WTF are CO2 tanks so expensive here?

[hirschb]

I'm looking to replace my CO2 tank I had to leave in the US (not permitted to ship pressurized containers).
The price for a new tank at my LHBS are really, really expensive. Not sure why they are so much down here.
Anyway, does anyone know of a cheap/ relatively inexpensive source for CO2 tanks that I could mailorder?

 

[Yob]

as far as Ive seen, they are all in the same ball park, what size are you after?

 

[welly2]

Everything in Australia is expensive. About $180 for a gas bottle is probably as cheap as you're going to get. I've looked up and down for one and that's as good as I've got and what I paid for mine.

 

[MHB]

Australia has some of the strictest pressure vessel laws in the world (hold over from some pretty horrendous boiler explosions during the gold rush).
Yes the bottles here cost more, but they probably last longer (life expectancy on an Al bottle is well over 20 years), they rarely blow up or fail in other ways.

We are often regarded as being expensive compared to the US for lots of things but we do have a minimum wage people can actually live on and last time I went to hospital for 2 weeks it cost me $1.50 in parking, not half a house.
Win some - lose some, but I really think this is a pretty good place to live - not perfect, but pretty damn good.

Mark

 

[mstrelan]

2.6kg keg king off evilBay seems to be the cheapest. There is a list of filling stations on the KK website.

 

[Coodgee]

Someone is selling one on here for 20 bucks

 

[MartinOC]

If it's in good-nick & within-date, grab it.

If it's in good nick & out of date, grab it & have it tested (about $40) & re-stamped. Good for another 10 years.

 

[wombil]

I used a co2 fire extinguisher for years.
finally got a proper valve put in it.
I'm on the gold coast and can get it filled ok at the fire extinguisher place.
Try the smaller extinguisher places.

 

[hirschb]

Australia has some of the strictest pressure vessel laws in the world (hold over from some pretty horrendous boiler explosions during the gold rush).
Yes the bottles here cost more, but they probably last longer (life expectancy on an Al bottle is well over 20 years), they rarely blow up or fail in other ways.

We are often regarded as being expensive compared to the US for lots of things but we do have a minimum wage people can actually live on and last time I went to hospital for 2 weeks it cost me $1.50 in parking, not half a house.
Win some - lose some, but I really think this is a pretty good place to live - not perfect, but pretty damn good.

Mark

Yeah, yeah, yeah...... I'm fine with a living wage and all that stuff, but these CO2 tanks are more than double the cost in the states. I think something else is driving these prices.

 

[hirschb]

Someone is selling one on here for 20 bucks

? Where, I missed it!

 

[hirschb]

2.6kg keg king off evilBay seems to be the cheapest. There is a list of filling stations on the KK website.

Yeah, that is the cheapest I can find as well.

 

[Mardoo]

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/index.php?/topic/90118-regulator-and-co2

 

[hirschb]

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/index.php?/topic/90118-regulator-and-co2

Ah, thanks, I saw that one. I'm not sure if I could get that refilled in Townsville.

 

[MHB]

Yeah, yeah, yeah^^^^^^ I'm fine with a living wage and all that stuff, but these CO2 tanks are more than double the cost in the states^ I think something else is driving these prices^

Australia, just incase you haven't noticed, even bigger than Texas!
Australia is dam big, moving stuff around costs. As you found out, freight companies are just a touch sensitive about transporting anything that has any possibility of turning into a bomb, it cost more to freight hazardous goods. Unique pressure vessel laws both a benefit and a cost, a small market - unit cost goes up. Even the other side to decent wages - cost goes up.
I think its just cumulative.
Not complaining in the least, I would have had dozens of "odd" bottles that I took to the bottle testing station , some were refused outright for lacking the right certification, the technician showed me the insides of a couple that they just refused to test because they in their experienced opinion unsafe. Frankly they were shoddy and I wouldn't want one holding 1/2MPa any where near me.

Again from personal experience there wasn't a huge mark up on the bottles I sold, the retailer isn't gouging you. Conspiracy theories aside, I wouldn't mind if they were cheaper but am not surprised or upset at the price they are.
The bottle I chose for myself is the MKOL 4.5kg, short enough to fit in a fridge that will hold Corney kegs, wider base than most small bottles, Al construction so lighter, carry handle, reasonable amount of gas... It was the one that best suited my needs, I expect to get 25-30 years out of it, at about $300, its $12 a year over 25 years not counting 10 year retests . The big seller for me was the build quality, still happy with my choice.
Mark

 

[pist]

Id rather pay more $ for a bottle knowing it had to meet a minimum standard to be eligible for sale. My wife and son also use the shed where my keg fride is when we are entertaining so i put no price on safety and piece of mind when it comes to a pressurised vessel

 

[Beersuit]

As far as I'm aware gas bottles in Australia must get stamped and certified by a 3rd person before it leaves the importer / manufacturers hands which will add to the cost.

We had a bottle that let go around the thread in the neck a few months ago and I will never forget the sound it made and the look of terror on the young blokes face at the filling station. The valve came within an inch of his head and would have killed him if it made contact. It was a well regarded brand and still well in date. Gas bottles are pressure vessels and shouldn't be taken lightly.

I'm with MHB and have happily payed a little more for a well manufactured bottle.

 

[Mardoo]

Yep. If you have to pay extra for the gun with the barrel that points away from you instead of towards you, you do it.

 

[pcmfisher]

For years people have been getting bent over and reamed from companies like BOC.
It figures that anyone selling bottles has no reason to sell them any cheaper than they do.

When we look at the shut off valve on on the top of a Keg King bottle we see CGA 320 which is the US thread. We get informed that it is actually our type 30 thread which it is.
I smell cheapness there.

These bottles in particular should be a lot less expensive.

 

[hirschb]

For years people have been getting bent over and reamed from companies like BOC.
It figures that anyone selling bottles has no reason to sell them any cheaper than they do.

When we look at the shut off valve on on the top of a Keg King bottle we see CGA 320 which is the US thread. We get informed that it is actually our type 30 thread which it is.
I smell cheapness there.

These bottles in particular should be a lot less expensive.

Wait, what is the difference between the two thread types?
Am I going to have to find some sort of adapter to fit/use my US regulator?

 

[MHB]

Yep. The American bottles have a 0.83" 14 TPI thread and Australian bottles have 0.86" Whitworth parallel thread (also 14TPI but a different form).
You can sort of fit an Australian reg onto a US bottle, but its a bit dodgy - see comments above - not the other way around. If you do a bit of digging you might be able to find an Australian type 30 nut and just change that rather then the whole regulator.
Mark

Edit
Look for a Soda Stream Adaptor, they aren't hard to find and will do the job .
M