Fuel Barrel

I want to set up a 55 gallon drum for diesel fuel. At another ranch I worked at I had a closed barrel with a hand pump. I was able to slip strap the closed barrel an lift it with the tractor with no problems.

My problem now is I am having difficulty finding a closed barrel (sealed). there are some with removable tops and some plastic ones available but I am unsure if I can wrap a slip strap near the top of a removable top or plastic barrel and lift it without the barrel collapsing.

Thoughts?

how high do you have to lift it?

Just out of the pick up.

You need one for liquids without a removable anything. Wrapping a strap and lifting like that with anything else is a recipe for disaster. I only have a few things around here that are gasoline so I use a 55 gallon barrel for gasoline with a hand pump. Mine I bought locally from the "barrel guy" and it originally carried olive oil. It is heavy built and only has the pump bung in it.

Go to the local oil/fuel supplier and get an oil drum.

If you dont have a oil/fuel supplier ask your local CIH dealer what they do with their empty 55 barrels they get Hytran in and see if you can buy/have one.

P,S> I wouldnt tell them you want to use it for transporting fuel, they may not sell you a barrel.

I used to use a blue plastic barrel for hauling fuel. Those things are STRONG. Just through a choke around the top and lift. Another way to lift is to drill 3 3/8" holes around the rim,secure/bolt a small chain to those holes.Safer because the chain cant slip off like a 'choke hold' can.You can get/buy empty steel (oil) barrels from fuel 'wholesalers'/bulk outlets/Coop(Anyplace that sells fuel and bulk oil). Just pay the $20 drum fee.

Is your gas barrel plastic or steel?

Ahmen to that one! I wanted to rent a U-haul trailer. Just a little 5x9 foot one. Never thought about it when they asked about the tow vehicle. My Ford Explorer.....NOPE! We can't rent to you and it is company policy! Too small of a vehicle? Borrowed a neighbors with his big truck.

You have good reason to be concerned.
I would never and I mean never attempt to lift a removable top barrel with a strap
And I do not even know if I would want to store fuel in a plastic drum.

Find someone that buys oil in drums.
A trucking company or such.
They would most likely give you a old drum as they can not be thrown in the dumpster.

Thick, thick steel. I paid $12 for it. I use the bucket of the tractor and slid it in the unload it. Having it swing around with fuel in it scares me. It's not like diesel is that volitile, but a spill would get you a mess.

This is what I used to move 55 gallon steel drums(both types sealed and clamp top) of fuel and oil. It attached to a set of forks. Just push up against the barrel(under the first rung from the top), forks opened and clasped barrel. raise barrel, place where you want and back out. Forks opened to release barrel.

Some blue plastic barrels have non-removable tops and the are [i:5d983db1c1]strong[/i:5d983db1c1]. Not sure about any reaction with gas.

here's a couple barrel lifting straps sold by ind supply com and from lift truck suppliers
and are approved for flammable container transporting n lifting

<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto24211.jpg"/>

<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto24212.jpg"/>

One solution might be to buy a barrel of off road diesel from a chemical supplier. Then you would have a barrel and it will be marked diesel. I live in the Dallas area and I get bulk chemicals here. http://www.buckleyoil.com/

He is wanting it for diesel.

Come on If it does not have anything removable no way to fill or empty it.

Can you get off-road diesel delivered to your place. I've never heard my fuel guy say you had to have a certain amount off fuel delivered at a time. Have them fill your barrel or barrels or fuel tank such as I have. I always order between 100-150 gallon at a time, depending on the time of year and the price of diesel. Its the same price not matter how much or little I get.
Just a thought as it would be allot easier and safer.

Where are you getting it filled?
Seems they may have something to say also.

Most any equipment shop should have some barrels. They might use bulk for high volume products, but will still have barrels for other fluids. Some suppliers have deposits and reuse barrels, some don't.

Watch Craigslist for a fuel tank that will fit in the back of a pickup truck. Many bigger operators find they are too small for their operation.

(quoted from post at 05:34:31 07/11/15) He is wanting it for diesel.

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Oh, yeah, So that's even better.

(quoted from post at 05:39:04 07/11/15) Come on If it does not have anything removable no way to fill or empty it.

Click to expand...

They have regular screw type outlets on the top like any steel barrel but the barrel itself is one piece. We used to get concrete admixtures in them and then cut the tops off with a jig-saw/sawzall or skilsaw to use them for other things.

Watch Craigslist for a fuel tank that will fit in the back of a pickup truck. Many bigger operators find they are too small for their operation.

This ^^ You can pick up a used 'slip tank' around here for about $100 without a pump. Before I got my 1000gal tank I used 2 x slip tanks. Had a 110gal on a stack of pallets and a 90 gal in the truck. 12v pumps are way better than hand pumps.
Or look around for a 500 gal tank and stand if overhead tanks are still ok to use where you are. They pretty much have to give them away at farm sales.
Chris

don't understand . Simply Gas is NOT diesel. Person should say what they mean provided they know the
difference. Often I have noticed people asking stupid question as what kind of gas mileage do semi tractors get
on highways. Duh-- very few if any over the road trucks use gas.

My BIL the logger used to say that people that haul their fuel in barrels have 3 times as much injector pump trouble as those that have fuel tanks. Have you priced an injector pump rebuild lately? It would probably pay to buy a real fuel tank.

Not a good idea to use a removable top barrel for fuel. Can"t imagine 55 gal steel barrels being hard to find. For moving the barrel- build a platform the height of your pickup tailgate and slide the barrel from the truck. Put a filter on the pump.

I have kept diesel in 55 drums for over 30 years. Have had no problems. Keep the tank sealed, under cover, buy clean fuel from a known dealer, keep "snake oil" preservatives (PS products) in the storage and in the tractor tanks and have a final filter in the line at the pump output. Initially had a hand pump but on a 40 gallon 4020 tank I just got tired of pumping.

I had no problems lifting my barrels onto my flatbed or off with a FEL and a couple of chains. One (3/8" link diam) wrapped tightly around and just below the 2/3 from the top barrel ring, and the second hooked 180 degrees apart into that midriff chain and the center looped over the 3 pt bucket's grab hook.

All 55 gallon steel drums are not alike, especially open top. Some are thin with no roll on the top and others are thicker material and a roll. Even with the thick material and roll I don't think I'd want to use the tank for diesel. Don't know what the sealing rubber resists. Other than that I'd have no problem with it if that's all I could find.

After years of that, I took an old trailer made from a p/u bed and mounted and secured 3 drums. One of my tanks is a 55 gallon Shell Rot T oil drum I bought (full of oil) once. Other two are similar. Don't remember where they were acquired. When I bought the oil the dealer required a $20 deposit for the barrel. I just decided to let him keep the deposit. A good choice.

Bought an el cheapo battery operated electric pump from TSC. Now I don't have to pump, nor load and unload. Just drive the trailer to the farm diesel supplier and fill er up. I read the DOT requirements for Haz Mat decals and with 3 drums filled to 50 gallons, 5 gallons for expansion per tank, you are just under the 1000# limit where the decals are required.