When I MIG Weld, How Long Will My Tank of Shielding Gas Last?

When I MIG Weld, How Long Will My Tank of Shielding Gas Last?
By: Corey Smith

I don’t know how many times I’ve been asked by a customer how long a tank of shielding gas will last when MIG welding. If unused, a properly functioning cylinder (no leaks in the valve) will probably hold its contents for as long as you and I will be living on this earth, and not lose a PSI. When used, that’s when it gets hard to tell how long a tank of gas will last. What I was taught in regards to this doesn’t really answer the question, but it does give customers a decent idea of what to expect.

These approximations are assuming the regulator is set to 30 CFH (+/- 5 CFH or so) for the gas flow.

If you were to get the welder completely set up and ready to make some sparks you could hold the trigger for about….

…. 3 straight hours with a 80 cu. Ft. cylinder before the gas will run out.

…. 6 straight hours with a 150 cu. Ft. cylinder before the gas will run out.

…. 10-12 straight hours with a 300 cu. Ft. cylinder before the gas will run out.

Like I said, this answer doesn’t exactly offer the explanation the customer was looking for. There are so many variables when it comes to MIG welding including things like wire feed speed, exact CFH for gas flow, and others. I’d love to be able to give my customers a better answer. Please let me know what you say about how long a tank of shielding gas lasts in relation to how many spools of wire you go through with one tank.

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