I need to purchase a 55 gallon drum for diesel.

[Rory_Rhodes]

After multiple searches, I have found nothing that indicates the best type of 55 gallon drum for diesel storage. Handpumps, hoses, filters and nozzles have all been covered, but what is the best approach to find the drum? Many places have used drums, plastic, steel, and i even think that I have seen signs for stainless steel. New drums are also available.

Your thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.

Storage will be outside or in a container. Forks are available for lifting, filling, and unloading. 50 gallons should hold me for 3 months.

 

[AndyMA]

Of all the choices you have mentioned if I had a choice I would take a stainless steel one. It is overkill but it woul dlast forever outside and not contaminate the fuel. Any of the types you mention will work if they are clean. With the plastic one you would need to be careful not to puncture. Some of them are available in metal cages with fork pockets to pick up.

Andy

 

[Rory_Rhodes]

Here is a new 55 gallon drum, closed top with corrosion inhibitor coated on inside. $68 new. Used steel 55's run $20-$25, with no idea of what they were used for. Deal?

This place also has a palletized spill container or drum dolly for sale. Pallet may make more sense, easy to lift off of truck bed. I guess a wooden pallet would work also.

Best handpump/filter/nozzle combination? Northern has many to choose from.

 

[Bird]

I had a steel drum for awhile and it was outside. They can leak if it rains (I had a tarp over it), and you'll get moisture from condensation in termperature changes. After getting water in my diesel, I got rid of it and got a plastic drum. It was a heavy duty, thick blue plastic that originally had an industrial detergent in it. A big construction company with a lot of road construction type equipment had them and just gave it to me to get rid of it. I kept it on a small pallet in my shop, so it was easy to load into the back of my pickup with the forks on the front of the loader bucket to go refill it. There's no way I'd use steel again, even stainless steel.

 

[Soundguy]

Check with your bulk fuel supplier.. they may be able to sell you fuel pre-packaged in 55G drums.. ( ours can ).

Otherwise find a drum that has been used for oil.. again.. your bulk supplier may have a spare.. or point you toward a customer that buys oil in drums... and thus has a pile of them out back of his yard.

I work for a GC.. we buy motor oil hundreds of gallons at a time.. that means we usually have 2-3 oil drums added to the pile per month.. minimum.. I'll bet many contractors are the same.. if they buy drummed oil, and not bulk right into their trucks.. etc..

Soundguy

After multiple searches, I have found nothing that indicates the best type of 55 gallon drum for diesel storage. Handpumps, hoses, filters and nozzles have all been covered, but what is the best approach to find the drum? Many places have used drums, plastic, steel, and i even think that I have seen signs for stainless steel. New drums are also available.

Your thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.

Storage will be outside or in a container. Forks are available for lifting, filling, and unloading. 50 gallons should hold me for 3 months.

 

[IslandTractor]

What plastic tanks for diesel? It would take me a while to go through 55 gallons and the weight would be a challenge but 30 gallons would be nice as I could put one in the back of the SUV and unload it with forks. There are "industrial" style 30 gallon tanks/mini drums made of plastic that cost about $40 which isn't so bad. Anything to watch out for when putting diesel into plastic tanks that are not specifically sold as fuel tanks?

 

[Mike058]

What plastic tanks for diesel? It would take me a while to go through 55 gallons and the weight would be a challenge but 30 gallons would be nice as I could put one in the back of the SUV and unload it with forks. There are "industrial" style 30 gallon tanks/mini drums made of plastic that cost about $40 which isn't so bad. Anything to watch out for when putting diesel into plastic tanks that are not specifically sold as fuel tanks?

I guess I'd be worried that, over time, components of the diesel fuel could leach into the plastic if the plastic was made for water based liquids. That's just conjecture on my part, I don't have any info on what plastics they use for the plastic drums. Just something to think about.

 

[Danno1]

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I believe most of those plastic drums are polyethelene, which is resistant to most any chemical your average person will be able to get ahold of. Do a Google for "chemical resistance of plastics". There are a lot of charts out there.

.

 

[gordon21]

Check with any place that does lots of oil changes. Disposing of all those drums is probably a hassle for them. Walmart, JiffyLube, Sears, etc

Another good source are the blue plastic barrells from South America that come to the USA with juice concentrate in them. Very sturdy and usually less than $20. Make sure to get both bungs (threaded caps). They use a different thread than most American drums. The original contents labels are usually still on them.

Ask anyone that goes to the industrial section of your nearest city and they will probably have seen a yard full of them.

 

[heymack]

I purchased my reconditioned steel drum from a local barrel supplier for around $15...it looked brand new inside.