Fuel Caddy?

[cold1313]

I'm considering a fuel caddy for the bed of a pickup. I'd like to get a smaller one so I can go get fuel and then use the bucket of my tractor to lift it out of the truck and store in my barn. Right now I use 5 gallon jugs and I'm getting tired of that, small spills, heavy jugs, junk in the fuel/jugs etc. Plus I like the idea of the fuel going through another filter.

Any suggestion on what to get without breaking the bank? I could get by with a non-electric pump but then I wouldn't be able to see when my tractor is almost full (fill cap is on top of the tractor, ugh). So I'm guessing I'd need a 12V pump and filter as well.

I have a Kubota B3200 and I think my bucket is limited to 1,000 pounds, so with diesel at 7.1lbs per gallon + fuel caddy....

 

[joeyd]

I just picked up an RDS 91 gal transfer tank for the same reasons, I will use mine for gas though. I went with this one as it is aluminum (no corrosion) and has baffles in it to help while transporting. I will use a manual pump with a filter from Northern Tool. I got the tank through West Marine, they were a little more expensive than Northern but I only had to pay $4.00 for shipping. My TYM can lift a full tank, I built a pallet to secure it to for this purpose. I plan on getting a 30 gal drum for diesel in the future.
You can get 50 & 100 gal tanks at most tractor or farm supply stores to meet your needs.

 

[PILOON]

Using any caddy for GAS is asking for trouble but precautions can minimize the risk.

ALWAYS ground the caddy as well as the implement being fueled, preferably to each other.
The slightest spark can make gas go BOOM and even gas flowing thru the hose can create static electricity.

A good example is the minuscule spark that BBQ starters make to ignite propane.

When gassing aircraft everything is grounded to everything.
Station gas pumps have integrated grounding in their hoses.

 

[CCWKen]

I went with this one as it is aluminum (no corrosion) and has baffles in it to help while transporting.

Who said aluminum doesn't corrode? Is the tank lined? If not, it's going to corrode using gas. Be sure to maintain your filter.

 

[Argonne]

I got one of these at about the same price as listed (~$135). 3 Gallon Gasoline Fuel Diesel Gas Caddy Transfer Tank Container w/ Rotary Pump | eBay

Aside from the wheels being crappy, and the axles being a weird size making replacement challenging, it's been great. I did eventually replace the hose and nozzle with stuff from TSC, but what it came with was adequate.

I use it for diesel, not gas, I just put "Diesel Fuel Only" stickers on it to avoid confusion. I can get it into my pickup empty by hand, but when full I lift it out by the handle with a loader or backhoe. The handle is not confidence inspiring strength-wise, but I've never had a problem. Having said that, I'm very gentle when lifting it full. If I had it to do again, I would weld some lifting eyes in the top so I could sling it securely and not have to trust the handle, in fact, now that I think about it, if I were using it for gas, I probably wouldn't be lifting it by the handle.

The pump works well, and it both pumps and sucks.

Anyway, I'm happy with it considering the very attractive price. You can spruce it up with new wheels and accessories and still stay under $200 all up. It holds 30 gallons.

Here is a picture of it. There are probably multiple people selling it at different prices and shipping, but this is the one I just reviewed.

 

[skipperbrown]

I'm considering a fuel caddy for the bed of a pickup. I'd like to get a smaller one so I can go get fuel and then use the bucket of my tractor to lift it out of the truck and store in my barn. Right now I use 5 gallon jugs and I'm getting tired of that, small spills, heavy jugs, junk in the fuel/jugs etc. Plus I like the idea of the fuel going through another filter.

Any suggestion on what to get without breaking the bank? I could get by with a non-electric pump but then I wouldn't be able to see when my tractor is almost full (fill cap is on top of the tractor, ugh). So I'm guessing I'd need a 12V pump and filter as well.

I have a Kubota B3200 and I think my bucket is limited to 1,000 pounds, so with diesel at 7.1lbs per gallon + fuel caddy....

I recently purchased a 50 gal tank and added a fillrite auto pump with 2 filters. With one sheet of plywood, I built a protective 3 sided pallet/box and a dolly to roll it around the garage. It wasn't cheap, but it sure is nice. I use my b2650 to lift it into my pickup for fillups and then I put it back on the dolly and store it in my garage. I went w/ a steel tank b/c it was cheaper and I store it inside. I hope the filters (particulate and water) catch any bad stuff.

 

[cold1313]

I recently purchased a 50 gal tank and added a fillrite auto pump with 2 filters. With one sheet of plywood, I built a protective 3 sided pallet/box and a dolly to roll it around the garage. It wasn't cheap, but it sure is nice. I use my b2650 to lift it into my pickup for fillups and then I put it back on the dolly and store it in my garage. I went w/ a steel tank b/c it was cheaper and I store it inside. I hope the filters (particulate and water) catch any bad stuff.

How much for the entire setup? 50 gallons would be nice. Cut my fuel trips a year and I can buy off road diesel.

 

[cold1313]

Looks like you can't get a tank (50gal'ish) for less than $500?

What would be nice for me is to have dual filters and gravity drain the tank. I could make something to keep it in the air. Save me the cost of an electric pump. plus my B3200 only holds 8 gallons, so an 8gpm pump will be a little fast.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Looks like you can't get a tank (50gal'ish) for less than $500?

What would be nice for me is to have dual filters and gravity drain the tank. I could make something to keep it in the air. Save me the cost of an electric pump. plus my B3200 only holds 8 gallons, so an 8gpm pump will be a little fast.

Don't expect to get the full capacity of a pump (electric) when pushing the liquid thru 1(or 2) filters. The restriction cuts down the flow a lot, maybe as much as half, depending on the filter used.
I used to see 100 gallon tanks with 12 volt Filrite pumps for sale on Craigslist all the time. I bought 2 (one for my brother in law) of them for $350 each, both with 12V, 15 GPM Filrite pumps and rectangular steel tank. One even had a auto-shutoff nozzle just like the gas stations .
On the tabs for bolting it down, I installed swivel wheels and can roll it around even when full on my concrete shop floor.
I went with the 12V pumps so I could use them any where. I bought a small auto battery to run the pump and put on a battery maintainer to keep it fully charged. The batteries on my tractors are not easily accessible so the extra battery was almost a must have. I have a little over $425 invested in my tank, including the battery, battery maintainer and 4 swivel wheels. I have used it for over 7 years now with out any problems.

 

[cold1313]

I'll keep my eyes open on Craigslist.

My barn unfortunately has a gravel floor. My fuel usage is fairly low, so I'm tempted to store it on a rack (4-5 feet high) and gravity drain the tank. That would still allow me to run through a filter or two and avoid the 5 gallon jugs.