For 25 years I have had these cheap horrible plastic fuel cans from local hardware stores, to keep gasoline for the mower and diesel for the tractor and kerosene for the lanterns and bonfires. The colors are usually red and so color coding them doesn’t work, and I always forget and wind up smelling them to decide what’s inside. Their spouts are so confusing I can never quite make them work. There are huge mold flashings across all the threads and seals, so things leak. The cheap vinyl parts turn hard and brittle in winter. And it takes a couple of minutes and makes a big mess to open them, because the spouts telescope in and out and get turned around and so forth, as part of some clever but badly executed scheme. This has been a minor irritant for something like half my life.
I have just gotten fuel cans made by Eagle Manufacturing, and they are wonderful. They come in several sizes, so I could get the 2 gallon ones that accomodate my bad back. They come in red, yellow and blue for gasoline, diesel and kerosene. They are made of steel and all the surfaces are clean and smooth and strong, especially where they seal. They have spring loaded handles for opening and closing, which is a single movement. The closures are flat rubber gasketed metal disks, which don’t dribble and make a mess. Their bottoms are large and flat and rest on the rims, so they are very resistant to tipping.
These things are fantastic. I have nothing but praise now for Eagle Manufacturing. And while we are on the subject, Gempler’s (an online hardware store) sells them, seems to stock a good variety, and delivers them quickly and well boxed, at what looks like a pretty good price.
How excellent. Every now and then, something works really well.
I was going to mention that Red was for gas and Blue was for kerosene (Green is potable water, BTW), but it seems like you already figured that out.
What I HATE is the 5 gallon metal cans of Kerosene at the big box stores. It is impossible to pour from that container to ANYTHING ELSE without spilling.
Speaking of doh, expect to spend almost $40 for a 2 gal can. You get what you pay for. If, on the other hand, you want some free plastic ones that don’t work very well, keep your eye on the end of my driveway.
After a couple expensive and annoying hassles with rust coming from metal gas cans, I now use only plastic gas cans. I even tried a couple with some super duper coating on the inside but they rusted too after a couple years.
I agree that el cheepo plastic gas cans are about useless. I shopped around and paid extra for plastic cans that are somewhat heavier grade. The only problem is, I can’t find any with a really durable spout. So I just set them in the “pour” configuration and leave them that way. You have to watch that you don’t break them off but it works for me.
I see red and blue plastic ones at work all the time. The blue ones even come embossed with “diesel” on the side. I have no idea where the people get them, I’ve never had any reason to get a gas can.
$40 is a lot for a gas can, but around here, we’re saddled with those miserable “automatic” spouts that claim to prevent overfilling the lawnmower or whatever. Nasty little boogers like this one.
In reality, the spout sticks in the open position, and gas pours out everywhere as you try to stop it.
I think you’re supposed to use a siphon. (Of course, having seen people prime siphons by mouth, I can understand why pouring might be a better option.) Come to think of it, I haven’t seen that particular style of siphon for sale in awhile…maybe I’m not looking in the right place.
I thought diesel was supposed to go in a yellow container?
My current gas containers are plastic, and have fixed spouts. The large one is rather awkward. My father had a metal gas can; I don’t remember the manufacturer’s name, but it lasted quite a long time before it finally developed a coat of rust inside.
As someone who has to use crappy 5 gallon plastic gas cans daily to fuel generators to run equipment… I am jealous of your fancy new gas cans.
The ones I have, leak, spill, glug and everything else to irritate me. I have to tote them to the gas station in the back of the pickup in Rubbermaid totes for some sort of spill protection.
I wanted to get new gas cans like those, but the project doesn’t have the $$$ right now (I need 6).
I heartily agree about the problems with the moulded jerry cans. There is a big Canadian manufacturer of moulded jugs (Sceptre). They seem to dominate the market. At least at Canadian Tire.
In Canada, or at least on the East Coast of said dominion, yellow containers are for deisel.
I have several two-stroke engines which use different fuel/oil ratios. A couple of my British Seagull outboard motors use 10:1 :eek:
I wish I could get colour-coded cans for the different mixes. I’m gonna see if anyone imports the Eagle containers into Canada.
I have a 24’ Hinterholler Shark which has not been in the water in years. It came with a longshaft Seagull.
I use a 40 Featherweight on an old 14’ Lakefield cedarstrip runabout.
[nitpick]Having worked for George Hinterhoeller building Sharks in the late sixties, I’d like to draw your attention to the correct spelling.[/nitpick]
Blitz supposedly have good fuel cans, but I’ve never used them. I use metal military style cans for offroad use as they’re the only cans I’ve found that seal well enough.
