Where to find CO2 cylinders (other than LFS or MO)

[Delphinus]

Ok, I am totally out of my element here. Can someone please answer me the following:

Why do people purchase their cylinders? Most places I am calling are outright hostile to the idea that a person may ever want to buy one. Air Liquide went so far to tell me "it is IMPOSSIBLE to purchase the cylinders in Canada. You HAVE to rent them." So, who's all renting their cylinders for their reactors? Are you renting or owning the cylinder? If not renting, why not? What is the advantage of owning over renting?

I had no idea it had to be this difficult to get into a calcium reactor. I found a Fire Extinguisher place that could sell me a 15lb cylinder hydrostatic tested and certified to 3000lbs. for $50, but no valve. As they are a "Fire Extinguisher" place they cannot provide me with anything but a "fire extinguisher" type valve. (For one thing it's a levered type valve, not a gate type valve, I suppose.) So I call places like Air Liquide, BOC, Praxair, and they're all "well why would you want to buy a valve? The cylinders that you RENT come with valves. And obviously you are RENTING your cylinder because we REFUSE to sell you a cylinder." So great. Even if I find a cylinder, I now cannot purchase the valve from these guys. And I am not calling some fly-by-night outfit either. These are BOC, Praxair, Air Liquide that are telling me this. I can't beleive I am the first person to be calling these places with a calcium reactor application in mind.

I must be asking the wrong questions still when I call these places. Oh well, the wine brew places are about to open (I don't think they open before 11 out here) so I can start calling them and enter myself into a whole new world of frustration (I can just see it now "why do you want to BUY a cylinder? You must be STOOOPID!!!")

sigh .... Why does it have to be this difficult?