Would you buy an old farm diesel tank?

Doc_Bob · Jun 10, 2006

( Most of the time a guy can find a used 275 gallon home heating tank for $100. I bought one and found 2 real nice ones that were given to me for free and they even dropped one here at the house (didn't even have to pick it up). Watch your classifieds, you may be surprised. )

Mike, does your local fuel supplier come over and fill it?
Bob

Doc_Bob · Jun 10, 2006

( Most of the time a guy can find a used 275 gallon home heating tank for $100. I bought one and found 2 real nice ones that were given to me for free and they even dropped one here at the house (didn't even have to pick it up). Watch your classifieds, you may be surprised. )

Mike, does your local fuel supplier come over and fill it?
Bob

kmdigital · Jun 10, 2006

Look inside the tank if possible to see what it looks like on the bottom. Water is heavier then fuel, so it always settles to the bottom. A little surface rust won't hurt anything, but severe pitting would be a big problem. A good way to see into the tank is use a mirro on a sunny day to reflect sunlight down into the tank. This is MUCH brighter then any flashlight, but if that doesn't work, you should be able to drop a flourescent troublelight through the fill opening.

In general, if the tank was used and didn't sit empty for an extended period, it will almost always still be in good usable condition.

A very good reason to have your own tank is that you can use off road diesel, which is about $0.45 gallon cheaper then on road fuel. Plus, in many farm states Ag diesel is sales tax expempt, so that saves even more. There are a few stations that sell Ag diesel at the pump, but not very many.

kmdigital · Jun 10, 2006

Look inside the tank if possible to see what it looks like on the bottom. Water is heavier then fuel, so it always settles to the bottom. A little surface rust won't hurt anything, but severe pitting would be a big problem. A good way to see into the tank is use a mirro on a sunny day to reflect sunlight down into the tank. This is MUCH brighter then any flashlight, but if that doesn't work, you should be able to drop a flourescent troublelight through the fill opening.

In general, if the tank was used and didn't sit empty for an extended period, it will almost always still be in good usable condition.

A very good reason to have your own tank is that you can use off road diesel, which is about $0.45 gallon cheaper then on road fuel. Plus, in many farm states Ag diesel is sales tax expempt, so that saves even more. There are a few stations that sell Ag diesel at the pump, but not very many.

GuyL · Jun 10, 2006

Well the auction ended and I got the thing for $130.00. If the tank is too bad, I at least have another pick up bed trailer for a reasonable price. I would like a storage tank because hurricane season is approaching and I am planing to buy a pto generator for the tractor.

Thanks again for the responses,

Guy

GuyL · Jun 10, 2006

Well the auction ended and I got the thing for $130.00. If the tank is too bad, I at least have another pick up bed trailer for a reasonable price. I would like a storage tank because hurricane season is approaching and I am planing to buy a pto generator for the tractor.

Thanks again for the responses,

Guy

beenthere · Jun 10, 2006

I wouldn't, and I say that because a good friend bought one, only to find out a month later that it was leaking. Drip, drip, drip, and it was full of diesel fuel. Problem was his usage was about 10 gal a month, and it was going to be forever to use the diesel in that tank. The supplier would pump it out but wouldn't pay anything for the fuel (don't now what he was going to do with it). Was a real pain in the neck.
Yours would at least be mobile that you could try to 'go on the road' and market the fuel in it for a good price.

beenthere · Jun 10, 2006

I wouldn't, and I say that because a good friend bought one, only to find out a month later that it was leaking. Drip, drip, drip, and it was full of diesel fuel. Problem was his usage was about 10 gal a month, and it was going to be forever to use the diesel in that tank. The supplier would pump it out but wouldn't pay anything for the fuel (don't now what he was going to do with it). Was a real pain in the neck.
Yours would at least be mobile that you could try to 'go on the road' and market the fuel in it for a good price.

wushaw · Jun 10, 2006

I bought a used one and it leaked. I only put 15gal in it to test.
Now it's yard art till I finally decide on what to do with it /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

wushaw · Jun 10, 2006

I bought a used one and it leaked. I only put 15gal in it to test.
Now it's yard art till I finally decide on what to do with it /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif