Every single propane bottle on the property is filled.
And all at the same extortionate price they’ve been charging all winter. Paging Dr. Murphy: The price is now free to crash.
Somebody might ask why I elected to use little BBQ bottles at this remote station, and the answer is obvious: it’s a remote station that involves carrying propane bottles down a steep grade with lots of loose gravel, and I’m a stiff old one-legged man. I am not now and have never met Paul Bunyan. Same reason I use 3-gallon water bottles when 5-gallon bottles would be more efficient.
Speaking of fuel, how much did the winte4r deplete your woodshed? I think this is the second or third winter where you have had to gather wood from the wild. How is that going?
I burned up most of what I had in the woodshed last winter, no surprise since I didn’t put up much new firewood last year. Wanted to clear it out as much as practical before the rats spoiled what was at the very back.
I have about five pallets to cut up and a bunch of branches I’ve hauled in all spring. Meant to work on it before now but allergy season hit me pretty hard this spring. I’ll get to it pretty quick, before it gets too hot.
Joel: What do you consider extortionate? The last time I filled a 20# bottle, it cost $20. This was a few years ago…
We went to 2.5 gal water jugs in stead of 5 gal several years ago! Even my 40some daughter gave up on the 5’s. I quit the 7 gal jugs at least fifteen years ago even before back surgery!
Here in east central Florida, a 20 pound bottle costs about $16.
Mark, is that $16 for a “refill” or “swap”? The swap cylinders typically are 15 lbs, not the full 20 but swaps seem to cost about the same as a full refill. Faster and more convenient to swap but you’ll be back 25% sooner.
RE: east CF – when I was there BJ’s near Alafaya was the cheapest propane refill deal. Farther east than that, I dunno, I have no clue what’s available in Bithlo.
Eduardo, you don’t want to use swaps if it’s at all possible to avoid it. Not only are they not filled all the way, but they are worn out and leaky and the propane costs twice as much. Around here the cost is $3/gallon plus or minus (yes, it’s a pain to constantly figure out gallons versus pounds). I use 40# tanks which hold about 9.7 gallons.
Joel, I’ve never seen you use a hand truck. Are they practical on your rough ground? Mine have 12″ rubber tires, and I couldn’t survive without them.
Refill. Of course, the swaps are good for a tank exchange when the one you own is expired and the refill stations won’t touch it. Sure, you get less gas the first time, but you still get the full tank when you bring it back for a refill and it costs less than buying a new tank. And you can check the expiration date before buying the swap!
Since people tend not to throw good handtrucks away, I don’t have one. I do have a cheap-ass handtruck but it’s useless on rough ground. I use it to move my #40 kitchen bottles around my yard, but for almost anything else it’s more trouble than it’s worth.
And you’re right about swaps – they almost entirely serve only casual grillers who can’t be bothered to have their own bottles filled. The single exception is when the valve on a little #20 bottle fails. If you swap an empty damaged bottle for a semi-full functioning bottle, it’s expensive but still cheaper than replacing or repairing the damaged bottle. The vendors do not care: Their economies of scale are entirely different from yours. They can replace a valve much more cheaply than you can and they usually get a less worn bottle out of the deal.
Hey Joel, one thing you can do is look out for an older golf pull cart. They can be easily modified to carry propane cylinders. Here’s an example of the type I’m talking about.
https://www.amazon.com/World-Golf-Deluxe-Steel-Cart/dp/B000LOYSSK/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Golf%2BPull%2BCarts&qid=1686065233&sr=8-2&th=1
By adding a pair of aluminum angle lengths connecting the top bracket to the lower bracket and a spacer to separate two propane bottles, you should be good to go. With the wide track and wheels, this should make moving propane bottles a lot easier.