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Topic:
propane tank exchange price disparity, and its no wonder ACE hardware keeps closing stores
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Surge_MT
Posts: 213
Registered: 2001-5-9 11:10:00
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
propane tank exchange price disparity, and its no wonder ACE hardware keeps closing stores
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The BJ's I go to meters the LP when they fill the tank, just like a gas station. I only pay for what they put into it, so If I know I'm getting low, I can top off my tank on a day I'm already going to BJ's and not have to worry about swapping a tank that still has propane in it and wasting $.
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aon_mixed
Title:
Pirate Kitty
Posts: 2,317
Registered: 2002-8-19 07:30:30
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
propane tank exchange price disparity, and its no wonder ACE hardware keeps closing stores
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GrimTempest posted:
aon_mixed posted:
well, its that the ACE nearby prominently and proudly displays that they do propane refills - why not be price competitive?
can't figure out if your serious. if you aren't its a troll and not worth responding to i guess. if you are...i can't respond the way i'd be inclined to since i'd be breaking the board rules. guess i'm done here 
wtf?
are you suggesting that by the very fact that i pay a member fee to the wholesale club that enables a 5 dollar discount on propane? or are you suggesting that out of sheer volume BJs is able to traffic more LP and negotiate lower purchase costs?
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
propane tank exchange price disparity, and its no wonder ACE hardware keeps closing stores
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As for propane (since I stumbled on this thread, while searching for local prices competitively)...
Propane weighs approximately 4.2 lbs per gallon. Good to know, since your '20-lb tank' holds...you guessed it...20-lbs of fuel. On the tank, somewhere, is actually stamped the empty weight (if you are in the U.S., anyway). So...all it takes is a bathroom scale and voila...you know how much fuel you really have in that 'otherwise unknown' tank you're holding.
Ok, so you find you have a tank that weighs 16.4 lbs, empty. You throw it on the bathroom scale, and it weighs 22.2 lbs. A bit of basic math (22.2 - 16.4 = 5.8 lbs >> 20 - 5.8 = 14.2 lbs of fuel you need to buy. Oh, yeah...and 14.2 / 4.2 = approx 3.4 gallons. (3.38, closer to it)...so you actually need to buy 3.4 gallons...since that's the unit its sold in. Not good in math? No problem...most reputable stores fill your tank with a metered nozzle, just like you do your car gas tank...and they charge you fairly...no scale work required on your behalf...not unless you want to make sure they are fair.
Finally...we take the tank to a real refill store. Right now, my local ACE Hardware refills tanks for $2.07/gallon. So, my refill on example tank above would cost me $7.08. OR...I can go down to the local quick store with the Rhino-rip-offs outside, trade my NEW, doesn't leak tank for one that some hippy burned in some freak drug lab experiment before turning it in for more gas...and that leaks like a sieve, for a mere $15.95. (I have found that about 30-percent of those Rhino-rip-off tanks actually have out-of-date tanks, or the valves leak profusely. Oh, yeah...and I have also weighed Rhino-scare tanks too...and found that they do NOT fill them full all the time (hey, or maybe it's just those leaking valves...huh?)
Anyway...bottom line...take your pick...fill by the gallon at a reputable store (just look for the 'propane refilled here' signs)...or roll the dice, and potentially pay up to 300% more for your propane. Tell you what...your math friends would probably take your tanks, get them filled for you, for the difference...it really is that big of a deal.
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AkagiyamaMissile
Title: Lord of the Lactose Intolerant
Posts: 3,975
Registered: 2003-4-22 07:39:44
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
propane tank exchange price disparity, and its no wonder ACE hardware keeps closing stores
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And ACF just got propwned.
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Stupidity is hard to get rid of, but at least I can admit I have a problem -Mithan-
Gobble Gobble Mother******! -Thankskilling
and off course divers license don't count either this sucks balls.-FD
Bring it on like Donkey Kong
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Steelwind_Oo
Title: Lurking Oo
Posts: 1,789
Registered: 2000-9-30 10:26:30
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
propane tank exchange price disparity, and its no wonder ACE hardware keeps closing stores
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gamer4f50986daa379 posted:
As for propane (since I stumbled on this thread, while searching for local prices competitively)...
Propane weighs approximately 4.2 lbs per gallon. Good to know, since your '20-lb tank' holds...you guessed it...20-lbs of fuel. On the tank, somewhere, is actually stamped the empty weight (if you are in the U.S., anyway). So...all it takes is a bathroom scale and voila...you know how much fuel you really have in that 'otherwise unknown' tank you're holding.
Ok, so you find you have a tank that weighs 16.4 lbs, empty. You throw it on the bathroom scale, and it weighs 22.2 lbs. A bit of basic math (22.2 - 16.4 = 5.8 lbs >> 20 - 5.8 = 14.2 lbs of fuel you need to buy. Oh, yeah...and 14.2 / 4.2 = approx 3.4 gallons. (3.38, closer to it)...so you actually need to buy 3.4 gallons...since that's the unit its sold in. Not good in math? No problem...most reputable stores fill your tank with a metered nozzle, just like you do your car gas tank...and they charge you fairly...no scale work required on your behalf...not unless you want to make sure they are fair.
Finally...we take the tank to a real refill store. Right now, my local ACE Hardware refills tanks for $2.07/gallon. So, my refill on example tank above would cost me $7.08. OR...I can go down to the local quick store with the Rhino-rip-offs outside, trade my NEW, doesn't leak tank for one that some hippy burned in some freak drug lab experiment before turning it in for more gas...and that leaks like a sieve, for a mere $15.95. (I have found that about 30-percent of those Rhino-rip-off tanks actually have out-of-date tanks, or the valves leak profusely. Oh, yeah...and I have also weighed Rhino-scare tanks too...and found that they do NOT fill them full all the time (hey, or maybe it's just those leaking valves...huh?)
Anyway...bottom line...take your pick...fill by the gallon at a reputable store (just look for the 'propane refilled here' signs)...or roll the dice, and potentially pay up to 300% more for your propane. Tell you what...your math friends would probably take your tanks, get them filled for you, for the difference...it really is that big of a deal.
Hank... is that you?
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AkagiyamaMissile
Title: Lord of the Lactose Intolerant
Posts: 3,975
Registered: 2003-4-22 07:39:44
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
propane tank exchange price disparity, and its no wonder ACE hardware keeps closing stores
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-----signature-----
Stupidity is hard to get rid of, but at least I can admit I have a problem -Mithan-
Gobble Gobble Mother******! -Thankskilling
and off course divers license don't count either this sucks balls.-FD
Bring it on like Donkey Kong
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
propane tank exchange price disparity, and its no wonder ACE hardware keeps closing stores
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Nope...but Hank's right...
Butane is a bastard-gas...LPG is king!
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
propane tank exchange price disparity, and its no wonder ACE hardware keeps closing stores
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By the way...I use two 40-lb tanks with my 30' 5th wheel RV...and for long trips, can also tote the 100-lb 'big guy' that otherwise stays in the shop.
Other than Rhino-nighmare not hawking anything but 20-lb'ers in their 'white cage of death', I find that the weight of carrying 'a lot of LPG on a trip' is reduced by larger tanks...my 40-lb tank weighs a few pounds less than my 20's, so I save a little pack weight. (Not to mention, I can run twice as long without tank swaps)...
All this is stuff you don't get to consider when you play Rhino-roulette.
Click...Click...BOOM!!!
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
propane tank exchange price disparity, and its no wonder ACE hardware keeps closing stores
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There's only a couple places around here that sell propane by the gallon, and if I remember correctly, one of them is closed on Sundays. I ran into this situation (re-fill the tank vs. getting "new" Blue Rhino) at my house this last year, and ended up running over to Fred Meyer's and buying a Blue Rhino exchange tank for < $20. I have one of those propane tank gauges and I plopped it onto the exchange tank and it read full. My preference would be to run to Lowe's or Home Depot and get a new clean tank and have it filled, but when you've got several people over for a party and your BBQ runs out of gas you do the quick thing. Anyway, the idea of having 2 tanks is a pretty smart one - might set that up before the season starts this year.
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Ashmaele
Title: Pastor of Muppets
Posts: 1,809
Registered: 2002-1-15 08:30:50
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
propane tank exchange price disparity, and its no wonder ACE hardware keeps closing stores
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regulator_cracka posted:
You are sorely mistaken if you think you get 80% from an exchange, you are lucky if you get %50 full.
I was paying for 7-Eleven's "convenience" and after the third time of getting a tank that was about 50-60% full from them I went in and raised hell. The store manager/Iraqi information minister assured me that it was all in my head. I've been using my charcoal grill lately out of sheer frustration. At least I know how much charcoal is in the focking bag.
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