Source & thoughts for 35 lb or 50 lb canisters in MD area?

[fabsroman]

Does anybody have a source for CO2 canisters in the MD area? I can find them online shipped for $231.84 for the 35 lb and $329 for the 50 lb, but am wondering if it might be cheaper to buy them local and avoid the shipping fee.

Also, what are your thoughts about using a tank this size? Initially, I thought I would have to use my truck to get them filled, but they are only 4 feet tall, so I think I can fit them in the trunk of my car, and most definitely in the back of my wife's car since the rear seats fold down. I would prefer to go with the 50 lb tank even though it weighs 100 lbs when full. How hard are these things to handle when full?

[zzyzx85]

More likely than not you'll need a bottle cart/dolly to move it around. And trying to maneuver 100lbs into a car's trunk might be a 2 person job. Putting it into the back of a truck would be a lot easier.

Where will you be putting this tank? Hope it's not downstairs or upstairs.

[fabsroman]

I'm not too worried about the 100 lb weight because I'm pretty sure my dad, a retired construction worker, and I can throw it in the back of a car without too much trouble. I could always take my truck if it turns out to be a really big hassle. Just trying to be as cheap as possible since the truck gets 16 mpg and the car 25 mpg. I'll probably end up wussing out on the side of convenience and get another 20 lb tank in lieu of long run savings. The savings over 10 years might even be negligible, but I'm not going to sit down and do the calculations of how many fewer trips I have to make to refill the tanks, difference in gas mileage between the vehicles, savings on refills, cost of the tanks, etc.

[zzyzx85]

so how big is the tank you're injecting CO2 into?

[fabsroman]

75 and 55 gallons right now, but I am thinking long term here. Within 2 to 4 years, I'm hoping to have a 460 and 350. Time frame is based upon the purchase of a single family home.