Fuel Cans - Poly VS Steel

[waterboy222]

I am in the process of building a little expedition trailer out of a compact utility bed. I'm at the stage where I'm trying to decide what I'm going to do about fuel storage. I'd like to carry 10+ gal of fuel and thinking the jeri (jerry, jerri, jery, whatever) can style would fit the best. I see a lot of people trying to buy up the older metal ones. What is the advantage of spending twice as much to get metal when a poly version is lighter, easier to handle and less expensive?

This version is made by briggs and stratton and it looks like it would fit the average jerican holder just fine..

 

[plainjaneFJC]

I think people gravitate toward the metal ones cause they believe old school is better. I prefer the plastic ones. I fish quite a bit on grand lake, usually around drowning creek.

 

[waterboy222]

Small world, my house is at the mouth of drowning creek, at Windmill Run, facing the main lake.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

I live in Owasso, but my in-laws weekend house is on the water just past lakemont shores.

 

[Louisd75]

What is the advantage of spending twice as much to get metal when a poly version is lighter, easier to handle and less expensive?

This version is made by briggs and stratton and it looks like it would fit the average jerican holder just fine..

I personally cannot stand the spouts like the ones on the can pictured. I had three different cans with the CARB compliant spouts and each and every one of them was miserable to use. The springs on the spout would wear out and get stuck, sometimes in the open position, sometimes in the closed position. The ones I had required that the spout be screwed into the can for storage, which meant getting fuel on your hands when it came time to use it. I haven't tried out the Scepter style, but they're usually harder to find and more expensive than the metal ones. As it is, I prefer the metal ones.

My experience so far has been that the metal cans seal better. They seal so well that it can difficult to open them by hand if they were filled at a higher altitude or temperature. They can be stored upright or on their side.

They're also more rugged. I witnessed a can come off of a friend's rig after they didn't secure it completely. I fully expected to see fuel going everywhere but that was not the case. The can came out of it with some scratches and dents, but it was not compromised. I've also seen the red plastic ones become brittle with age and UV exposure.

Just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary

 

[Kmrtnsn]

Nothing sucks more than pouring from a U.S.G.I. Plastic fuel can. There is a reason why the European metal "Jerry" cans are so coveted.

 

[waterboy222]

and that reason is?


I've never used either. What is the difference between a euro and USGI?

 

[Kmrtnsn]

Pour spouts.

 

[grnhornetcustoms]

Nothing against the plastic cans but I have metal. I bought another the other day at an out of the way store that had them on close out for $18.99, because they were not being made anymore. No, they have none left. I don't even own a spout for them. I broke off all the carb parts and placed them in the proper location. (Garbage) I use a siphon hose with a fitting with a marble in the end, three shakes and you have great flow. Very easy way and no mess or trying to hold and pour 5 gallons of fuel. I cant imagine the plastics being more stable in extreme temps though.

 

[86tuning]

The steel gas cans I have are from England and have the flip top. They're commonly called NATO cans and are available all over the world. Except for Canada and USA of course, due to the EPA and child-safety laws. Because they are unobtainium they become more desirable.

NATO flip-top cans are very easy to use, and are rated to not leak after a 10m drop. They are available with a spout that clips to the outside of the can. Convenient, but prone to dirt contamination if stored outside the truck. When stored inside a vehicle, there is no fuel smell.

I also use a safety siphon (jiggle siphon) with the marble-valve at one end. Just be sure to wipe it clean before and after use to keep dirt out of your fuel.

Plastic cans are meh. They work and are cheap, but tend to smell like gas when stored inside vehicles. The military ones are better, but the lids are very hard to open when tightened enough that they don't leak.

 

[762X39]

I have 7 of the Nato metal cans with the proper Unimog nozzle. The nozzle will not fit a modern vehicle and the metal cans are getting less than reliable (inside coating is peeling) so I am switching to the Scepter poly cans which are available everywhere around here. The old metal cans have had their day and will be retired to scrap after target practice.

 

[1911]

I like my Scepter plastic cans; light weight, no worries of rust, never leak. I have a good military spout for them but never use it, I just use a super siphon to transfer fuel, and the water can has its own cap with a small screw-on opening that lets you pour small amounts of water.

 

[I Leak Oil]

Think the moral of the story is there are good plastic cans and poor plastic, good steel and bad steel cans. No direct experience with the red plastic can first pictured but I suspect this would go in the poor catigory, probably best left to sitting in a garden shed servicing lawn equipment.

 

[Steve UK]

We used a mixture on a short trip this year, my preference was the plastic ones. My reason for this was they had a small depressure screw in the cap. The metal can did not and even though I was prepared for the pressure which had built up it still shocked me when a lot of petrol shot out when opened carefully!

I don't know how durable plastic ones are but as said there are good and bad of everything but I would be looking for a depressure screw on future cans I use.

Steve

 

[Seeker]

I have, and have used, the pre-CARB NATO metal and plastic Scepter cans for both water and fuel. I just converted to the plastic Scepter cans. There isn't much difference between my metal and plastic cans in practical usage. They both seal well, they're both quite durable, they're both quite serviceable, and they both suck to hold and pour. The only difference is that the plastic cans dont rust, and won't scratch the crap out of whatever they're mounted to causing it to rust.

Post-CARB cans I wouldn't use to refill my lawnmower. I've never spilled so much fuel as when using these cans. Scepter's cans post-CARB that are available to the public aren't as durable, and the metal NATO cans whose design was updated for the new rules have a crap spout/cap that I don't feel is as durable as the old design and suffers from the above mentioned spillage. Of course, if you're outside the USA it's all moot.

--Allen