Plastic vs. Metal Saw Fuel Cans

[Vernon Tull]

Pardon me, gentlemen, if you've covered this ground in times past, but a friend of mine who has used a chainsaw all his life told me this week I'm making a mistake by keeping my saw fuel in a modern red plastic jug. He said elements leach out of the plastic and eventually ruin a chainsaw's carb. He said to find an older metal can and use that for fuel storage. What say you fellows?

 

[sedanman]

Many chainsaw have plastic fuel tanks. Plastic is all that is available for the most part. I'd rather have a new plastic can than an old possibly rusted one any day. Keep any fuel can out of direct sunlight and don't let your fuel get too old and you'll be fine. This is my humble opinion.

 

[Ax-man]

We have covered this ground before, like most issues that get discussed here the opinions were basically split.

Personally, I use galvanized 5 gallon containers just to store mixed fuel, then as we need fuel it is transfered to smaller plastic containers.

Larry

 

[Marky Mark]

Here's an old link Metal can

 

[fwf]

sedanman is right. You find plastic gas tanks on everything from 2-cycle engines to ATVs and tractors, so it is hard to imagine the fuel can't be stored in the same. I've been using them for at least 20 years and never had a fuel related problem of any kind.

Perhaps your friend was right many years ago and just clings to that notion as better safe than sorry.

 

[sedanman]

Almost every car and truck made today has a plastic fuel tank. The fuel cell in my friends race car has been there 25 years and hasn't caused a problem with the pair of Holleys on his Hemi.

 

[a_lopa]

i really want one of these,transperent.

 

[Oregon_Native]

my opinion on this hole matter is you use what you have i got a 1 gallon metal can from my grandfather i used it when all i had was a weed eater and a small saw now that i have 4 saws i got a 2 gallon no spill can it works well so i use it.

 

[pbtree]

We have covered this ground before, like most issues that get discussed here the opinions were basically split.

Personally, I use galvanized 5 gallon containers just to store mixed fuel, then as we need fuel it is transfered to smaller plastic containers.

Larry

I concur - I store mix in a five gallon metal can, and transfer it to a smaller 1 gallon plastic can as needed...

 

[Dadatwins]

The problem is not really the plastic container, the problem is leaving the container in blazing sunlight. Over time the sunlight damages/breaks down the plastic, combined with the fuel and that causes problems. Metal cans can have problems also if left nearly empty, they can build up condensation. Best idea is keep any container out of the sun, keep them full, use quality fuel and quality mix. If it sits around for a while dump it in the truck and make a new batch. JMHO.

 

[pallis]

Use it quick.

 

[eyolf]

All good points made about where you store your fuel, etc. I have two old 2-1/2 gallon metal cans and I know they are clean, so that is what I use for two-stroke mix.

I am a patternmaker for a company that makes cast-aluminum moldds for the rotomolding industry. lots of these molds are for short- or medium-run items, like gas tanks for tractors. I can tell you that the comparison between a plastic tank in a tractor or lawn equipment and a cheap gas can from the discount store may not be a valid one. The gas tanks may have a wall thickness of 1/2" inch, and the resin may be layed in 2 or 3 layers...a non-permeable later is required by law in many applications, and all fuel tanks in all equipment must meet pretty stringent specs for both in- or out-gassing...both from the plastic and from the fuel.

There will be specs like that for gas cans eventually, but they are much weaker right now. The gas can people do not expect us to store any fuel at home or work in cans for very long, and until forced, won't be supplying the higher-grade product. Check with your local insurance agent or fire marshall...the expectation is to bring home enough to fill the lwan mower or whatever, and to do so. Period!

If you want to store fuel in a can, do it in a dark place, do it in a clean metal can if you can, or buy better-quality fuel cans like the one pictured up-post. Or, like most of us do (and the small engine mfgrs reccommend) use it up in a short time.

 

[chainsawworld]

we go through a lot of gas in a day. it is easy for two cutters to burn off over 2 1/2 gals of gas and over a gallon of bar and chain in a day,each. i mix in two 5 gallon galvanized. i got into this habit when all the hub-bub came out about filling or slidding plastic gas cans in the back of pickups with plastic bed liners. i have also found that it is difficult to mistake a metal gas can with mix and a plastic gas can that may contain unmixed gas or diesel(all cans have tags on them but....).
i have also seen plastic cans that have sat in the hot sun and tend to expand. i do not know if they will burst or not. metal cans seem to purge better. metal cans get less attention at D.O.T. stops too. marty

 

[Stihl #1]

I recently got to talk to an engineer regarding plastic tanks and EPA small engine regs. The EPA seems fairly content regarding the efforts to lower emissions on small 2 strokes. Some have cat exhaust, Husky has come out with a stratified scavenging saw, Stihl has out strat scavenge on a cut off machine now, and most likely will use it on other engines as well, as it is much more efficient than a cat muffler. So the next thing is the tank. A blow molded tank will allow out-gassing of fuel vapors into the atmosphere, which is polluting. So more and more the tanks are now 2 piece plastic tanks using nylon and other polymers that will not out-gass. These kinds of plastics can't be blowmolded like polyethylene can, so that is why they are ultrasonically welded. According to this engineer, anyway, and it makes sense to me. So I guess that any one piece blow molded gas can would be more likely to let the more volatile molecules of the gas "leak" out, over time, so the fuel would go stale. A metal can is less likely to allow that if sealed tight. I think that any air, if humid, caught in a metal fuel can would be more likely to let the water settle out and cause rusting in the bottom of the can, so I guess a metal can should be kept full if the fuel will be stored for very long. I try not to keep any for more than a couple of months. If it get's that old I just dump it in the truck. I agree with eyolf that plastic containers vary widely in thickness and quality, but they are cheap, so that's why the sell. It is hard to find a metal can for sale anywhere.

 

[046]

my self-sealing 5gal metal can is consructed way better than any plastic can, I've seen.

also store lager qualities of fuel in 5gal metal cans and transfer to smaller plastic jugs.

to me issue is not really effect of plastic on fuel, but how tight can holds that fuel.