Oxycon for Red Max?

mamagerbs · #1 2011-09-25, 6:48am

I have been using bottled oxygen for my RedMax with great success. However, the company I get them from will not deliver to residential customers. So I end up carrying them in my car or in the back of our pick up truck; does not give me the safety warm and fuzzies. I am considering getting an Oxycon. Sundance's website says I can get 95% (what? efficiency?) with either one H-1 or two EX-15's or 1 Cyclone.
Has anyone run any of these with a RedMax? It sounds like it might save me money in the long run, and keep us all safer. What do you think?

oftenred · #2 2011-09-25, 8:13am

I use a redmax with premix upper on ex-15's. It really takes 3 ex-15's to run mine....2 will make it work but it is pretty much a unusable flame. Have not used a h-1 so no help there. There is someone who has a u-tube video of a red max running on one, two, and three ex-15 or m-15. Find that and you will get a good idea of what it looks like...good luck!!

LarryC · #3 2011-09-25, 8:20am

How do you fill your propane tank? It is much safer to transport Oxy than it is Propane. As long as you never transport or move the Oxy tanks without the safety cover secured over the valve it is very safe. I think you are worrying about the wrong things here.

Myra · #4 2011-09-25, 10:34am

I now run my RedMax on 2 - M20's that I got from Oxydoc and am quite pleased. Hauling those O2 tanks was such a pain and quite a distance to get refilled. Couldn't be happier with the oxycons.
Good luck.

menty666 · #5 2011-09-25, 10:40am

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryC

How do you fill your propane tank? It is much safer to transport Oxy than it is Propane. As long as you never transport or move the Oxy tanks without the safety cover secured over the valve it is very safe. I think you are worrying about the wrong things here.

Yeah, I haul the K's in my car, but I pay to have my 100# propane replacements delivered.

mamagerbs · #6 2011-09-25, 11:37am

I use a small bbq type propane tank and just exchange it at the gas station a couple blocks away. I have to go about 30 minutes on the highway for the oxy, so I feel I am more at risk of being in an accident and something happening with the O2 tanks then. I also go thru way more O2 than propane, so I'm exchanging those tanks pretty frequently. My other issue is with the weight of the tanks. It take everything my husband & I have to get the tanks in & out of the vehicles, and we're not getting any younger!

Myra · #7 2011-09-25, 2:21pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamagerbs

I use a small bbq type propane tank and just exchange it at the gas station a couple blocks away. I have to go about 30 minutes on the highway for the oxy, so I feel I am more at risk of being in an accident and something happening with the O2 tanks then. I also go thru way more O2 than propane, so I'm exchanging those tanks pretty frequently. My other issue is with the weight of the tanks. It take everything my husband & I have to get the tanks in & out of the vehicles, and we're not getting any younger!

I understand 100%. We were in the same situation as you; but drive for oxy was a bit longer and those tanks are rather heavy and cumbersome. It seemed that I was also running through the oxy very quickly.

I waited until Oxydoc offered free shipping and placed my order for the
2 - M20's and couldn't be happier. No more hauling those heavy tanks for me.

LarryC · #8 2011-09-25, 10:04pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamagerbs

I use a small bbq type propane tank and just exchange it at the gas station a couple blocks away. I have to go about 30 minutes on the highway for the oxy, so I feel I am more at risk of being in an accident and something happening with the O2 tanks then. I also go thru way more O2 than propane, so I'm exchanging those tanks pretty frequently. My other issue is with the weight of the tanks. It take everything my husband & I have to get the tanks in & out of the vehicles, and we're not getting any younger!

Yeah. On the average I would say I go through 5 times the oxy as propane which is right in line with theory. I guess I am fortunate to have my choice of 3 Gas suppliers within 10 minutes of my home and I only exchange my Ks about once a week right now and it is not physically taxing for me. Let us know how the Con works out.

Flame Ryder · #9 2011-09-26, 6:38am

I also run my RedMax on 2-M20 from Oxy Doc.

Works very well for me.

LePatron · #10 2011-09-27, 6:15pm

You need:

It's a Invacare Homefill and an Invacare Platinum XL, with a whip and adapter to connect it to your tanks. Fills a K tank in 35 hours, a 160cuft tank in 23.

The total system if craigslist/ebay sourced will run you around $1000. Roughly $300 for the concentrator and $600 for the homefill and then about $100 for the whip/adapter to your tanks.

Your total cost will be about $2-$3 to fill a tank and you never have to lug them around again.

Happy to help if you have any questions, I dont sell these or any parts or anything but can certainly help you get yours setup. Its easy, grandma could do it.

Or, alternatively, you can go to a concentrator, and lose all of your fun psi and flow abilities and purity and pay the same price for a multiple concentrator setup as you would the Homefill setup complete, if not much much more. The Homefill filled tanks will be around 95% pure, rather than 99% pure like you are used to, so you'll run through tanks lets say 10% faster than you are used to, but that is the only real downside if that can be considered one.

LisaF-R · #11 2011-09-27, 10:12pm

I'm running a Red Max with a Mega Minor top fire on 2 EX-15. I can't run both fires at the same time at maximum, but I just got a 3rd EX-15 and should be able to use use both fires simultaneously.

ABR Dave · #12 2011-09-28, 5:43am

We've had several people have success with 3 EX-15's on Red Max's. Seems to run pretty much full strength. I'd say about 95% or better.

nate-d · #13 2011-09-28, 7:25pm

LePatron how much extra is your electric bill running an oxycon for 35 hours at a time?

LarryC · #14 2011-09-28, 10:10pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by nate-d

LePatron how much extra is your electric bill running an oxycon for 35 hours at a time?

Not just the oxycon but the homefill compressor to the fill the tank as well. Once again, there is no free lunch.

Bunyip · #15 2011-09-29, 5:13am

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryC

Not just the oxycon but the homefill compressor to the fill the tank as well. Once again, there is no free lunch.

Actually, in some States, between State energy rebates, Federal tax credits and other incentives, you could go solar and the entire system would pay for itself in relatively short order.

Sadly, I live in Florida, the "Sunshine State". You'd think there would be an aggressive program in place - and there isn't. Oh well. Free Oxy would be nice.

LarryC · #16 2011-09-29, 9:45am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunyip

Actually, in some States, between State energy rebates, Federal tax credits and other incentives, you could go solar and the entire system would pay for itself in relatively short order.

Sadly, I live in Florida, the "Sunshine State". You'd think there would be an aggressive program in place - and there isn't. Oh well. Free Oxy would be nice.

Yeah...I have heard this too. Unfortunately it just isn't true here in California. I have researched installing a residential solar setup. The economics appear similar to purchasing a Hybrid vehicle. The initial cost is so high that you would most likely never pay it back. I run tanks and my Oxy cost is not high enough to justify any of these systems.

LePatron · #17 2011-09-29, 1:19pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by nate-d

LePatron how much extra is your electric bill running an oxycon for 35 hours at a time?

Electricity costs about $1.50-$2.00 to fill a tank. I never cared, since that's less in electric than it costs me in gas to go refill a tank from AirGas.

The system has paid for itself and then almost again already.

nate-d · #18 2011-09-30, 5:26am

Wow, I would have thought the electric would be as much as the tanked oxy. Thanks for the info.

LarryC · #19 2011-09-30, 7:09am

Quote:

Originally Posted by nate-d

Wow, I would have thought the electric would be as much as the tanked oxy. Thanks for the info.

In my case I think it would be close. Our electric is quite high here. Check what you are paying per kilowatt hour and calculate based on the specs for the homefill and oxycon to run and then compare to your tank fill cost.

nate-d · #20 2011-09-30, 12:06pm

1 M20 oxycon = 650 watts. 650/1000 = .650kwh x 36 hours = 23.4kwh x 12.5 cents per kilowatt hour(FPL) = $2.93

This is what my shaky math skills came up with. I am assuming that 1 kilowatt hour is 1,000 watts per hour. Sounds really cheap and if someone found a mistake with my math/assumtions I would not be surprised.

LePatron · #21 2011-09-30, 1:02pm

The $2.93 is for the K tanks, yup, your math is pretty good.

I'm pretty sure that you can take two homefills and one oxygen concentrator and split the oxy to two homefills and fill twice as fast too. I've yet to try it, but plan to if I ever start using more than one tank per day.

LarryC · #22 2011-09-30, 1:22pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by nate-d

1 M20 oxycon = 650 watts. 650/1000 = .650kwh x 36 hours = 23.4kwh x 12.5 cents per kilowatt hour(FPL) = $2.93

This is what my shaky math skills came up with. I am assuming that 1 kilowatt hour is 1,000 watts per hour. Sounds really cheap and if someone found a mistake with my math/assumtions I would not be surprised.

OK, seems about right....Now for the homefill as well?

LePatron · #23 2011-09-30, 1:26pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryC

OK, seems about right....Now for the homefill as well?

No that's for everything, it includes the homefill compressor and the platinum concentrator in the price.....

I run the Homefill compressor, Platinum concentrator, laptop, desktop, two monitors, a/v receiver and subwoofer off of one 15 amp circuit. The circuit only pops if I turn on the shop vac for a vac stack, and when I do those I just turn off the monitors.

LePatron · #24 2011-09-30, 1:29pm

Someone got a Homefill for a nice price on eBay today: http://www.ebay.com/itm/130581696559

$320 with free shipping, 9 hours on the unit. That's the deal you watch for, a lot of ppl try to get $800 for them and suckers will buy them at that price too.