Buying 1st tank - LDS, ST or Faber sale?

[Byte Me]

I'm in the market for my first tank and am leaning HP100. My LDS does HP fills and if I buy from them can get free lifetime fills, saving $7 per fill but, will have to pay $345 for worthington HDG x7 HP100 and will need to add sales tax. Alternately I could take advantage of the ST discount and get the same tank from them for less w/o free fills OR do the deal for ~$100 less w/ the dive direct sale and coupon thing going on.

For $100 I'm leaning towards the goodwill and free fills bonus of buying local, although goodwill can and should have been gained all along w/ classes & training.

Also have to consider lifespan and quality of the Worthington v Faber tanks....

[Vercingetorix]

At $7 each, that's only 15 fills before you break even at $100 Sounds good to me. Also depends upon how close your LDS is to you.(it is my LDS).

[crgjpg]

Do you plan on moving any time soon? With free fills for life it seems like you would save in the long run, depending on how much you dive. It would take you about 52 fills to break even with the total purchase of the tank. That is not very many in a lifetime. After that you would be saving money.

[mike_s]

Originally Posted by Byte Me

I'm in the market for my first tank and am leaning HP100. My LDS does HP fills and if I buy from them can get free lifetime fills, saving $7 per fill but, will have to pay $345 for worthington HDG x7 HP100 and will need to add sales tax. Alternately I could take advantage of the ST discount and get the same tank from them for less w/o free fills OR do the deal for ~$100 less w/ the dive direct sale and coupon thing going on.

For $100 I'm leaning towards the goodwill and free fills bonus of buying local, although goodwill can and should have been gained all along w/ classes & training.

Also have to consider lifespan and quality of the Worthington v Faber tanks....

I've got Faber FX100's. They are great tanks. Got them onsale at DiversDirect for $249. Got them over the worthingtons for the reason that the Worthingtons were $100 more per tank plus tax. (Didn't have to pay for the shipping on the Fabers.


With that said, the Worthington is a better tank. It has a better finish and a better valve.

If I could have gotten "Free Lifetime Fills", or even 15 free fills, then I would have bought the Worthington hands down.

To me your choice here is simple, the Worthington at your LDS with Lifetime fills is the way to go in the long run.

[Byte Me]

Originally Posted by crgjpg

Do you plan on moving any time soon? With free fills for life it seems like you would save in the long run, depending on how much you dive. It would take you about 52 fills to break even with the total purchase of the tank. That is not very many in a lifetime. After that you would be saving money.

Not moving any time soon and we live on a lake so I'd like to get in that sucker and see all the carp! Hopefully other fun stuff besides carp, but you never know.

Renting from LDS is $15/day per tank and they're on the way home from work.

[ReefHound]

The local free fills for life option would seem to be by far the best option if you intend to dive much locally, and if not you probably wouldn't be buying a tank. I'm always a bit wary of "for life" deals though, makes me wonder whose life we are talking about. It seems these deals (not talking about this particular one) are often made with the expectation that few people will actually take them up on it. Sometimes there are little asterisks that lead to fine print, too.

As long as the LDS doesn't come to resent you showing up for fills and not spending more money, go for it. Talk to some local divers who have taken that deal and see how it has worked out in practice.

[Byte Me]

Originally Posted by mike_s

I've got Faber FX100's. They are great tanks. Got them onsale at DiversDirect for $249. Got them over the worthingtons for the reason that the Worthingtons were $100 more per tank plus tax. (Didn't have to pay for the shipping on the Fabers.


With that said, the Worthington is a better tank. It has a better finish and a better valve.

If I could have gotten "Free Lifetime Fills", or even 15 free fills, then I would have bought the Worthington hands down.

To me your choice here is simple, the Worthington at your LDS with Lifetime fills is the way to go in the long run.

Sometimes the choice is that simple and you're just looking for a bit of reassurance! Thanks! That's why I like ST forum so much more than some others...

[jbres1]

The LDS offering you free air is a good deal for both you and the LDS.
You get free air, and the LDS gets you into their shop whenever you need air. The LDS is looking at the air as a way to get you in the shop where you may buy other items.
If I got this offer from a shop that was on my way home from work, I would not have spent over $6,000.00 for my own fill station. So now I am my own LDS kinda.
Jim Breslin

[BouzoukiJoe]

IIRC, my LDS gives 10 free air fills with each tank. My buddy got 50 free fills for buying a set of doubles.

[cummings66]

My LDS gives free fills for life with a cylinder you buy from them. It's the best deal ever and well worth spending extra money. If you dive a lot, you will eventually feel like they're paying you to dive. Only thing better would be free gas for life...