Propane Tanks

[frugi]

I buy these whenever I see them for sale at garage sales....most often they are empty.

I might get them for $1.00-$5.00 for empty ones.

I once paid $10.00 for a really heavy one, that sounded pretty full .
I also have found other weird tanks, several helium, oxygen, and some I dont know about

Now I just had a big garage sale and sold a bunch of junk and sold most of my empty ones I had laying around for some quick cash. I sold most of my empty ones for $10.00 each.....did i sell them too cheap?

Does anyone know the going rate of a empty propane tank, (not scrap metal value)? Does anyone else here search these out, and see the value in the difference between the exchange rate and buying a brand new tank?

The difference here in town is like average $30.00.

If you have an exchange they are $19.99, if not $49.99, which is so crazy in price I think.
I think of these as a good prep item, and trade item as well. I always look for empty ones to trade in for full ones, and pay only $25 or $30 buck versus $50.00,,,, also I dont have a gas grill or anything I would need these for, I just see the potential value in them, and like what I see. I keep an eye out for them everywhere I go.

[johnbrickner]

Frugi, I like the way you think.

[Thogey]

I can usually pick the 5 gallon one up for 5 bucks. It's a great deal. Even if they are expired, my propane dealer recertifies them for 6 bucks. Most of the time if you buy enough propane it's free. I must have 10 or 12 5 gallon tanks.

Almost every estate sale has them. Elderly old widow won't be barbequing any time soon. I don't think I've bought a new barbeque in 15 years. I always get almost new ones, cheap. Elderly old widow can't take barbeque or guns to the assisted living facility.

This is why men die first BTW.

[hobo finds]

I exchange the ones that are about to expire for newer ones

[68Camaro]

Related, the 20 gallon tanks are designed to hold 20 gallons at 60F with enough free space to allow expansion due to temperature without excessive pressure. Propane weighs 4.2 lb/gallon and therefore a 20 gal tank holds about 4.75 gal. If you are buying a fillup based on a flat rate make sure they fill it to an agreed upon total weight. A full tank normally weighs 38 pounds. Less than that and you've got an incomplete fill. A fillup at bjs here is currently $13 so $2.73/gal. Be warned that rhino usually provides an incomplete fill - 75% for $20 - you're paying $5.62/ gal for that rhino tank. They also usually give you an about to expire tank - often one that has been recerted many times so about the only way you can fill it is to return it to rhino over and over. (Unless you know someone at a propane company.)

[John_doe]

my dad picked up a full 100 gallon tank at auction the other day. always good to have some extra propellant of any sort around.

[knibloe]

three years ago I bought a 300 gal diesel tank. It had about 100 gallons of diesel in it.

[Rustjunkie]

The local yard just gives me most of the 20 and 100 lb tanks that get dropped off there and I shoot holes in them and then burn them in my brush pile so I can safely torch them in half so they can then be sold back to the yard. I get about a ton a year. I do hold on to any 100 lb cylinders for my own use, I have 5 good ones right now and several good 20 lb tanks .