need some advice please

[luis]

I think it is because steel tanks rust up in sea water ...

James

IMO this is an ugly rumor started by USD to sell more aluminum tanks

A factory galvanized steel tank (and I wouldn’t buy any non galvanized tank) should never rust on the outside. Occasionally the hydro stamp may cut into the galvanized coat and may need to be touched up. But, rust will never travel under the galvanic protective coat.

If properly handled, the inside of the tank should never see enough moisture to cause any rust.

IMO many steel tanks are being converted into bells because ignorant dive shop owners claim they are to old. Age is totally irrelevant to steel. I smell another conspiracy rumor started by aluminum tanks manufacturers.


Disclaimer:
I will not deny that salt water will not rust a steel tank, but it has to get inside the tank.

[JES]

Thing is, back in the day, steel 72s did not cost very much and I don't remeber them being any more than an aluminum 80 or actually less. The overlap in time between when steel 72s went away and modern type aluminum 80s came on the scene was small however. I think it is because steel tanks rust up in sea water and a spate of incidents with the plastic lined tanks that haunts us to this day. I don't think it was cost. Does anyone have a price list from back then?

James

Remember, the original question was "did they change the al 80 after the 1980's if not why did they catch on, over the steel"

I humbly submit that in the 80's price was an continues to be a major factor.


FYI, the Luxfer 6351 alloy that led to sustained load cracking (SLC) was used to manufacture AL tanks in the U.S. from 1972 until mid 1988 (and 1958-1995 in England ) at which time Luxfer switched to the 6061 alloy which is not susceptible to SLC.

[Bryan]

EVERYONE ALREADY HAD STEEL CYLINDERS.......YOU CANNOT SELL PEOPLE WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE.. Double Hose regulators are dangerous! Now this brand new single hose regulator on the other hand is the ultimate in SCUBA diving equipment... Marketing 101

[luis]

EVERYONE ALREADY HAD STEEL CYLINDERS.......YOU CANNOT SELL PEOPLE WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE.. Double Hose regulators are dangerous! Now this brand new single hose regulator on the other hand is the ultimate in SCUBA diving equipment... Marketing 101

Reminds me of Microsoft, since they don’t really have a competition to badmouth they just badmouth there old operating systems. That is their only competition. Every time they bring out a new operating systems, the old one is junk. Windows 98, Windows NT, is all junk…only the latest is any good.

[standingup]

I personally believe the dive industry made a big mistake. They built a reg that could be repaired forever. ie. doube hose. That is the ultimate no no in mfg. Also would humbly suggest not changing the web site for spelling as there already is a preview button.

[JES]

EVERYONE ALREADY HAD STEEL CYLINDERS.......YOU CANNOT SELL PEOPLE WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE.. Double Hose regulators are dangerous! Now this brand new single hose regulator on the other hand is the ultimate in SCUBA diving equipment... Marketing 101

Don't forget that price can be used as a marketing tool (sell at or below cost to gain market share)... Marketing 201

[Nemrod]

I think that modern steel tanks today cost more than aluminum because they are a specialty market. I am pretty sure steel 72s were cheaper than aluminum 80s. None of the steel tanks on the market today compare in any way to an old steel 72 other than that they are steel.

I also remember the dive shop I worked for off and on during my undergrad college days abandoned steel tanks for the same reason I did largely--rust on the inside and outside and failing hydros and that liner issue later on.

Bryan, I know you love to tumble tanks, especialy steel tanks, huh

I think we are confusing current tank pricing with that of 30 years ago and I think it has flipped. I know someone out there has some old price lists--if I am wrong about the pricing then sorry but I am pretty certain the steels where cheaper than the aluminum tanks at the shop I worked at. In eiher case, I could not afford much of any of it at the time. In fact, I am pretty sure aluminum tanks are lower priced today than in 1980. Again, I may be wrong, JES and Luis, y'all can cut my hoses--if you can catch me .

Nemrod

[JES]

...Again, I may be wrong, JES and Luis, y'all can cut my hoses--if you can catch me .

Nemrod

There's no need to worry. After diving (i.e. trying to keep up) with you at Silver River, I can say first hand that we'll never be able to catch you.

[Nemrod]

Joe, they were all stirring up the water . I cannot help it if you and I stood in cold water by the bank holding to a log with wild monkeys going -eeehh--ahhhhaa--eehhhh for nearly an hour before we saw the first of the rest of the group catch up . You asked me to slow down so I did I did slow down .

Didn't many catalogs have a price sheet in them? Didn't ScubaPro continue selling steel 72s at least up to 1980? Where is "21" when you need him? We need like a Bat Symbol we can project so he can come tell us the answers to our confusions.

The thing I hate the most about aluminum tanks is the ugly--non vintage---flat bottom. If they were at least rounded it would be esier to pretend.

Nemrod

[luis]

I also remember the dive shop I worked for off and on during my undergrad college days abandoned steel tanks for the same reason I did largely--rust on the inside and outside and failing hydros and that liner issue later on.

Nemrod

You keep on spreading these ugly rumors. I am starting to think that you belong to the Aluminum Tank mafia cartel . You are not only mentioning the outside rusting (of a galvanized tank ) but now you are mentioning failing hydro . I can only remember seeing three galvanized steel tanks ever fail . The operator was so incompetent he didn’t know how to interpret his own test data . They did replaced my tanks . I used to work in a hydro testing facility and never saw a steel 72 fail a hydro.

[JES]

Joe, they were all stirring up the water . I cannot help it if you and I stood in cold water by the bank holding to a log with wild monkeys going -eeehh--ahhhhaa--eehhhh for nearly an hour before we saw the first of the rest of the group catch up . You asked me to slow down so I did I did slow down . .... Nemrod

Yes, this is all true but the truth be told I had a great time and would not have had it any other way.

For one hour we were true adventurers, standing in cold water by the bank holding to a log with wild monkeys going -eeehh--ahhhhaa--eehhhh before we saw the first divers from our group actually catch up.

Let's do it again next year!