Steel 120? A good buy, or an odd ball tank?

[mjbickford]

I came across a used 120 for sale for $220.

I dont know much about steel tanks, other than in the NW, my Al is causing bouyancy issues, and steel seems a good idea.

I didn't note weather it was HP, or LP. Nor did I note the manufacture.

Im having to play near 32#s of lead to keep me down in my thermals and dry suit on an Al80. Backplate and wing are not in the budget.

Is a steel 120 too cumbersome and un weildy? Is it a fair price for a low pressure tank?
Fair for a + tank?
Am i going to be cracking my skull on the valve?
Am I going to be kicking the tank boot while finning?

Is age a factor?

Do I need to worry about galvanic corrosion? As an old second hand tank was condemed today from corrosion, im not inclined to repeat the mistake.

 

[runsongas]

you really need to find out exactly what tank it is. hp120 vs lp120 and manufacturer are going to make a big difference.

since you are looking to drop weight off your belt, a faber lp120 would not work for you since those are positive when empty. an asahi/heiser would let you drop a ton off your belt (they are nearly -18 when empty) but are pretty cumbersome and butt heavy in comparison to a worthington.

i would say 220 is only a fair price for a relatively new worthington/faber tank. the pst and asahi tanks you should be able to get cheaper (pst tanks are a bit older and the asahi are unpopular)

another option are the catalina c series tanks. they are uncommon though (i have only seen them listed for sale once on CL).

i would reconsider the backplate and wing too. i picked up a 30lb wing and ss plate with harness for right around 200 on this board. that would let you drop a good bit of weight.

for reference, huron scuba has a decent list of tank specs

Scuba Cylinder Specification Chart from Huron Scuba, Ann Arbor Michigan

 

[Colliam7]

I came across a used 120 for sale for $220. I dont know much about steel tanks, other than in the NW, my Al is causing bouyancy issues, and steel seems a good idea.

That is frequently the case - a good idea.

I didn't note weather it was HP, or LP. Nor did I note the manufacture.

As mentioned by others, these items are probably critical to any assessment of the suitability of the cylinder. So, take what we say with some qualification. The rest of my comments are made in the context of owning two PST HP (3500 PSI) 120s.

Im having to play near 32#s of lead to keep me down in my thermals and dry suit on an Al80. Backplate and wing are not in the budget.

I had a similar issue - way too much lead required to dive in my drysuit with an AL80, and a Zeagle Ranger. I first bought a steel HP120. That helped. I then went on eBay and bought a used SS BP and a used wing. Ultimately, you will want to go the SS BP route.

Is a steel 120 too cumbersome and un weildy?

Not particularly. I think it is an easy cylinder to dive as a backmount single. As a set of manifolded backmount doubles, it was a challenge - for me - with regard to my trim. As a pair of singles for sidemount, I love my HP120s!

Is it a fair price for a low pressure tank? Fair for a + tank?

Fair? Yes,. A 'steal'? Not really.

Am i going to be cracking my skull on the valve?

Not unless you position the cylinder way too high in the cam band(s).

Am I going to be kicking the tank boot while finning?

Probably not. But, that may depend on your height. HP steel 120s are longer cylinders. Often, you will read that they are best suited for divers taller than 6'. I am 5' 10" and have no issues with them. If you are 5' 1", I wouldn't recommend them.

Is age a factor?

Not necessarily. But, the condition, and previous care, of the cylinder is. My two HP120s are over 10 years old, and they are clean, inside and out. But, I am careful where I fill them, I VIP them myself, I have tumbled them once because of heavy flash rust. Properly cared for, they should not be at risk. The cylinder you mentioned as being condemned - was that corrosion inside the cylinder? Or, outside the cylinder around the boot? Boat air fills (where you are infusing the cylinder with moist air) may be a problem for galvanized steel cylinders. I see a number of cylinders brought in for VIP where there is considerable corrosion and early pitting under the boot, because the owner was apparently too busy to bother to rinse the cylinder with any regularity. In fairness, I see that problem most often with painted Faber steel cylinders, not galvanized cylinders.

Do I need to worry about galvanic corrosion? As an old second hand tank was condemed today from corrosion, im not inclined to repeat the mistake.

Not necessarily. But, I would want to see what the interior of the cylinder looked like before buying it.

 

[kwinter]

I will add a caution about the PST HP 120s. I have 10 of them and they are great. I used them as doubles because of the same weighting issue. Now they serve as my air bank. But while the tanks are fine with proper care, the valves can be a problem. If they have Sherwood 7/8 valves, these used a very large seat that Sherwood no longer makes. There is a seat from Trident #A208 that says it is for those valves, but I have heard that they don't fit well and are problematic. The burst disks are also tough to find and can be very expensive. Other service parts are pretty straight forward.

Inspecting the tanks is a little tougher too because of the small neck. But the hassles might be worth it because the characteristics if the tank are great. But no way would I ever pay $220.


iPhone. iTypo. iApologize.

 

[drbill]

Another option is a neutral buoyancy aluminum 80. I used to dive steel HP120s but had one fail due to over-expansion from hot fills at our dive park and another fail due to rust caused by boat fills. I switched the the neutral buoyancy Al 80s (but still long for the days when I could get up to 2 hr 46 min out of a single fill on the HP120s)!

 

[eelnoraa]

Neutral AL80 (C80) is NOT a solution to weight reduction. Why is it neutural?? because it is 4lb heavier than S80. So it is no different then if you carry 4lb, either on you or on your rig. What you really want is items that is same weight or lighter on land, but more negative buoyant in water. The number to compare is "weight empty + buoyance empty", not just the buoyance empty number

Here is comparison between AL tanks
Catalina S80: 31.4 + 4
Catalina C80: 34.4 + (-0.2)
Catalina C100: 46.1 + (-0.4)

You can see S80 vs C80, there is only 1lb difference overall. C100 is 10lb more.

 

[Aquavelvet]

One thing about switching to a steel backplate from a jacket BCD, is that it will take 6 to 8 lbs off your belt. Jackets tend to be about 2lbs buoyant due to the padding. The steel backplate will also help with good horizontal trim, as it places more weight up by your lungs. So I would still consider that as a alternative to buying a tank.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[scubafanatic]

The very 1st tanks I bought as a new diver were Faber LP 120's, which I later sold as they were enormous beasts of a tank !

 

[TSandM]

I'm not sure what manufacturer made our 120s, but they are VERY tall tanks. I could not use them at all, because I literally could not sit down while wearing them. My husband dives them and likes the way they balance. $220 is a reasonable price, but not a steal. If you are short, do not buy them.

 

[Dr Dog]

I have to second the get the Bp/W first...I dove with my CD4 drysuit, mid undies, and 80's. I wore 14 pounds, with 6 for SS bp. It will change the way you dive. I HATE wearing a weight belt. If I needed 32 # on my waist, I dont think i would dive as much