Where to buy a REAL gas can?

[TrainChaser]

Last spring, I was forced to buy a one-gallon gas can because my old one had 'disappeared'.  The only one I could find was the Sceptor brand, which is nothing but a piece of trash -- it leaks and it's hard to use. 

Does Calif or any other state sell REAL gas cans, or did Sceptor and the other brands all pay off the politicians to force people to buy the trash I've been dealing with today?

 

[Gypsy Jane]

I don't know about California but here in Virginia, I bought a gas can last week and had to use a funnel to get the gas into my E350. One of those 'put the sliding thing against the lip of the tank and push' kind, which results in gas everywhere but the tank. Grrrr.

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

http://www.lexingtoncontainercompany.com/Nato-Jerry-Cans.html

 

[Dgorila1]

I don't know about California but here in Virginia, I bought a gas can last week and had to use a funnel to get the gas into my E350.  One of those 'put the sliding thing against the lip of the tank and push' kind, which results in gas everywhere but the tank. Grrrr.

Same exact problem you describe (in VA no less). I wanted a steel gas can and searched all the hardware stores but everything is plastic with the spring loaded "safety spout" like you describe. I hate  the damn thing but it's the only one I can find. Spills gas all over when trying to fill the lawn mower (another items I won't miss when I finally get to go full time....I HATE mowing grass)! Some politician or agency must have deemed the old school steel gas cans unsafe and enacted a bunch of rules to outlaw them.

 

[TrainChaser]

That's the kind I have. Garbage.

 

[Ballenxj]

 Some politician or agency must have deemed the old school steel gas cans unsafe and enacted a bunch of rules to outlaw them.

Blitz, makers of the well known Jerry cans was the largest manufacturer of steel gas cans in the United States, went out of business a few years ago due to greed and frivolous lawsuits.
http://www.ibtimes.com/blitz-usa-shuts-down-lawsuit-abuse-hammers-hometown-734478
You can still buy Euro cans at certain stores. I know for a fact that Hahn's Military Surplus in North Las Vegas have them.
You can buy the real Euro Cans there, (recommended) or the Chinese knockoffs. (not recommended) there.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

 

[John61CT]

Yes the NATO ones can be ordered online. Until they crack down

 

[highdesertranger]

yep get NATO cans the link that OP posted to Lexington Container has excellent quality real steel NATO cans I have 4 of these. also Wavian sells an excellent NATO can you can find them here, https://www.jerrycan.com/product-category/steel-jerry-cans/ . unfortunately they all come with EPA spouts which adds about 20 bucks to the price. the nozzles are not attached to the tanks and are easily modified. I saw the future coming and bought several of the old style nozzles when they were still available. BTW do not buy the el cheapo Chinese knockoffs they are not worth a plug nickel. there is a tutorial on one of those sites either the on I posted or the one OP posted on how to ID the knockoffs. highdesertranger

 

[Weight]

Eagle Safety can if you want a way to carry gasoline and not leak. These are some of the easier to use.

 

[jonsun]

these work good

https://www.ruralking.com/5-gallon-...Nr32reEo6Au25OD99J9hPEFV2iYiBt0BoC5loQAvD_BwE

 

[highdesertranger]

I would like to point something out. there are three government agencies that want to control your gas can design, DOT, OSHA, and EPA. so far there is not a can approved by all three and some cans like the one Bardo posted is not approved by anybody. we used to hide our cans on big jobsites because you never knew what agency was going to be snooping around wanting to give tickets. this is NOT a political post. any political posts will be deleted. this is just an info post letting y'all know that no matter what can you buy some agency will not like it. some cans are EPA and DOT approved, those are the ones I would look for. highdesertranger

 

[johnny b]

The 'race jug' shown above at rural king is plastic....and all plastic jugs are porous which allows vapor to escape over time. I have 4 plastic jugs I use for my weekend racing needs...gas is NEVER stored in these jugs. Any leftover race gas is transferred to metal cans for storage.
Race gas stored over the winter in plastic will probably fail our legality tests that it passed before storage. Vapor loss changes the chemistry just enough.
At $10 - 12 a gallon that can really suck! (should I add: ask me how I know?)

For 'street gas', we all know that the alcohol used as an oxygenate causes this crap to go bad much faster than the 'pre alcohol' days. Plastic jugs only makes that worse due to the same porousness allowing the absorption of water vapor...which is the problem of alcohol in gasoline.

Get a quality metal can for fuel storage...it's the ol' 'pay me now or pay me later'.
If carrying it for emergencies, rotate it every month or two when gassing up.
If you need to store it 3 months or more, put in some 'Sta-bil' or other brand fuel stabilizer.

I would get an Eagle safety can or quality (non Chinese) NATO can.
The NATO cans from Lexington now come with the EPA mandated spring loaded nozzles.

I was at the local gun show the other day and ran across a surplus store vendor that had NATO cans from Poland along with old style spouts...bought a can for 35 bucks and got a spout for 15....if/when I get another can or 2, the one spout is all ya need.
So that's another source...browse thru the gun shows in your travels.  

 

[TrainChaser]

I just asked Mr. Google why the gas can design changed.

"The whole trend began in (wait for it) California. Regulations began in 2000, with the idea of preventing spillage. The notion spread and was picked up by the EPA, which is always looking for new and innovative ways to spread as much human misery as possible.

"An ominous regulatory announcement from the EPA came in 2007: “Starting with containers manufactured in 2009… it is expected that the new cans will be built with a simple and inexpensive permeation barrier and new spouts that close automatically.”

"The government never said 'no vents'.” It abolished them de facto with new standards that every state had to adopt by 2009. So for the last three years, you have not been able to buy gas cans that work properly. They are not permitted to have a separate vent. The top has to close automatically. There are other silly things now, too, but the biggest problem is that they do not do well what cans are supposed to do.

"And don’t tell me about spillage. It is far more likely to spill when the gas is gurgling out in various uneven ways, when one spout has to both pour and suck in air. That’s when the lawn mower tank becomes suddenly full without warning, when you are shifting the can this way and that just to get the stuff out.

"There’s also the problem of the exploding can. On hot days, the plastic models to which this regulation applies can blow up like balloons. When you release the top, gas flies everywhere, including possibly on a hot engine. Then the trouble really begins.

"Yet let enough time go by. A whole generation will come to expect these things to work badly. Then some wise young entrepreneur will have the bright idea, “Hey, let’s put a hole on the other side so this can work properly.” But he will never be able to bring it into production. The government won’t allow it because it is protecting us!" https://lfb.org/how-government-wrecked-the-gas-can/

I've seen a lot of gas cans left by the side of the road. Maybe I should stop and check them out, on the chance that someone just didn't want the gas smell in their car, and tossed an old-style one. And yard sales.

 

[Weight]

The Eagle cans have an automatic spring closure. When open they have a vent system to help with pouring. When closed they are sealed. I have not had any gas fume smell if the outside of the can is clean. They are heavy metal construction. Available in less than 5 gallon capacity, can be equipped with a funnel attachment. With any can, the operator has a responsibility to be careful while using gasoline.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Blitz, makers of the well known Jerry cans was the largest manufacturer of steel gas cans in the United States, went out of business a few years ago due to greed and frivolous lawsuits.
http://www.ibtimes.com/blitz-usa-shuts-down-lawsuit-abuse-hammers-hometown-734478

I used to pick up truck loads of cans at the factory in Miami OK...

They would have freebies they would give us truck drivers if we asked...I still have several small Blitz cans and even a Blitz parts-washer tray.

It was a nice place to go, we were always treated well.

I did not know they went under...such a shame.

 

[tx2sturgis]

  ....also Wavian sells an excellent NATO can you can find them here....

I bought a couple of the Wavian 10L NATO cans a few years ago...and only one spout...I should have bought a couple more in case I misplace this one.

These are VERY good quality cans...but they are NOT cheap!

It looks like the prices have gone up since I bought mine. The cans themselves are worth about 10 times the value of the gasoline inside, so I always lock them up...

 

[bonvanroulez]

Harbor freight carries a 5 gallon steel Jerry can. The can usually sells for around $40. With the standard HF 20% off coupon it's $32. I've also seen the same can sold at farm supply stores. I bought my first one at Farm and Fleet, on sale also at $32.

It's not as heavy as the old nato cans but heavy enough. I've been carrying one on an outside carrier for 4+ years.

They come with the usual dreadful spring loaded spout but I throw that in the garbage and either pour fuel into a funnel, or most of the time use a super siphon/jiggler which transfers fuel without spilling a drop.

The can has a cap with a liquid and vapor tight rubber seal. I carried one inside the van for one long trip and never noticed a trace of gas smell.

 

[highdesertranger]

on the newer style NATO can spout, the spring loaded guaranty to spill part of the nozzle unscrews, then you can add a short piece of hose to the metal spout and presto you have the old style nozzle. highdesertranger

 

[squatting dog]

been using these square 5 gal. jugs since the 80's. Contrary to what others might say, I have stored and still am storing gas in them. I've noticed that since the govt stuck it's nose in, these are now referred to as utility jugs. Don't be fooled. they are fuel jugs.... always have and always will. Oh, by the way, the jugs I'm still using today at one time held my methanol, trick gas, and even diesel for my tractor. As a matter of fact, 3 of mine are leftover from racing in 1988.

 http://www.speedwaymotors.com/shop/...-14584?NoRedirect=true&OriginalQuery=fuel+jug

I would recommend buying the hose kit to pour fuel in your vehicle.

 http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Utility-Jug-Cap-and-Filler-Neck-Spout-Hose-Kit,2710.html

 

[akrvbob]

I just bought a Wavian 2 1/2 gal. Nato can off Amazon here:
http://amzn.to/2t39RYr

It did come with the piece of sh*t CARB spout which you can try to fix like HDR said or throw it away and get a real one from Amazon here:
http://amzn.to/2u1n4VC

It's going to be a lot of money but it's worth it--they are simply the best gas cans I know of. They never leak or off-gas, I carry mine inside the van with me and have had zero problems in 7 years.