[Aussie Mike]

I run 2x E size bottles. 1 Argon for the TIG and one MIGshield for the MIG. E size are a lot easier to handle than the G size especially if you get an aluminum bottle. Refills run about $140 from memory through Air Liquide. I probably use a couple of bottles per year. The killer is the bottle rental at about $150 each bottle per year. Years ago you could do a 5 year lease for about $250.

I'm contemplating just running the 1 Argon bottle for everything. I've done a bit of testing with the MIG on Argon and it produces acceptable results.

Cheers