tank regs and bottles

[pintbuster]

My two tanks are 20 years old this month, so no longer any good. Are the regulators worth keeping, or is new stuff way better?
Are the tanks themselves the same size, or have they shrunk too?
I have been looking at the 45ci ninja tanks with ultralight reg for around $200, good for a mech cocker?

[Toestr]

Regs might be worth keeping depending on what they are. Most of the adjustable ones are sought after. Preset regs really depends on what it is and if it's rebuildable.

You are correct that bottles of a given size have gotten smaller. The common wisdom I hear is that new 77 or 80s are the equivalent of old 68s.

Ninja is a good brand. I'd recommend getting a tank with a steel or brass bonnet because aluminum threads wear out and gall if used on a plain ASA.

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[Macdave06]

I'll second the brass bonnet thing. My brother recently got his reg stuck in his ASA and it pulled a chunk of the threads taking it out.

As far as the size 68ci is 68ci. They are shaped a bit different though. I'll get a pic of my ninja next to an old tank so you can see a side by side.

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[glaman5266]

Tanks have become fatter & shorter. The 77s are shorter like the old 68s but slightly larger in diameter. Honestly, I really dislike that aspect of newer tanks. The 45/4500s are still the same size though, at least my Ninja 45/45 is.

I'll third the brass bonnet thing. If you use ONLY on/off ASAs then you could go aluminum. But if not then go brass. The weight savings, if any, is negligible. Brass is the best material if you use a variety of ASAs.

[Trbo323]

Tanks have become fatter & shorter. The 77s are shorter like the old 68s but slightly larger in diameter. Honestly, I really dislike that aspect of newer tanks.

This depends on the exact tank. I have a ninja sl2 77 that I have in a dye rhino 68 tank cover, it fits perfect. I have a second standard ninja 68 that fits but it's a pretty tight squeeze

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[Spider!]

If you don't need the high volume, the 45s are very nice.

I ran 68s for a long time. I bought a used 45 for my angel A1 fly, then started using that tank more and more. When that one needed hydro, I found a ninja ultralight 45. It is now my largest in-hydro tank (maybe in-life, oof).

[Cdn_Cuda]

I love me some 45-48 CU tanks. I have short T-rex arms as my wife likes to say so they are the most comfortable for me. In Canada they have the added bonus of not needing to be hydro'd for the life of the tank.