitrox. Contrary to popular belief, you can fill nitrox tanks with air so long as you are dealing with a reputable dive center that cleans their banks and air compressor

Not necessarily. It depends upon where the OP gets their nitrox fills. The majority of shops that fill with banked nitrox do not require O2 clean tanks, although a few do still require that O2 clean sticker. If filling via partial pressure blending, than yes, the tank and valve most definitely need to be O2 clean and maintained as such.

IMO ... IF you are buying a new tank that needs to be O2 clean, you should buy it from a shop that provides it with an O2 clean sticker. For example, DGX and Force-E here in South FL sell these tanks in the XS Scuba variety and provide them with an O2 clean VIP. The tank and valves are as O2 clean as they are ever going to be as they come from the manufacturer.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Looking to buy a couple of Faber HP 100s and am coming up against these 2 choices. What’s the difference between them, if any, besides after manufacturers name brand. I’ve been on the look out for used in my area for the past 2 years and have had no luck, so I’m looking at new. Please, someone, prove me wrong and give me a link to some in New England, .

While I’m at it, is it worth buying HDG over triple dip given that I‘m doing around 10 dives locally per year, 20 if my wife really does start diving locally, and not just vacations? After each dive, my tanks soak in a tub of warm fresh water, and are then dried thoroughly.

Let the games begin!

Erik

@RIHappyDiver I pulled the trigger and bought 2 of these. 100% as advertised. Beautiful brand new HDG finish, convertible DIN/K Blue Steel valves, Faber rubber-like tank boot, recent born-on hydro (mine are 2/23). Free UPS shipping, signature required. All required to dive is the VIP & fill. I can post or PM pictures if you'd like.

These seemed to have drop-shipped from Blue Steel. They came brand-new in the Faber box with the valve and boot in a separate box, both of those in a slightly larger Blue Steel box. Each tank shipped with separate tracking but both arrived together.

 

[Umpman]

Not necessarily. It depends upon where the OP gets their nitrox fills. The majority of shops that fill with banked nitrox do not require O2 clean tanks, although a few do still require that O2 clean sticker. If filling via partial pressure blending, than yes, the tank and valve most definitely need to be O2 clean and maintained as such.

IMO ... IF you are buying a new tank that needs to be O2 clean, you should buy it from a shop that provides it with an O2 clean sticker. For example, DGX and Force-E here in South FL sell these tanks in the XS Scuba variety and provide them with an O2 clean VIP. The tank and valves are as O2 clean as they are ever going to be as they come from the manufacturer.

Yes, some shops will fill any tank with banked nitrox but you are not supposed to. Nitrox filled tanks are supposed to be O2 cleaned.

My point is: if you are going to spend $400 on a tank, get the o2 clean sticker, even if you are filling with air. When you buy a new tank from a local dive shop, the VIP is included and since it is a new tank, it is usually an o2 clean one. When you buy a tank online, you need to take it to a local dive shop for the VIP and most will charge to o2 clean it because they don’t know the history of the tank (Even if it is new). Also, when you buy them online they generally are shipped without the valve installed which allows contaminates in the tank. I was going to buy a tank from scuba.com and bring it to Force-E and they informed me that there would be a charge to o2 clean it as well as the vip and fill. In the end, it was cheaper to buy the tank locally

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Yes, some shops will fill any tank with banked nitrox but you are not supposed to. Nitrox filled tanks are supposed to be O2 cleaned.

That topic has been debated ad nauseam on here. Many of us (and many shops) disagree with you. I’ll leave it at that.

My point is: if you are going to spend $400 on a tank, get the o2 clean sticker, even if you are filling with air. When you buy a new tank from a local dive shop, the VIP is included and since it is a new tank, it is usually an o2 clean one. When you buy a tank online, you need to take it to a local dive shop for the VIP and most will charge to o2 clean it because they don’t know the history of the tank (Even if it is new).

As I've already said above, if you want the O2 clean VIP, don't get your tanks from Scuba.com. Get them from DGX (which provides them with an O2 clean sticker), another online shop that provides the O2 clean VIP with them, or buy local. Buying a brand new tank online and then needing to pay for a VIP and O2 clean is never going to save you any money over buying local. That I very much agree with you on.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Also, when you buy them online they generally are shipped without the valve installed which allows contaminates in the tank.

How do you think the dive shops get them?

They come sealed with a plug BTW.

 

[Umpman]

How do you think the dive shops get them?

They come sealed with a plug BTW.

I agree. But most shops will not put an o2 clean sticker on it if you bring it in, even if it is sealed.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I agree. But most shops will not put an o2 clean sticker on it if you bring it in, even if it is sealed.

Absolutely! I wouldn't expect them to. If the O2 VIP is important to you, make sure you are getting that when you buy the tank.

My point was that the tanks ship in such a manner that nothing is getting into the tank. That is how Faber ships them from the factory. They seal them with a sealing plug, not a valve.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

@RIHappyDiver I pulled the trigger and bought 2 of these. 100% as advertised. Beautiful brand new HDG finish, convertible DIN/K Blue Steel valves, Faber rubber-like tank boot, recent born-on hydro (mine are 2/23). Free UPS shipping, signature required. All required to dive is the VIP & fill. I can post or PM pictures if you'd like.

These seemed to have drop-shipped from Blue Steel. They came brand-new in the Faber box with the valve and boot in a separate box, both of those in a slightly larger Blue Steel box. Each tank shipped with separate tracking but both arrived together.

Yup, my 2 arrived this past Friday! Same delivery setup as yours. Now just waiting to get them to my local filler.

FInst, the difference between the two tanks is one has a pro valve and one doesnt. The tanks themselves are the same. In my opinion, the pro valve is much better and what I use. It is convertible from din to yolk (which is great for resale), it turns smoother, doesnt require as many turns to full on (1 1/2 turns) and it also has the indicator of whether your gas is on or off. It’s worth the few extra dollars.

As far as galvanized, i dont think it is worth the money. I dive 2-4 times a week with each one being a two tank dive on a boat in south Florida. My tanks go in and out of my trunk or truck, get banged around on the boat and I use a steel backplate. The tanks have a couple nicks in them but overall they look good and are holding up fine. So long as you take care of your tanks (rinse them, keep gas’s in them) they will last for 50 years. When I bought my tanks, even my dive shop said it wasn’t worth it to buy the galvanized (and they do sell them).

As for buying on Scuba.com, overall they are a great company but i try to support the local dive shop. Yes, the tank prices are the awesome, but there are some hidden fees. First, you will need to get it VIP’d at your local dive shop so that is an extra $15-$20. In addition, if you are using the tank for Nitrox, your local dive shop will require you to get it O2 cleaned and that is another $60. By the time you are done, the price is close to a local dive center price.

In addition, many dive shops wil give you a bunch of free fills when buying a tank. The shop I deal with in South Florida, Undersea Sports, gives you 1 year of unlimited fills when you buy a tank. Even if you only dive 10 dives a year, that is about $100 savings

I thought about the O2 situation but I have not dived Nitrox locally in 6 years. My local dives tend to be in the 30’ zone (I think my deepest was 45’ish). I get my fills at a local fire extinguisher shop, so no Nitrox available without a 40-60 minute drive each way, twice. I prefer LDS shopping, just like you, but when I called around for local pricing it was going t cost about $100 per tank, and that’s after VIP. Sooo, couldn’t justify the LDS purchase.

Looking forward to getting them in the water in about a month, also showing my wife what our local diving is all about. Who knows, I may need to get 2 more .

Erik

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Yup, my 2 arrived this past Friday! Same delivery setup as yours. Now just waiting to get them to my local filler.

I thought about the O2 situation but I have not dived Nitrox locally in 6 years. My local dives tend to be in the 30’ zone (I think my deepest was 45’ish). I get my fills at a local fire extinguisher shop, so no Nitrox available without a 40-60 minute drive each way, twice. I prefer LDS shopping, just like you, but when I called around for local pricing it was going t cost about $100 per tank, and that’s after VIP. Sooo, couldn’t justify the LDS purchase.

Looking forward to getting them in the water in about a month, also showing my wife what our local diving is all about. Who knows, I may need to get 2 more .

Erik

Sounds like for your location and diving these were a perfect choice. I am getting mine VIPed in early June with another tank that I have to take in for a VIP. The two shops I use locally do not require an O2 clean VIP to fill with their banked nitrox. These tanks were a perfect choice for me and saved me at least $100 for the two even after paying for the VIP.

 

[MrChen]

Regarding HDG vs. Painted, the way I typically look at it, if buying used and you are getting a screaming deal and they look acceptable, painted are fine. If I'm paying the money to buy a new steel tank, I will ALWAYS pay more and get HDG. If I'm buying a brand new tank, it is a long-term investment. I want the best tank possible that will last me for decades.

Regarding the valves, I'm not a fan of the blue steel valves but they work just fine. I replace my valves at every hydro, so I view the valve as an expendable item and don't get too hung up on which one they come with. At hydro (or one of the VIPs), I'd swap out the blue steel for a better valve.

Why do you swap out the valves? Have you had issues in the past?