After our recent ice storm and resulting nearly week long power outage, I'll be increasing my on-hand fuel storage, so I'm paying attention to this thread. Going to need to double my gas cans on hand.
Best fuel cans
- Thread starter grizz55chev
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if you need to store a lot, you could get a second hand 44 gallon drum and fill it with fuel? Around here we can get them for free or next to nothing, usually either clean or ex motor oil. then a pump isn't too much.
I have a 55 gallon drum still about 1/3rd full of kerosene, got a deal I couldn't pass up on it. It's a serious pain, I'd really rather have multiple smaller containers.
Edit:
Edit edit: Yellow Heet is methanol, perfect fuel for my Trangia camp stoves.
Edit:
Edit edit: Yellow Heet is methanol, perfect fuel for my Trangia camp stoves.
FrannyK
In my post I said to fill the plastic tank on the chain saw to the brim then check it six months later. The tank is plastic so is the 5 gallon jerry can.I doubt the contents in either will shrink in size.We ran a fishing resort for 49 years and stored thousands of gallons in metal drums and cans also in later years in 5 gallon plastic cans.
There were two main reasons why the volume of the cans shrunk with out you using it
caps not tight
a customer was stealing it this happened a fair bit.
Here is an interesting story on shrinking gas.Our resort was water accsses only we got our gas in 45 gallon barrels since gas is lighter than water it floats so we would put ropes on the barrels and roll them in the lake and tow them to the resort.My dad would give each cabin a 10 gallon barrel of fuel marked with the mixture rate and cabin number on the barrel.We had a family that lived down the lake from us they had just received a large sum of goverment money and had bought a brand new boat and 5hp Johnson motor.In the next few weeks customers were complaining some one was stealing their gas.My Dad figured it out and told the tourists to use different containers he marked the usual 10 gallon barrels on the gas stand with cabin numbers and marked them as mixed gas but they had straight gas in them no oil.The next day I towed two of the family members home as the connecting rod on the 5hp Johnson went threw the side of the block I would bet that motor had less than fifty hours on it all with our gas My dad bought the motor that fall for 3 bottles of wine when he gave them 5 dollars for it.They had another old beaten up motor they bought with trapping money but they never stole gas from that Yankee who ran the resort again.
Kash
In my post I said to fill the plastic tank on the chain saw to the brim then check it six months later. The tank is plastic so is the 5 gallon jerry can.I doubt the contents in either will shrink in size.We ran a fishing resort for 49 years and stored thousands of gallons in metal drums and cans also in later years in 5 gallon plastic cans.
There were two main reasons why the volume of the cans shrunk with out you using it
caps not tight
a customer was stealing it this happened a fair bit.
Here is an interesting story on shrinking gas.Our resort was water accsses only we got our gas in 45 gallon barrels since gas is lighter than water it floats so we would put ropes on the barrels and roll them in the lake and tow them to the resort.My dad would give each cabin a 10 gallon barrel of fuel marked with the mixture rate and cabin number on the barrel.We had a family that lived down the lake from us they had just received a large sum of goverment money and had bought a brand new boat and 5hp Johnson motor.In the next few weeks customers were complaining some one was stealing their gas.My Dad figured it out and told the tourists to use different containers he marked the usual 10 gallon barrels on the gas stand with cabin numbers and marked them as mixed gas but they had straight gas in them no oil.The next day I towed two of the family members home as the connecting rod on the 5hp Johnson went threw the side of the block I would bet that motor had less than fifty hours on it all with our gas My dad bought the motor that fall for 3 bottles of wine when he gave them 5 dollars for it.They had another old beaten up motor they bought with trapping money but they never stole gas from that Yankee who ran the resort again.
Kash
I've been reading on other places that steel jerry cans are not recommended for long term storage (more than 2 weeks or so).
Apparently it is so that the steel reacts with gasoline (and even more with diesel) and this worsens the quality of fuel until it's not usable.
Some are painted on the inside too, but the paint can flake off when storing fuel for long times. I read several say they moved to plastic after ruining fuel by storing it for months in in jerry cans from steel.
Supposedly aluminum cans are OK though. And it's only an issue in smaller containers like 20 liters and smaller, because of volume to surface area. Which is why big steel fuel tanks are OK. Like what you get on farms and such.
Anyone care to comment on this? I would prefer to use metal containers over plastic ones, all I got at the moment are plastic ones, the small 5L one is OK, the 10L one is not, the spout leaks and it expanded like a baloon even though it stood in shade.
Apparently it is so that the steel reacts with gasoline (and even more with diesel) and this worsens the quality of fuel until it's not usable.
Some are painted on the inside too, but the paint can flake off when storing fuel for long times. I read several say they moved to plastic after ruining fuel by storing it for months in in jerry cans from steel.
Supposedly aluminum cans are OK though. And it's only an issue in smaller containers like 20 liters and smaller, because of volume to surface area. Which is why big steel fuel tanks are OK. Like what you get on farms and such.
Anyone care to comment on this? I would prefer to use metal containers over plastic ones, all I got at the moment are plastic ones, the small 5L one is OK, the 10L one is not, the spout leaks and it expanded like a baloon even though it stood in shade.
ValleyForge
Liberty Farms
It’s is really hit or miss with jerry can quality today….I’ve had luck with these but they are $$$$.
https://www.midwestcan.com/product/5-gallon-metal-jerry-can/
I suspect this is an issue with gasohol (gasoline containing ethyl alcohol) much more than with straight gasoline (if at all with straight gasoline).
Back in the olden days, I stored gasoline in metal jerry cans and never had any problem. And I still use metal cans for (non-ethanol) chainsaw fuel, and again, no problems yet.
I've read that it's stuff in the gasoline that like to form organometallic compounds with the steel. In old car gas tanks they tinned the inside because tin is very inert with fuels apparently. Old gasoline was apparently even worse.
Aluminum is also very good, as is stainless.
Aluminum is also very good, as is stainless.
This is what I wound up with. Genuine NATO military surplus cans. Unused, but dusty and a couple rust spots from storage. A few minutes with a wire brush, some paint, and a stencil, and good to go. Pristine inside.
thomasinvancouver
ArboristSite Operative
You want genuine NATO spec Jerrycans. Especially if you’re storing ethanol blend fuel. NATO cans are legitimately air tight whereas the plastic ones most definitely are not.
I've gotten to really like these: https://www.amazon.com/Surecan-Vent...66-8474-cbdb32a2670c&pd_rd_i=B09885BZDX&psc=1
I've seen these on landscaping trailers. If those guys like them, they must be doing something right.
I've also seen the No Spill brand used, people seem to like it too.
https://www.amazon.com/No-Spill-1405-2-1-2-Gallon-Poly/dp/B000W72GBC
I have my NATO cans for long term storage, but am looking for something that's easier to dispense from for small engines. No-Spill is top of that list for now. If I could find a 10 liter NATO can, I might go that route instead.
Wavian is about the last good manufacturer of honest to God "nato" style cans. I have several to replace aging steel "railroad" fuel cans. The coating is very robust, and isn't effected by gas or diesel. Doesn't seem to mind ethanol. It is water soluble, and they tell you as much. Never had an issue with them though. Every now and then you can grab up some surplus ones in good shape on ebay. Just be careful as there's lots of junk ones as well.
Been doing some reading, Gelg in europe would be the ones I would look at given my location. The chinese ones tend to be uncoated on the inside. Gelg also makes ones from stainless, which is probably the ultimate material.
The no-spill work well also, but the nozzle doesn't work on the filler on my Honda SXS.
Thumbs up for the Crown lantern and stove fuel!
Here's a bomb proof one, 10 liters so like 2.5 gallons, stainless steel.
https://www.ural-team.de/de/kistenboxen-kanister/283-benzinkanister-edelstahl.html
The price tho... It was the best I found googling in german.
https://www.ural-team.de/de/kistenboxen-kanister/283-benzinkanister-edelstahl.html
The price tho... It was the best I found googling in german.
165 euros, holy crap.
Here's the standard steel one, 55 euros. Still not good enough that I'm willing to immediately pull the trigger on it.
https://www.ural-team.de/de/kistenboxen-kanister/88-benzinkanister-schwarz-10l-.html
Here's the standard steel one, 55 euros. Still not good enough that I'm willing to immediately pull the trigger on it.
https://www.ural-team.de/de/kistenboxen-kanister/88-benzinkanister-schwarz-10l-.html
I collect camp stoves and lanterns, kinda half heartedly. Top shelf, out of frame of the pic, has Trufuel for my saws, and yellow bottle HEET for my Trangia alcohol burners.
I've considered buying old ones, bead blasting them inside and out and powdercoating them. Inside and out. Got the blasting setup, but never done any powder coating.
