Who keeps gasoline on the farm?

[oosik]

With gas being so cheap and all stations are open - I see no sense storing it at home. I keep two 5-gallon jugs at home for the lawn mower - that's it. Diesel - the same way. Let the service stations do the storing.

 

[ultrarunner]

For 60 years the used car lot where I worked for a time had a 1000 gallon tank... it was never a problem, no inspections and no insurance problems... but also no savings or the savings were convenience...

 

[Diggin It]

With gas being so cheap and all stations are open - I see no sense storing it at home. I keep two 5-gallon jugs at home for the lawn mower - that's it. Diesel - the same way. Let the service stations do the storing.

Depends on how close they are ... or aren't. I keep about 20 gallons (4 5 gallon cans) of gasoline on hand for the mowers and generator. Most of the Summer, that's fine and I fill them 2 or 3 times, maybe 4 if I have to mow a lot. Winter is different. I'm just now using what I got at the end of September, hoping it's won't goop up the engines.

I was doing that in part because of the discount system my CC was using. They offered $x off per gallon up to 20 gallons and my cars only have 12-15 gallon tanks, so I was losing some of the discount unless I bought 20 gallons at a time. They've changed that program now, so I may not continue to keep that much. It's nice to have since I only make town runs once or twice a month usually.

Even with a mere 20 gallons on hand, I get concerned about the Ka-Boom factor. As noted, gasoline is a different critter than diesel. Fumes can be a serious issue. One stray spark can seriously mess up your day.

 

[Jstpssng]

I keep 5 gallons of nonethanol on hand, fill the pickups anytime I'm near a station, and in winter I keep the snowsled full. That last has a 10+ gallon tank, making it a pretty good reserve which siphons easily if I ever needed it.

 

[Motorboatin]

Todays gas starts to breakdown in less than three months at a fast rate. Even with stabilizers it is not suitable for long term storage. You can buy (VP is a good source) drums of pure gasoline that is stable for two years if unopened and one year once exposed to air but it is expensive

All gasoline oxidizes. Nothing you can do about it

 

[the old grind]

This ^^ Gasoline is a blend and old 'goop' is just heavier components that haven't escaped/evaporated. Example: gasoline stored in a capped HDPE milk jug will exude an ether aroma through the molecular matrix of the container. The breakdown is just incipient loss of lighter volatile ingredients, but real and the meter is always running on that.

Condensation in a large tank that's <1/2 full is no less likely than in a vehicle's tank of 1/10 the size. A larger batch may need more TLC, and a bad batch can cut deeply into o'all savings.

I've taken such big steps to save $20 shoes that I split $30 pants. :laughing: Getting a haircut once/week to save $$ on shampoo didn't work out so well, either. When milk is $.99/gal I still only buy one vs buying another fridge to bank months worth of it. Got 75 gal of Winter blend and it's Summer, or vice versa? ok.

Buying gasoline based on use vs price seems to be the least hassle. We're advised not to buy too large a quantity of popcorn, chips, or Chex Mix at Sam's Club or Costco because the s__ gets stale before it's used up. So does gasoline. Mass storage isn't for everybody. :2cents:

 

[TnAndy]

Todays gas starts to breakdown in less than three months at a fast rate. Even with stabilizers it is not suitable for long term storage. You can buy (VP is a good source) drums of pure gasoline that is stable for two years if unopened and one year once exposed to air but it is expensive

All gasoline oxidizes. Nothing you can do about it

So I've heard many times. Yet, as a prepper, I regularly store gasoline in sealed drums for up to 6 years using PRI-G when I store it, and another dose when I use it.....and it always performs just fine....never a hint of that varnish smell old gasoline gets.

This photo was taken Oct 2019:

 

[2LaneCruzer]

At some point it becomes illegal because this makes it hoarding, but I am not sure what the legal amount is for that to happen.

The other problem is, I do not know of any fuel companies around me anyway, that deliver gasoline like they do diesel fuel. I found this out because we had a gasoline tractor and tried to get gasoline in bulk, but no one delivered gasoline that way. I suppose a person could buy tons of 5 gallon cans and fill a bulk tank that way, but for saving a few bucks, is that work really worth it?

Then there is quality of the gasoline while in storage, and safety storage too.

Gasoline is a far different animal then off-road diesel fuel.

Our old Co-op station would deliver propane, diesel or gasoline. When they got a new gasoline hauler, they donated the old gasoline truck to the volunteer fire department who converted it to a fire truck. That first fire was a doozie!

 

[Industrial Toys]

I pay way more for delivered diesel than the price at the pumps. Irks me, because it never used to be that way. Cost of keeping trucks and drivers on the road in this day and age I guess. Besides, they have you over a barrel. I bet Gasoline would be similar.

 

[LouNY]

We have and use a 275 gallon tank at the farm for gasoline, used to keep more.
But now days the gasoline 275, and diesel in a 1000 and 300 gallon work out decent with most of the tractors using diesel.
Only 3 commonly used gas tractors and 4 more occasional use one plus the ATV's and UTV's and a few small engines on gasoline.
The delivered price for gasoline is no cheaper then at the pump until you remove the taxes as it is all road taxed here and you have to apply for the refund.
But it sure would be a royal pain to run to town and back with enough cans to fill the IH 560 or 656's even the H would be ridiculous.