Used/New Liquid Nitrogen Tank Questions

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2/B or not 2/B

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I've been looking at semen tanks and I found a used Taylor Wharton 34XT that I can get for $350 plus about $60 shipping. The tank is 7-8 years old and is in use by the current owner. When new, this tank has a 212 day working duration. Full weight is about 95 lbs. I like the fact that it wouldn't have to be filled too often, but it's bigger than we need and really heavy. It seems like a good deal and looks to be in very good condition but I don't know if I should be concerned about its age or not.

A new Taylor Wharton 20XT is $500 plus $30 shipping. Working duration for this size is 140 days. Full weight is about 63 lbs. It would have to be filled more often but it would be easier for me to move around.

I'd like to get a tank but I don't want to pay an arm and a leg. Do you think the bigger used tank is an outstanding deal, or should I consider paying more for the smaller new tank or even holding out to eventually find the smaller tank used?

Any feedback is appreciated and if anyone wants to see more detailed specs about these tanks, I found a random goat website that breaks it down nicely: http://www.barr5semenservice.com/taylorwhartonxt.html
 
I wouldn't buy a used tank especially an 8 year old one. A tank that old is bound to fail sooner rather than later and when it does fail you will lose all the semen in the tank. Now I don't know what most carry for semen in their tanks but I have some very valuable semen in mine and I would hate to think how much money would go up just like that should the tank fail. The little bit you have to pay extra for a new tank is well worth the expense in my opinion.
 
Thanks novaman, I don't know the normal life span of a tank or what might cause them to fail so that's helpful. It seems like the neck core is the only part and that's replaceable. But for over $1,000 new I figure there must be something real special about how they're made, I just don't know what it is.
 
Buy what you need

Buy new if at all possible

Move it as little as possible and it will last for years - store it in a nice quiet and out of the way area.

You do not say how much you plan to store - but why not look at having it stored for you.

We use Eastern Breeders or a subsidiary - costs about 15 bucks a month and we have a hundred or so straws on their site. They deliver or I fetch. Lots of folks have far more semen on site than they would ever use - someone else does the work, carries the loss insurance and delivers - what more could I ask for?

You might be able to find something similar if you hunt around - God knows there are literally tonnes and tonnes of ag businesses in the US - certainly far more than in Canada - and generally far closer than what we would find in this country as well.

DO NOT CHEAP OUT if you buy your own - do not go over big - lots out there for less than a thousand bucks - and do not move it around - they last longer

Good luck to you

Cheers

Bez+
 
Bez+":3tb5gyw6 said:
Buy what you need

Buy new if at all possible

Move it as little as possible and it will last for years - store it in a nice quiet and out of the way area.

You do not say how much you plan to store - but why not look at having it stored for you.

We use Eastern Breeders or a subsidiary - costs about 15 bucks a month and we have a hundred or so straws on their site. They deliver or I fetch. Lots of folks have far more semen on site than they would ever use - someone else does the work, carries the loss insurance and delivers - what more could I ask for?

You might be able to find something similar if you hunt around - God knows there are literally tonnes and tonnes of ag businesses in the US - certainly far more than in Canada - and generally far closer than what we would find in this country as well.

DO NOT CHEAP OUT if you buy your own - do not go over big - lots out there for less than a thousand bucks - and do not move it around - they last longer

Good luck to you

Cheers

Bez+


Same here. Genex stores ours for us.
 
Thank you, Bez+! The only time I could see moving it around would be when acquiring straws within driving distance, like from a private sale. I can't imagine it would be very often. Would that be a problem or do you have to use a small shipper type container to do that? The feedback is much appreciated. As far as storing off site, I will follow that lead and see what I find out.
 
While we do the same as Bez with EBI, I have often wondered what they would say if I wanted to store semen sourced from elsewhere?

If I was going to go heavy on AI I would buy a new tank from my main semen source. Back to the service/warranty issue.
 
AngusLimoX":3v6mfpr1 said:
While we do the same as Bez with EBI, I have often wondered what they would say if I wanted to store semen sourced from elsewhere?

If I was going to go heavy on AI I would buy a new tank from my main semen source. Back to the service/warranty issue.

We source from all over and there is not a hiccup.

I have some from Cutler Herfs in Alberta - Cutler shipped that direct to us and I dropped it off at the local AI tech - he in turn put it in his company's tank.

Got some from Australia and some from BC - I think there is some from a private outfit near frenchie (have not seen him here in a long time) in Manitoba.

I even have some from Northern Rancher (Meadow Lake / God's Country) in the tank - and I think that came through Genex or Genervations - cannot remember

You are renting space and they do not care where the stuff comes from. In fact the monthly bill is one of those annoying features - so we just cut a cheque at the start of the year for basic annual rent and square up at the end as the price fluctuates a bit as the number of straws goes up and down over the space of a year.

Sometimes they owe us and we just credit it out and sometimes we owe them - and we just add it on to the upcoming years cheque

We have been doing this for about 7-8 years now and I would never go back.

Break, break ....

2/B or not 2/B:

As for picking it up you have some options - the seller can ship it to your storage location for you, or you can ship it - in a small thernos sized tank - all courier outfits will handle nitrogen tanks - or you can do what we do sometimes - take a small thermos sized tank and do it yourself - when I buy straws I get a little N from the seller to put in the thermos sized tank - seal it and ship it or seal it and haul it.

There are so many ways to do it that the list is almost endless

Look in the end you will do what you want to do - but if you can imagine it - someone will do it for you - or you can do it yourself.

One nice thing about off site storage - they have expertise, insurance, technical ability and up to date equipment and the biggie - a lot more N than you do.

Regards

Bez+
 
Thx for clearing that up Bez re: outsourced straws.

The thing with the cheques is the only (minor) headache and we normally write 2 or 3 a year and generally try to run a credit. Really a good deal unless you really want to do the tech stuff yourself.
 
Okay, so if I were using a tech I might be storing off site and the tech would be the one transporting my straws here when they came to inseminate? And I wouldn't need my own tank/container at all?

Or, if I were storing off site but doing my own tech, I'd have a small tank or a shipper/thermos for getting the straws here from storage OR I'd be having them shipped here when I needed them and I'd still need a small container to transfer them to?

I don't mean to sound dense...I just want to be sure I'm understanding correctly.
 
2/B or not 2/B":7jljz2km said:
Okay, so if I were using a tech I might be storing off site and the tech would be the one transporting my straws here when they came to inseminate? And I wouldn't need my own tank/container at all?

Or, if I were storing off site but doing my own tech, I'd have a small tank or a shipper/thermos for getting the straws here from storage OR I'd be having them shipped here when I needed them and I'd still need a small container to transfer them to?

I don't mean to sound dense...I just want to be sure I'm understanding correctly.


Correct, or you can have the company ship the straws to the ai tech and he can put them in his tank and you can use em up when he gets over there.
 
2/B or not 2/B":rgl1lrhg said:
Okay, so if I were using a tech I might be storing off site and the tech would be the one transporting my straws here when they came to inseminate? And I wouldn't need my own tank/container at all?

Or, if I were storing off site but doing my own tech, I'd have a small tank or a shipper/thermos for getting the straws here from storage OR I'd be having them shipped here when I needed them and I'd still need a small container to transfer them to?

I don't mean to sound dense...I just want to be sure I'm understanding correctly.

Correct except for one thing.

"I'd still need a small container to transfer them to?" Nope - they come in one - get it delivered a day before you plan to use it - keep the straws in the delivery container - when you are finished - ship the empty container back - no need for one on the farm.

Mind you - if you WANT one - then go for it. We just never saw the need.

Cheers

Bez+
 
If you are going to do the AI your self get a tank. MVE has a add at the bottom of the of this page, check there prices. I have a old Linde that i bought used. I knew the guy i bought i from and that the tank had been well cared for. Got the tank AI kit and all the semen that was in the tank for $300.00.But it is a big heavy tank. Brother has a new MVE lot smaller tank holds more semen and holds nitrogen longer. And it is alot easier to transport from place to place.
 
Red Bull Breeder":364u15t5 said:
If you are going to do the AI your self get a tank. MVE has a add at the bottom of the of this page, check there prices. I have a old Linde that i bought used. I knew the guy i bought i from and that the tank had been well cared for. Got the tank AI kit and all the semen that was in the tank for $300.00.But it is a big heavy tank. Brother has a new MVE lot smaller tank holds more semen and holds nitrogen longer. And it is alot easier to transport from place to place.

How much (generally) to keep them topped up with N?
 
AngusLimoX":31v6jyxx said:
Red Bull Breeder":31v6jyxx said:
If you are going to do the AI your self get a tank. MVE has a add at the bottom of the of this page, check there prices. I have a old Linde that i bought used. I knew the guy i bought i from and that the tank had been well cared for. Got the tank AI kit and all the semen that was in the tank for $300.00.But it is a big heavy tank. Brother has a new MVE lot smaller tank holds more semen and holds nitrogen longer. And it is alot easier to transport from place to place.

How much (generally) to keep them topped up with N?
Mine runs 20 bucks every 4 months or so
 
Something that needs to be considred when owning a tank is how easy is it to have it filled regularly. Here it's not a big deal, the ABS guy comes on a schedule and keeps it filled. In the San Joaquin valley I had to go over to the local stud about 10 minutes away to have it filled. In the Mojave Desert it was a 3 hour drive both ways to get it filled.
 
It costs me 200$ a year to have my semen tank kept full, and every straw of semen I buy per year equals a dollar off that. Really convenient as they just come every six weeks to top it off. If I was going to hire a tech to do the breeding, I would let them carry the semen. I do my own breeding, and I can't imagine going to pick up semen, or having it shipped everytime there is a cow in heat. A tank will easily last 20 years if not moved around alot. Get the smaller tank, as there will be times that you need to move it, and the smaller lighter tank will be easier to move without swaying and such, being easier on your tank. If you get the bigger one, always move it with two people.
 
Thanks all for the good info. If you think of anything else pls. let me know. Dun, you don't remember the stud you used in the San Joaquin Valley do you? Select Sires has a location in Turlock, but that's not very close to here. Alta Genetics has a place in Fresno, but I'm not sure what exactly they do there and I'm waiting for them to get back to me. They're a dairy company.
 
2/B or not 2/B":3ipcqxok said:
Thanks all for the good info. If you think of anything else pls. let me know. Dun, you don't remember the stud you used in the San Joaquin Valley do you? Select Sires has a location in Turlock, but that's not very close to here. Alta Genetics has a place in Fresno, but I'm not sure what exactly they do there and I'm waiting for them to get back to me. They're a dairy company.
It was a branch of Carnation Genetics that closed down. I sold my AI service in the early 80s. If you have any dairys around you could check with them to see who they use for nitrogen. Alta should be able and willing to fill your tank. The stud I had to drive so far for was Excelsior Farms which was all dairy semen, at that time they were a cooperative with Carnation and ABS for beef semen.
 

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