Just returned from the Kimberly via Alice Springs, Katherine, Derby etc. Getting a 9kg gas refill has become and real pain. One man service station operation has meant Swap & Go only or leave empty and pick up tomorrow. I don't about you but I find Swap & Go cylinders vary in size (dia) so I would have to carry a tape measure to check fit on my van mtg. Many of these cylinders don't look well maintained. So I much prefer to refill my own well maintained cylinder. Finding a refiller is now a real problem, in Mildura I had to ask around, found Mitre10 or plumbers supply only ones in town. LP gas for automotive use was in short supply in the outback, recent government tax increase has pushed the price up, some towns were $1:39 lt where diesel was 1:44Lt
Bobdown said
04:48 PM Sep 4, 2019
Agree Macca70, same at Port Augusta coming home, Mitre 10 only one that did refills.
I have new 9 kg bottles that fit perfect and have 8 years left on life, will swap later, cheaper to refill also.
Cheers Bob
Aus-Kiwi said
05:21 PM Sep 4, 2019
Weigh them . Im sure some dont fill them
Out there . Not cheap either . Pays to ask the locals who has to he best LPG . Saved up to $20 .
Relax-n said
07:01 PM Sep 4, 2019
When we were in Mildura in May, we were told BCF did refills. We went to the TJM guys just down the road from the BCF shop complex, more industrial area. Bargain at $20 for a refill 9kg.
We have our almost new bottle, which we use when no 1 bottle empties. No 1 bottle can then then be swapped if not able to fill. Havent had too many places that cant get bottle filled, but it is getting harder to find them.
Long Weekend said
08:24 PM Sep 4, 2019
One of our 9kg bottles ran out at Shepparton in July. After swapping over the second one we drove down to Geelong where the local caravan park told us that Anaconda do refills. About three kms from the caravan park we left our bottle with them and returned later that morning to find the filled bottle waiting for us. Cost was $19.95!
Not sure how widespread Anaconda stores are although there is one here in Canberra. Haven't enquired whether the Canberra store also does refills.
Murray
Umpie1 said
08:42 PM Sep 4, 2019
There is a website, gasbottlesrefill.com.au. Enter the postcode or town and you will have the info re gas in the area. You can even add/amend a price on site.
Farmhat said
10:34 PM Sep 4, 2019
Anaconda and BCF are usually my first go to for gas. They are normally the cheapest around.
The Riverdale Caravan Park at Bundaberg were $20.00 for a 9 kilo bottle when I stopped by last week.
Joe
The Belmont Bear said
07:04 AM Sep 5, 2019
I usually refill my Swap and Go cylinders if they happen to get too close to their inspection date or there is no manual filling available I just swap them.
Cheers
BB
Tones said
09:39 AM Sep 5, 2019
I don't know about Android phone users, but if you have an iphone, there is an App available in the App store for Swap n Go which is Australia wide. It works off your current location and tells you where local agents are in your area.
Tones
Cupie said
10:40 AM Sep 5, 2019
The Belmont Bear wrote:
I usually refill my Swap and Go cylinders if they happen to get too close to their inspection date or there is no manual filling available I just swap them.
Cheers
BB
Me too, and where I can I sort thru the swap bottles to get one that has a long expiry time left & is the right size. Amazing how many swap & go ones are in fact out of date. I too don't think that they fill them right up.
I rotate my bottles thru the BBQ, gas Pizza oven and van to ensure that I always have two full ones on board when I leave home. I find that BCF are always at a competitive price & they fill them right up. On the road I use the previously mentioned web site to check availability/price.
I got a good deal at Cunamulla recently. The bulk fuel outlet would swap them but for a ridiculous price. The attendant suggested that I go to a fabricator workshop just up the road who did a refill at around $20 cash.
denmonkey said
12:15 PM Sep 6, 2019
got caught out with a swap and go a little while back,
I went in with a 9kg and a 2kg with intent to have them both filled. the 9kg was a swap and go tank anyway, but with no discernable mark on it, they said they could only swap it.
All good swapped it and filled the 2kg.
Got home to find they had given me a 8.5kg which is shorter and fatter and does not fit on the draw bar of the van.
All good, I had a 9kg on the bbq to throw in, so swapped them around.
Won't be getting caught there again.
so definitely worth checking what they hand you before heading off.
cheers Brett
Craig1 said
05:29 PM Sep 6, 2019
$19.95 at BCF Albury this week for a Refill. Anaconda is only 3 doors down, but did not have a price outside, but 3 big bottles for refills.
The Travelling Dillberries said
07:06 PM Sep 6, 2019
We find the Wiki gas finder App up to date. Shows refill and exchange sites and costs for Australia.
Phillipn said
10:14 PM Sep 6, 2019
Craig1 wrote:
$19.95 at BCF Albury this week for a Refill. Anaconda is only 3 doors down, but did not have a price outside, but 3 big bottles for refills.
Anaconda Toowoomba, refill today $19.95.
The Belmont Bear said
11:01 AM Sep 7, 2019
I had a problem last year when I went to fill a swap and go that I had gotten from Bunnings - BCF wouldnt refill it as the cylinder was out of date. As Brett suggested it pays to check the bottle out properly when you do a swap who knows how long they have been sitting around especially in places that they dont have a lot of turnover.
Cheers
BB
Cupie said
11:38 AM Sep 7, 2019
The Belmont Bear wrote:
I had a problem last year when I went to fill a swap and go that I had gotten from Bunnings - BCF wouldnt refill it as the cylinder was out of date. As Brett suggested it pays to check the bottle out properly when you do a swap who knows how long they have been sitting around especially in places that they dont have a lot of turnover.
Cheers
BB
I find so many swap & go bottles that are out of date, that I now assume that they must test every bottle as part of their refill process but don't stamp them, thus discouraging us from using the refill option when the bottle is empty. Maybe even a bit like making them more safe by not fully filling the bottle.
This seems like the unethical 'smart' business practices that so many of our modern day companies employ .. perhaps justifying their decision by all sorts of 'clever/slick' marketing, like claiming that to test all bottles provides an even safer product, a process that is made affordable by not going to the extra time consuming step of stamping bottles. All modern day free market place competition BS IMHO.
Perhaps we need yet another regulation requiring that after testing, bottles MUST be stamped (of course I am assuming that this is not currently the case). But then we would hear 'nanny state' screams from the free marketeers amongst us.
End of cynical leftie rant LOL
-- Edited by Cupie on Saturday 7th of September 2019 11:39:32 AM
oldbloke said
10:11 PM Sep 7, 2019
There is a web site. gasbottlerefills.com Give you prices in the area. Very handy.
TheHeaths said
06:58 AM Sep 8, 2019
Just check dates of the printing on gasbottlerefills.com as like most of the fuel type sites, it relies on input from users.
Just checked Mount Isa, and latest price shown was for 2017.
Just returned from the Kimberly via Alice Springs, Katherine, Derby etc. Getting a 9kg gas refill has become and real pain. One man service station operation has meant Swap & Go only or leave empty and pick up tomorrow. I don't about you but I find Swap & Go cylinders vary in size (dia) so I would have to carry a tape measure to check fit on my van mtg. Many of these cylinders don't look well maintained. So I much prefer to refill my own well maintained cylinder. Finding a refiller is now a real problem, in Mildura I had to ask around, found Mitre10 or plumbers supply only ones in town. LP gas for automotive use was in short supply in the outback, recent government tax increase has pushed the price up, some towns were $1:39 lt where diesel was 1:44Lt
I have new 9 kg bottles that fit perfect and have 8 years left on life, will swap later, cheaper to refill also.
Cheers Bob
Out there . Not cheap either . Pays to ask the locals who has to he best LPG . Saved up to $20 .
When we were in Mildura in May, we were told BCF did refills. We went to the TJM guys just down the road from the BCF shop complex, more industrial area. Bargain at $20 for a refill 9kg.
We have our almost new bottle, which we use when no 1 bottle empties. No 1 bottle can then then be swapped if not able to fill. Havent had too many places that cant get bottle filled, but it is getting harder to find them.
Not sure how widespread Anaconda stores are although there is one here in Canberra. Haven't enquired whether the Canberra store also does refills.
Murray
I usually refill my Swap and Go cylinders if they happen to get too close to their inspection date or there is no manual filling available I just swap them.
Cheers
BB
I don't know about Android phone users, but if you have an iphone, there is an App available in the App store for Swap n Go which is Australia wide. It works off your current location and tells you where local agents are in your area.
Tones
Me too, and where I can I sort thru the swap bottles to get one that has a long expiry time left & is the right size. Amazing how many swap & go ones are in fact out of date. I too don't think that they fill them right up.
I rotate my bottles thru the BBQ, gas Pizza oven and van to ensure that I always have two full ones on board when I leave home. I find that BCF are always at a competitive price & they fill them right up. On the road I use the previously mentioned web site to check availability/price.
I got a good deal at Cunamulla recently. The bulk fuel outlet would swap them but for a ridiculous price. The attendant suggested that I go to a fabricator workshop just up the road who did a refill at around $20 cash.
I went in with a 9kg and a 2kg with intent to have them both filled. the 9kg was a swap and go tank anyway, but with no discernable mark on it, they said they could only swap it.
All good swapped it and filled the 2kg.
Got home to find they had given me a 8.5kg which is shorter and fatter and does not fit on the draw bar of the van.
All good, I had a 9kg on the bbq to throw in, so swapped them around.
Won't be getting caught there again.
so definitely worth checking what they hand you before heading off.
cheers Brett
We find the Wiki gas finder App up to date. Shows refill and exchange sites and costs for Australia.
Anaconda Toowoomba, refill today $19.95.
I had a problem last year when I went to fill a swap and go that I had gotten from Bunnings - BCF wouldnt refill it as the cylinder was out of date. As Brett suggested it pays to check the bottle out properly when you do a swap who knows how long they have been sitting around especially in places that they dont have a lot of turnover.
Cheers
BB
I find so many swap & go bottles that are out of date, that I now assume that they must test every bottle as part of their refill process but don't stamp them, thus discouraging us from using the refill option when the bottle is empty. Maybe even a bit like making them more safe by not fully filling the bottle.
This seems like the unethical 'smart' business practices that so many of our modern day companies employ .. perhaps justifying their decision by all sorts of 'clever/slick' marketing, like claiming that to test all bottles provides an even safer product, a process that is made affordable by not going to the extra time consuming step of stamping bottles. All modern day free market place competition BS IMHO.
Perhaps we need yet another regulation requiring that after testing, bottles MUST be stamped (of course I am assuming that this is not currently the case). But then we would hear 'nanny state' screams from the free marketeers amongst us.
End of cynical leftie rant LOL
-- Edited by Cupie on Saturday 7th of September 2019 11:39:32 AM
Just checked Mount Isa, and latest price shown was for 2017.