Tank purchase

[PADI Knight]

Was playing around on Ebay today not planning to bid on anythin just looking and happened on a steel 72 2250 with last visual August 05 and Hydro October 04. Seeing a low bid of $23.99 I said "what the hey I'll see what it goes up to when I submit the next bid". Well had to make a couple of submissions to see what the "top" bid was for and at $26.49 I found out. I though hmm well there's no way in gods blue ocean that I'd ever get a steel tank with current inspections for $26.49 so I went about looking around at other interesting items.

Before I logged off I was curious to see what the final bid was as I knew there was no way a steel 72 would go for $27.00 and to my surprise I won the darn thing for $26.49 shipping will be $32.72 so I will have a tank for $59.21. Called my LDS and spoke to the owner who was floored I was just in there this past weekend and we were talking about tanks. He said he'd be glad to fill it as soon as I get it in.

So is this a deal or what? :10:

[oxyhacker]

Depends on the color.


So is this a deal or what? :10:

[PADI Knight]

I think it's multi colored looks like someone painted over the orginal yellow with a blue since the blue is scraped off in areas. Still with current inspections seems unusual from most ebay scuba items I've looked at. They're hardly ever current on service.

[jumbo]

did it come with a mesh tank protector, if not what a steal, no pun inteded. I have picked some steel 72's for ten bucks at a garage sale.

[Scottri]

It's a good deal unless it has that stupid epoxy liner it in.

[PADI Knight]

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/data/533/Steel_72.jpg

Here's the tank.

[PerroneFord]

I thought about bidding on it.. but then I decided by the time I got it cleaned up, I could have just BOUGHT a tank.. and I want 95s or 104/108s anyway.

Good luck with it.

[PADI Knight]

I mainly dive at a local quarry last dive all day about 7 or 8 dive had 1800 left so a S79should do me fine here. You said "by the time I got it cleaned up, I could have just BOUGHT a tank" Sanding priming and painting isn't costly for me I like doing the work and have the equipment I would need. It looks like its been painted once anyway so once it comes in and I talk to the LDS again to see if they'll fill it if I repaint it a nice underwater visable color.

[Creed]

You can sometimes score a real deal on older 72's from ebay. I bid $5 on one that supposedly had an epoxy lining(it was actually some sort of paint. Scary what some guys would breathe from). With $18 shipping, I came out with a tank and valve for $23. Then, using parts I had laying around, I built a tumbler, and tumbled it for a few hours with some rocks and spent brass shells, then washed the interior out. Had it hyro'd and vip'd for $25. Less than $50 for a working cylinder. Tech said that the inside looked wonderful. Plus, when I was dropping it off for hydro, the tech mentioned that he had a 72. I picked it up, with a hydro and vip included, for another $50. They both work like champs, although the boot on the dive shop one is loose, and I normally ditch it when I get the tank on. But don't count on getting lucky everytime. I almost bid on another 72 not too long ago, and noticed an red spot on the neck. It turned out it was a deep rusty gouge. So, don't bid so much that you will be screaming when it fails a hydro/vip.
I recently picked up an old USD manifold off of ebay, and will probably be hunting down another set of 72's to make a set of doubles. Being short, they fit better than 80's.

[dpbishop]

I've had 3 aluminum tanks crump on me this fall; one was a luxfer of the wrong alloy, the other two failed visual. One of those was my newest tank. My steel 72, which my brother bought new @1970, is still working fine. Take care of it and it will last a lifetime.

[PerroneFord]

For DIY guys, there are some true bargains out there. I have less than 10 hours of free time a week in most cases, and I don't have my shop anymore where I could work and do things. So bought solutions are where I am right now.

A set of 72s would be really nice for diving in the springs though.

[oxyhacker]

I wasn't being entirely facetious when I mentioned color. 72s can be galvanized, painted or plastic coated on the outside, or both galvanized and coated. Inside, they may be bare steel or have a plastic or epoxy lining. Galvanized 72s are terrific tanks. Lined ones are not, since the lining tends to conceal and concentrate corrosion, though the lining can be removed if its an otherwise good tank by tumbling or other methods.

Color is one of the best clues to what's underneath. Galvanized tanks will be a dull gray. Yellow are probably the worst, because they are very often USD tanks which were not galvanized underneath and are lined inside. Black, white, blue fall somewhere in the middle since they may or may not be galvanized underneath the color coating, as do some non-USD yellow tanks.

So hard to say whether you got just an OK deal or a steal. If you haven't filled it yet, I'd recommend popping the valve and taking a peek inside. I'd do this with any used tank I didn't buy from a reputable shop. Inspection stickers just don't mean much on eBay tanks.

[Creed]

A set of 72s would be really nice for diving in the springs though.

You might check out the first link on this page then:
http://www.discountdivers.com/fx/air_twin_1.html

That's what I am going to try to set up this winter.

[papps953]

I just got this email from Tech Diving Limited:

BRAND NEW IN BOX 2004 Manufacture

LP-95 $175.00 each 55 left
LP-85 $175.00 each 85 left
HP-120 $211.00 each 14 left
HP-100 $210.00 each 45 left
HP-80 $190.00 each 12 left
LP Tanks Include DIN/K Pro Nitrox Valve
HP Tanks Include DIN Nitrox Valve
All tanks include self draining boot

Bill B.

[JRScuba]

I have heard a lot of war stories about buying tanks on the internet ( Ebay).
What it boils down to is: you get what you pay for.

[JS1scuba]

I have heard a lot of war stories about buying tanks on the internet ( Ebay).
What it boils down to is: you get what you pay for.

You will only get war stories from those who purchase from facilities without inventory. In the past 2 months we moved more than 500 cylinders mostly via our internet portal. With the exception of two tanks that got shipped in the wrong size and one that was damaged by UPS all go right through without a hitch.

With more than 38 different sizes and types of cylinders available sometimes it can get a little confusing. We keep a large selection on our website. Then if you can't figure it out from there just give us a call we will be happy to help you with selection of cylinders and valves to match any particular need.

Regards,

[captain]

The tank appears to have the early 1/2' pipe thread valve. They usually can be picked up pretty cheap as the valves are no longer avaiable for them but there is no reason not to use them. In fact it has the advantage of not having the tank to valve O ring that can fail.