coores14

I’m shopping quotes for a new tank for my 32 Blackfin. 300 gallons. Exact replacement for what’s in there.
so far, over the last 4 months I’ve had two places give me the time of day.
Sunshine Tanks and Welding World.
both in Miami.

I sent the exact same drawing to both places.
When all is said and done, Welding World is almost a grand cheaper than Sunshine.

question - is Sunshine THAT much better? I know they have a great reputation and build tanks for pretty much all the big boat builders. Wouldn’t be surprised if my Whitewater has Sunshine tanks.

But does anyone know about Welding World? They have a nice website, they claim to meet all the testing and build standards for USCG, abyc, etc. I can’t see any legit reason they’re not good enough. Same materials used too.

so what does the extra nearly 1,000 bucks get me from Sunshine?

anyone with experience with these two places please chime in.
fyi - I’m tired of shopping around. I don’t really want to be told “go try such and such”. I’ve placed calls/emails to lots of tank builders here in FL and these are the only two that gave a shit enough to respond.

westco

I got quotes few months ago and Sunshine was the highest of all of them, they also had the longest turnaround

coores14

yeah they’re six weeks out right now. Welding World hasn’t said yet, but their fine print does say that the job starts immediately upon design approval.

chrisrack

Check to see if both are using the same materials (thickness, type of aluminum). If both are the same (and it's most likely that both are the same) then go with the cheaper option.

TripleCrownNC

Sunshine has a great reputation and is what is in my boat. One thing that saved me money was to have the tank shipped to a commercial address.

coores14

both quotes say 5052 aluminum.
sunshine says .095
Welding World says .190

coores14

their shipping quote was $125, which is pennies.
Welding World didn’t give me a shipping quote but I don’t mind driving from key west to south Miami to pick either of them up. Especially if one saves me almost a grand.

chrisrack

Welding World is $1k cheaper and using a thicker/stronger material........ easy decision.

burningdaylight

$125 to ship is pennies, I agree. Do they require a forklift at the time of delivery? I'll bet your Uncle Todd over at Sub-Zero could help with that. I also have a forklift I could use up on the Pine if that's helpful.

Shamrock18

When I rebuilt my boat I looked at both. I went with Sunshine just because I knew their reputation and who they were making tanks for.

coores14

not sure. No clue what the thing will weigh. If I go pick it up, it’ll be in the bed of my truck. So once it gets down here I’ll figure out what’s needed. Wouldn’t be surprised if the yard I’ll be doing the work at has a forklift, if needed.

305seahunter

I went with Welding World for my boat. I felt the price was very fair and the job was done in a timely manner. They even offered to coal tar epoxy both tanks for a very reasonable amount. I walked their entire shop and was impressed with the operation. I went over the design with the guys right in the shop and we made sure everything was exactly how I wanted it. Tanks came out exactly how I wanted. And it was .125 thickness I believe.

KBH

I know that WhiteWater uses Sunshine Tanks, My buddy just replaced his tank in his 28 WW. They have the blueprints ready and available for all the boats they have done. I know my friend was quite impressed with them and their service.

coores14

good to hear, thanks. The coal tar epoxy is actually included in their quote, which I was pleasantly surprised to see. Sunshine has that as a 175$ add-on.

Lifeislarge

T-N-T in Ft. Pierce always answers the phone, made me an exact replica of my 110 gallon tank, USCG certified, 3/16ths aluminum, and it cost me less than $1200 out the door. Took them 2 weeks from approval to get it done.

deckape

Only thing I can add is check the welds for gaps ( start/stops ) as when welding aluminum you overheat the metal is you have a long run. Had tanks replaced and certified/pressure tested and after ten years started to leak. Leak was at a start/stop on length of tank. Very hard to see gap but it leaked. Go with heavy gauge and cold tar.

coores14

I went with Welding World. Couldn't justify the added cost for what seems like just the name.

OKAZAY

Definitely pay the extra for the coal tar epoxy, well worth the peace of mind for long term IMO !!

sammythetuna

your prob fine when I did my Blackfin tank I had prices thousands of dollars apart

When you reinstall be sure to elevate tank off the cockpit sole I used pvc lattice strips running lengthwise so water could
move past

coores14

included in the price from Welding World

that's the plan. PVC strips.