Best place to buy a new 20 lbs tank?

[Bigbears BBQ]

I get all of the empty tanks I want at our towns reclamation center, they have a drop off station.

 

[lunchman]

U-Haul. Since getting the Blackstone, I bought one of their tanks (which helpfully come with gauges) and refill it there. Not sure about the rest of the country, but here in Massachusetts, propane refilling has been priced by volume vs. a flat fee for several years.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I used to go to a U-haul on the other side of town, but started going to an actual propane supplier. Like the one that fills the 1000 gallon tanks. They're closer, it takes maybe 10 minutes by the time they fill and I pay, and they charge based on weight.

As far as empties go, I'd second the garage sale/craigslist route. And swap if necessary.

 

[Maylar]

Tractor Supply sells several different size tanks and refills them also.

Yep. A new empty tank for $30 and refill by volume for ~ $11. A TS just opened last year a half mile from home. Gonna check them out soon, I need 3 filled. Like others have said, when the expiration date comes I trade it in for a Blue Rhino and refill elsewhere when empty.

Seems like Lowes and Home Depot are showing 15 lb tanks now, not 20. Dunno what that's about.

 

[gcs]

Used to just swap em out at Lowes, got rid of the old tanks that way, but Tractor Supply just opened near me so I had two empties filled, No fuss, no waiting, and an offer to carry the tanks to the truck...best thing was when I paid, No sales tax on an Ag account.

 

[Happy Hapgood]

Aren’t they good for 12 years from date of manufacture, then require recertification every 5 after that?

You maybe right Sir. Been awhile since I've checked.

 

[Sid Post]

Yep. A new empty tank for $30 and refill by volume for ~ $11. A TS just opened last year a half mile from home. Gonna check them out soon, I need 3 filled. Like others have said, when the expiration date comes I trade it in for a Blue Rhino and refill elsewhere when empty.

Seems like Lowes and Home Depot are showing 15 lb tanks now, not 20. Dunno what that's about.

They are a 20# tank with 5# of concrete in them. This became the norm with big suppliers when propane prices spiked a couple of years ago.

 

[Gimmethecash]

I used to go to a U-haul on the other side of town, but started going to an actual propane supplier. Like the one that fills the 1000 gallon tanks. They're closer, it takes maybe 10 minutes by the time they fill and I pay, and they charge based on weight.

Same here - the supplier I go to is super fast and cheaper too.

 

[cholloway]

Yes and I think it's BS when they do that. All they have to do is change the valve, the tank is the same tank it's always been. If they can clean,repaint, and put a new label on them then they can surely change the valve. I traded in an old tank and got lucky and they never looked at it but it would have been rejected if they did.

Tanks with expired dates are not thrown away!
When you trade in a tank it must go thru a hydrostatic leak test if the expiration date has lapsed.
They won't look at the date when you trade it in. All of that is done at the refill facility.

 

[Gimmethecash]

I just had four 20-lb tanks filled (three were empty, one was half full and just topping it off) at my favorite propane supply place for $28 and change. (plus $35 each for the two tanks I bought while I was there)

13.7 gallons @ $2.08/gallon.

 

[SmokerKing]

Costco - new tank and fill