Got a simple, cheap, safe solution?

jCarroll · Mar 3, 2014

We have 40 acres, lease out the farmland. I have three old tractors, a truck, mower, tiller, etc. My gasoline supply is by several plastic gas cans - fill a couple in town, gas up out of the cans as needed. If I think gas has dropped a dime, I'll fill up 4 or 5 on my next trip.

Not happy with multiple cans of gas sitting around, and since my PTO generator is my electric backup, having 50 gallons or so on hand would let me run almost a week.

A steel 55 gallon drum is my best idea for storing gas on the farm as an improvement over a bunch of plastic cans.

Got some other ideas?

Wemedeeres · Mar 3, 2014

Last summer I bought a 40 gallon service tank for the back of my pickup, its a couple inches shorter than the box sides about nine inches wide and fits across the front of the pickup box. It came with two treaded bungs and a lockable cap. I put a 15 gpm 12 volt pump on it and it works great! Tank was a shade over $200, pump, hoses and upgraded auto shut off nozzle about $375.

Brian G. NY · Mar 3, 2014

I happen to have 5 gal. steel cans rather than plastic.
I have two of those black plastic truck tool boxes that are a little larger than some and are high enuf to contain 5 gal gas cans.
They each will hold 5 cans so I can store up to 50 gals at one time tho I don't generally have more than 30 gals on hand at one time.
I have the boxes placed outside about 50 feet from my pole barn. I do like having them outside.
A friend of mine has an aluminum tank off a semi that I believe holds 50 or 60 gals.
He has it set up on stands with a valve from which he can draw the gas.
He picks up his gas in 5 gal cans to keep the tank full.

donjr · Mar 3, 2014

How about one of the 55 gallon blue barrels? A lot of dairymen have a supply of them and willingly give them away.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 3, 2014

My grandfather worked for his brother-in-law, the local Shell oil distributor. Papaw had a 55-gallon drum hung horizontally in one shed at the farm, with the "delivery" end of the barrel about 1" lower than the other end...with a shut-off valve, a hose, and a fuel pump nozzle on the end of the hose.

To allow for expansion, he never kept more than 55 gallons in the drum. But when he needed gas for the mower, the tractor, or the Jeep, he had it handy. And the shed stayed locked most of the time, so most of the neighbors--including the ones who might be tempted to help themselves--never knew it was there.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 3, 2014

I dont know if a distributor can legally put gas in a blue barrel. Must be red for gas. Most wont deliver under 100gallon.

Bill(Wis) · Mar 3, 2014

We stored fuel on our farm for 40+ years (1910-1950) in three 55 gallon drums. 2 gas and 1 kero. They were set up about 50' from the nearest building. Then, our fuel supplier offered to bring out a 300 gallon tank that we could use as long as we purchased fuel from them, which we did, for about 25 years. The fuel supplier went out of business and we ended up with the tank, which sat for about 30 years unused. By that time I had installed 2 550 and 1 300 gallon tanks. I finally got around to disposal of the 60 year old tank. Scrap yard said I had to cut a 1 sq ft hole in it so they could look inside. I did, with a cold chisel and a heavy hammer. With all that pounding, all the rust had fallen to the bottom of the tank and the inside of the tank was as shiny as a new dime. I could still be using that tank if I had just pounded on it for about an hour. Pretty funny. BTW, I also have a 110 gallon tank with pump for the bed of the pickup which I use to chase down the combine when it needs fuel in the field. Works great.

ohiojim · Mar 3, 2014

i get mine delivered to me and put in a 55 gal. steel drum with a pump on it...I also get diesel delivered at same time as I need 100 gal. to get free delivery

Geo-TH,In · Mar 3, 2014

I have a free supply of steel 5 gallon cans. Neighbor gets racing fuel in cans, then I get as many as I want. 5 gallons is all I want to pick up.

wilson ind · Mar 3, 2014

I going to give you a call I could use a few.You guts have almost convienced me to just hire neighbor unless I can almost steal one at sullivan FFA sale

TomH in PA · Mar 3, 2014

Search for "portable gas tank", you can get them with capacity of 15 to 30 gallons with wheels and built-in pump so loading/unloading from a truck is reasonable.

wilson ind · Mar 3, 2014

Might sell some to the guys on Moonshiners. You know racing fuel at local dirt tracks on sat night. Who would think ?

dzc3 · Mar 3, 2014

I bought a gas tank off a JD 45 combine works well I load it into the back of my truck it is saddled into a wooden frame. I fill it at a local station afterhours. I have a hand pump on it to fill tractors

ss55 · Mar 3, 2014

It's farm sale season. Maybe look for a used 200 or 300 gallon fuel tank and stand? You don't have to keep it full. Clean it out well before you put fuel in it and add the valves to reduce evaporation loss.

Geo-TH,In · Mar 3, 2014

The racing season won't start for a while. The guy rents my garage across the street from where he lives. I'll have him save some cans this summer. His grandkids race some expensive shifter cars. 5 gallons of racing fuel is around $85.

just another old geezer · Mar 3, 2014

I got a nice 150 gallon fuel barrel on a stand with a new hose and filter on an auction for $85

Russ from MN · Mar 3, 2014

Don't leave a barrel out in the rain or sun! If it is in the sun it will evaporate quickly, and if its in the rain you will have water in you gas!

donjr · Mar 3, 2014

A can or two of red spray paint and you're in business....

Paul Janke · Mar 3, 2014

My fuel tank is a saddle tank from a truck. You can get them from somewhere close to 50 gallons to somewhere around 300 gallons. They are strong enough to go down the road for hundreds of thousands of miles and are built to withstand an onslaught of water from above or from spray. Mine was easy to put on a base which I can haul to town to fill if I choose to.

oliver power · Mar 3, 2014

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=gas+caddy+with+pump&tag=mh0b-20&index=aps&hvadid=3527165153&ref=pd_sl_mme1qtqzr_b

oliver power · Mar 3, 2014

Lets try again. http://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Storage-Barrel-Gasoline-Carrier/dp/B008CFTL64/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1393907156&sr=8-9&keywords=gas+caddy+with+pump

DeltaRed · Mar 3, 2014

You haul the barrel to the supplier.You fill it they wont say a thing.I've hauled gas in a blue 55 gal for years.

onefarmer · Mar 4, 2014

Fuel tank on my Gleaner F2 holds about 75 gal. Visit your local salvage yard. Or look around for someone who has an old Gleaner out back.

showcrop · Mar 4, 2014

I have kind of the same situation, but to me the easiest way is to keep it in five gal. containers. Two of them are steel Eagles which are far better to pour out of than the new plastic ones. I wouldn't want to handle it an additional time, but the only thing that bothers me is having the containers inside. I have been keeping some inside and some outside, but I have been thinking about building a special shelter that would keep them out of the sun and rain. Maybe a little lean to on the north west wall of the shop.

mkirsch · Mar 4, 2014

I know people use plain old 55 gallon barrels to store/haul fuel, but there are some risks to that.

You've got to watch the condition of the barrel. Heating/cooling of a sealed barrel can cause it to "beer can" and after enough cycles it will eventually rupture. Rust-through is also a concern if you keep the barrel on the ground.

If you vent the barrel, you'll lose a lot to evaporation, and if you do that inside a closed building, the vapor will build up to combustible levels.

Plastic barrels, I would be concerned what effect the gasoline has on the plastic. Sunlight definitely breaks down the plastic.

If you are willing to take the risks, and/or take steps to mitigate the risks, you'll be fine. Just don't dive in blindly.

JRSutton · Mar 4, 2014

Not sure where you are but I've seen those big fuel tanks on stands going for about $10 at auctions in Ohio. You could probably get one in great shape for not a lot more.

I'd love to have one, but the environmental police here in Massachusetts would fine me for even thinking about buying one.

Got a simple, cheap, safe solution?

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads