Plastic drum OK for diesel?

[JCWeld]

how many drums do you have i can pick up 130 per truck load i am located in massachusetts

 

[LBrown59]

how many drums do you have i can pick up 130 per truck load i am located in massachusetts

Who are you asking?

 

[LBrown59]

Neighbor gave me a plastic drum the other day. 55 gallons, looks like same plastic used in my 5 gallon fuel carrier.
I would like to use it for fuel, have a small hand pump that will fit the bung (it has coarse and fine bungs) and was just wondering if anyone had any comments, good or bad. I do plan to make a pallete style base so I can load it on and off my truck when I go to get fuel.
Andy in NH

First one 2Nd one.
Pictured are the 2 fuel system set ups I built using
plastic drums.
I get my fuel delivered free.
Work great : Love em. No way would I ever want to go back to the anchient back breaking 5 gallon cans.

Andy,
You may already know, but Ciardelli's in Milford has a driveup pump for off-road diesel. It runs about 30-35 cents less per gallon than gas station fuel. I fill up by barrel there.

Anybody that has a drum should try getting free fuel delivery in spite of what they might have heard about Min Delivery amounts.

I have been reading though the posts and was wondering why folks are keeping 55 up to 275 gallons of diesel fuel in storage and buying it by the drum full. My new Kubota BX2200 is using less than 1/2 gallon per hour so far, that would be hundreds of hours of fuel stored. Why so much?I would like to get maybe a 20 gallon tank that would be plenty in one trip. If I could find one. Thanks
Bill

1 It cost me about 40 cents a gallon less.
2*Eleminates the backing breaking 5 gallon cans .
3*Eleminates the wasteful fuel spills caused by using messy cans & funnels etc.
4*I save time and money because the fuel is delivered to me free .

Bird
I wouldn't consider that being lazy./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
1*I have been pouring 5 gallons cans of diesel the last 2 summers. I've dropped them, spilled them, and over filled them. Every time I pour another 5 gallons into tank. I swear I'm not going to lift another one. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gifI have enough to get me to next summer.
Then it's at least a 55-gallon drum with a pump.
2*Local supplier will bring out 50 or more gallons.
3*Just have to wait until he has another delivery in the area

1*Reason enough to set up a drum .
2*Mine will deliver as little as 25 gallon no del chg either.
3*This is called topping off.
Most people don't have this privilige because the don't ask for it.

Thanks for the links! How's that pump fit in the barrel? The description of the pump says it's 50" long.
1* Does the pickup telescope? Also, do you have a hose on the end of the pump for reaching the tractor?
2*If so, what kind.
3*How is it carrying the 15 gallons of diesel? According to another post, that should weigh about 90 pounds.

1*Yes
2*I use 1/2 auto fuel hose from any auto parts store.
3*Make that about 112.5 pounds just for the fuel.

Do you have a vent in the other bung hole of your fuel barrel (or is there enough of a gap between the pipe and bung adapter to vent the drum)?
1*The Justrite vents cost as much or more than the hand pump.
I can add another indicator of the suitability of HDPE as a Diesel fuel container: the Diesel (Yellow) plastic 5 gallon fuel cans I have are made or HDPE.
Ed

1*I make a vent out of a 3 or 4 inch pipe and 2 street els. and clamp a screen on the end to keep bugs and mud dobbers out.
Cost about 5 bucks or less.

 

[LBrown59]

I just picked up a couple of 55gal'ers and what is a good way to rinse-out it. Hot water and soap? One looks like it had cooking oil in it.
Can't get a big brush down the hole to scrub it, so I'll have to rely on the soap and water to do the job.
I'll probably use a gal or two of diesel to do the final rinse.thanksgary

I use a rope type mop dish soap and a garden hose.

I can see using the 55 gal drums are more convienient. Are most of you then getting the non-taxed fuel then? I can see a savings of .30 cents per gallon.
1*. I was told that since I don't actually own a farm, that I can not legally have that fuel. Any business can not have it either such as land scapers/snow removal etc. Mowing lawns personal or for business can not have it either.Murph

1*I believe you were told wrong.
There are 2 fuels on road and off road .
There is no such thing as farm fuel.
Off road is legal to use anywhere but on a road.
Legality is determined by where the fuel is used not by what it's being used for.
On road is legal to use on and off the road.

how many drums do you have i can pick up 130 per truck load i am located in massachusetts

What would you do with 130 drums?

 

[Will_Lou]

i have three of those barrels i use for diesel fuel. same crank type pump too. been using that vinal hose for four years gets a bit stiff in cold but works geat and much cheaper.

 

[dynasim]

I have direct knowledge of one hazard associated with the use of Polyethylene containers in fuel service.

I participated in putting out a fire where a small fire ring fire moved out of the ring to a wood pile about 10 ft away, by which a 5 gallon container of diesel was sitting. The ensuing wood pile fire melted the polyethylene container, causing 5 gallons of diesel to disperse, on fire. The ensuing event was spectacular, and caused a significant amount of damage.

Without the diesel it would have been a non-event. I can't imagine what 55 gallons of diesel would have done.

I am not saying to not use the drums for diesel service as they have significant advantages compared to metal drums. What I am saying is don't put the drums in an area where the resultant damage would be signficant, particularly if a fire were to spread quickly. A garage fire with 55 gallons of instantaneously dispersed diesel would destroy a house in very little time. Also, if possible, protect them from impingement by possible fire sources.

Just food for thought. This was also a lesson for me about storing even small amounts of fuel in my garage.

Chris

 

[mcd176]

I was told by my fuel supplier not to use plastic for diesel, he said that plastic drums promote algae to form in the fuel, not sure if it is true or not but I have 2 55 gallon steel drums for my diesel.

And for WDN,

I keep Diesel in bulk because I run 2 Kubotas, An L4200 and a B2150, my L drinks the fuel, your small tractor is way more efficient and I use mine daily, sounds like you could get away with a 33 gal fuel drum.

Mike

 

[LBrown59]

I have direct knowledge of one hazard associated with the use of Polyethylene containers in fuel service.

I participated in putting out a fire where a small fire ring fire moved out of the ring to a wood pile about 10 ft away, by which a 5 gallon container of diesel was sitting. The ensuing wood pile fire melted the polyethylene container, causing 5 gallons of diesel to disperse, on fire. The ensuing event was spectacular, and caused a significant amount of damage.

Without the diesel it would have been a non-event. I can't imagine what 55 gallons of diesel would have done.

I am not saying to not use the drums for diesel service as they have significant advantages compared to metal drums. What I am saying is don't put the drums in an area where the resultant damage would be signficant, particularly if a fire were to spread quickly. A garage fire with 55 gallons of instantaneously dispersed diesel would destroy a house in very little time. Also, if possible, protect them from impingement by possible fire sources.

Just food for thought. This was also a lesson for me about storing even small amounts of fuel in my garage.

Chris

I never did keep fuel in my garage or dewelling as a common pratice.

I was told by my fuel supplier not to use plastic for diesel, he said that plastic drums promote algae to form in the fuel, not sure if it is true or not but I have 2 55 gallon steel drums for my diesel.

And for WDN,

I keep Diesel in bulk because I run 2 Kubotas, An L4200 and a B2150, my L drinks the fuel, your small tractor is way more efficient and I use mine daily, sounds like you could get away with a 33 gal fuel drum.

Mike

I've never encountered that.

 

[kenstrac]

I would not use any tank that is not UL approved for diesel storage.If you ever had a problem with tank fire -leak your insurance co. could say they won't pay that it was not approved for that service.And I would hate to think what it would cost to cleanup 100 gals.if it leaked into the groundwater.

 

[Deano]

L Brown...How on earth do you use that much diesel in your small tractors?? Even when I was using my BX24 every day for hours, I would still use 5-10 gallons a week. I would be afraid of it going bad.
You must leave them idling 24 hours a day.
I'll stick with fresh diesel and the minimal hassle pouring it in.

To each his own I guess.

Hazmat containment laws come to mind with that much stored diesel.

Deano