tsc lowes

[George Marsh]

I recently purchased an LP back up heater. It has 3 cremanic brick and produces 6-12-18,000 BTU's/hour. It can be purchased at lowes and amazon. It comes with an oxygen sensor. Has a standing piolet light. No batteries required. You have to use your own 20# tank. I'm impressed with how clean it burns and the heat it produces. I also bought a 120v digital gas / CO detector with battery back up.

That said, I got a lesson on 20# propane tanks. Some places only put 15 pounds in them and want $20+tax when you exhange tanks.

TSC to the rescue. I took my 20# tank there and they filled it for $2.29/gallon. It cost me $11.03 tax included. Just about half price. I'm sure there are other places that may fill my tanks, I just don't know where. TSC didn't take any time at all to fill them and it wasn't out of my way.

I have four 20# tanks filled. Now that I'm ready for bad weather, it won't up set me if it doesn't get here. Also have chains on the Jubilee and the a 7 ft snow blade. Let it snow, let it snow.....let it snow:)

George
 

[Billy NY]

Thats a good deal on the small tank LP. I don't know about the current tanks, but aren't they sized at 20 lbs, but have less capacity ?

20lb = 5 gallon ?

30lb = 7 gallon ? ) forklift LP tank

I think the price for the 20lb filled at the local agway was $18, I recall the 30lb at $26, my ford tractor runs off the 30lb tank. The latter price I believe correct, headed over there to get one filled shortly, will double check but that puts it about $3.71 if the gallon capacity is right as shown above. It was higher, but I forget, I recall in '04 the price was 1/2 that, was less than gasoline significantly, I get about 4-5 hours run time at medium throttle, all depends on what you are doing.

The thing was when it was higher, I really started to believe it was a rip-off, but they are closer than anyone else, very nice people, service and so on, but I think it did drop at some point, was like $5/gallon and one thing is for sure, you bring in a tank partially filled, as I do on occasion, so not to be hassled by running out, I have only 2 tanks, they do not charge by the gallon, only by the tank size. Given I don't run this tractor a lot, I'm ok with it, glad they dropped the price a little, but if I was running more hours, more fuel, I'd have to find another source. There's always a teenage kid filling them for the most part and you have to watch the gallons, or the vent on the 30lb til it shows a nice stream of mist, so as not to be shortchanged. Its one of those things that you are aware of, but not worth raising heck over, rather support the local business's, if I used more, I'd speak with them first about it, a nurse tank and the means to fill smaller ones would be great and cost savings if you used any real volume, in the long run, but I just do not use enough. If they did sell by the gallon, maybe its a hassle, being a retailer, hard to say.

TSC is across the road from me, not sure if they do the tank exchange, I don't as I have quick connectors on mine for my grill, need a special tip to refill, so I just take them to agway, sucks when the kid loses the tip or leaves it on someone elses tank LOL and you can't get filled, though after thinking about it, those quick connects should come off I suppose and allow the other nozzle to work.
 

[George Marsh]

Billy, I think propane is 4.2 lb/ gallon so a 20 lb tank will hold, in theory, 4.76 gallons.

You would definately get ripped off paying $20 for 15 pounds.

When I called TSC, they said they exchange tanks, but it would be cheaper to have my tank filled. They were right.
George
 

[showcrop]

For some years I had it good, the gas company would fill the forklift cylinder by the gallon if I left it sitting next to the tank for heat. Then they couldn't do it any more, so I took them to the Hardware store. I had to watch the kids there to make sure they did it right or show them how if they didn't know. They filled by weight but they never wanted to bother reading the tare, So if I had a steel cylinder sometimes it would get only about 12 pounds.