I have NEVER gotten more gasoline on myself then I have trying to use these "safety" spouts. I've had some that the spring was so strong, it literally shot the end of the spout and miscellaneous parts into the fuel tank when the little lip slipped off the edge. Naturally fuel went everywhere.
I was a Risk Managed for the largest municipal utility in the state of Michigan. Fire prevention was very high on our list of safety measures. We used systems like Lockout Tag out whenever hot work was performed, among many other safety program rules and procedures. I agree with everything in this video. The ridiculous modifications to gas cans create more of a hazard than the old style cans. Proper training is the solution. But as the saying goes “you can’t cure stupid.”
@Stroys - thank you for supporting these mods and my message! This video definitely put me into a gray area, where common sense and regulation are heading in opposite directions. It’s nice to hear someone from the industry’s opinion. I appreciate you joining the conversation!
Gotta agree. Unnecessary safety features that coddle stupid people are watering down the collective intelligence of the world. I say remove the warning on the shampoo bottles that state "for external use only" and let the cleansing begin.
@@timothyneiswander3151 -- I say they should put those safety spouts on water cans and see if these stupid people can figure out how to get the water out of them
Hey Mike, I am a retired firefighter, I have been to many fires. Looking back, I have to say, I cannot remember not even one that involved an "old school" gas can that caused a fire due to the way it was designed or that was even involved in a fire period. I think the designers of these cans are really just looking do something different to promote business. This apparently resulted in them being "too smart by half as much."
Douglas, thanks for sharing some perspective, and thanks for your service as a first responder! The old school equipment was built like a tank, and you didn’t really start hearing horror stories until the plastic cans were popular. If plastic containers are a reality moving forward, I think we could do much better in the design of the containers and the spouts.
In California I'm pretty sure these "safety features" are required by regulations. Company's manufacture to the most strict standard so they only have to make one item. The rest of the country than has to deal with California regulations, even if it's not required where they live. Same with auto emissions.
This is the answer right here. Every single time a woke liberal gets involved everything goes to hell. They can’t design a gas can or figure out which bathroom to use.
I still have my old metal gas cans. I hate those plastic thingies. I get gas on me and everything around me. There is no way that it safe. This shit should be banned.
If you store more than a gallon of fuels of any kind in your garage please add a placard at the door(s) for the fire fighters to prepare for an explosion when your garage is on fire. That is, unless you have a vented storagr cabinet, properly installed with the vent to outside air. The cabinets are usually guaranteed to a given temperature and will delay any explosin of stored fuels. That is what we do on the farm, home and in industry.
May I add a little suggestion about the plastic shavings when drilling the hole for the vent. Dip the bit into some axle grease or apply with something suitable and the shavings will stick to the bit as you drill or pull it out. Works well.
Why worry about any of these ideas? It is almost impossible to keep all of the shavings /chips out of the can due to the very nature of drill bits. Just start with a clean, dry can (new is good) and pour the chips out of the threaded opening that the spout screws onto. A bit of compressed air in the new hole will make this even easier and quicker. Personally, I would debur the inside of the new hole before clean out as I REALLY do not want any volunteer bits of plastic in my chainsaw. A link to the vents would be helpful.
The world has truly gone crazy when it requires this much time and energy to make something as simple as a gas can work properly. Thanks for being one of the sane ones Mike.
Hey, Mike…excellent research and extremely timely review. I use their diesel fuel can. I can lift it high enough to fill my farm tractor and then keep it all steady while compressing the spout. I stand on a ladder to get this filled. I am 70 years old….going to modify my container and spout NOW👍
When I put my vent in, I moved it about three inches to the right of where you put it. It is on the right side of the handle at basically the same level. The advantage, is you can start pouring the can with it closed, then open it with the thumb of the same hand holding the handle.
Wherever i have worked the safety people are full of power and must do things to validate their jobs. Most sit around drinking coffee and going to meetings.
I used a 1/2 inch drill bit to install the yellow air vent and it worked just fine. In fact it was a tight fit, but a tap from a plastic mallet did the trick. Also used a small bead of clear silicone RTV to make a seal around the vent. The Midwest cans are great, once you do these modifications.
Gary, thanks for sharing your experience! I feel like the vent does make a big difference. I saw your other comment about putting the vent on the seam… three years and Still working is a good sign!
For the vent, I got some tubeless tire stems, took the Schrader valve out, used a step drill to drill an appropriate hole, got a piece of string, threaded it to the hole I drilled, tied it to the tire stem and pulled into place, replaced the cap and it works so good I put them on all 8 of my cans here on the farm. Put a dab of liquid detergent on the tire stem and it will pop right into place.
@@Watchyn_Yarwood I have a 30 gallon oil barrel for farm transfer. Thinking that for vent while filling thru 3/4 bung. As large hole used for 12v pump.
My friend has two of these gas cans. We tried to put gas into his 2020 Honda CRV. If you are familiar with the gas filler set up on the CRV, you will understand that this gas can design is a miserable failure. Even with the two of us working together, we got gas all over us, the side of the car, and on the ground. So a big Thank You, Mike! I appreciate this mod!
Michael, thank you for sharing this story. You wouldn’t believe how many viewers have had a similar experience. On a sidenote, nothing beats a funnel for trying to get gas into a car… Thanks for joining the conversation!
@@MikeFyxdt Except.. you can't press the highly engineered container nozzle, with safety accoutrements, against the funnel. I have a similar issue fueling my zero-turn. The zero tank filler threaded cap, with it's sloping liner, is at least 1/2" thick, thus the little tab on the nozzle wants to slide right into the tank. The only way, is put on heavy gloves to hold that tiny tab, while you're trying to fill. Gas on me, the tank, the engine area, etc. And trying my best, to refrain from profane language.
Yeah, the US government used to send men to the moon in vehicles with less computer power than a modern cell phone. Now, it can't even design a working website or a working gas can.
I am so sick of companies playing to the lowest denominator, thereby making things difficult for everyone else. At the same time, stupid is as stupid does, and stupid people are still going to do stupid things. When companies mistakenly believe they can fix stupid, maybe THEY are stupid as well.
I think it's more about liability, so when the numbskull survives pouring gas on a fire, they can't sue the can maker. Why have common sense when you can blame your idiocy on someone else?
Thanks again, Mike. Part 2 is as spot on as Part 1. I have experienced ALL of the issues that you mentioned and plan to modify my 4 cans as you did. I may even buy more of them since I see how to make them better. My only positives concerning this can is the TWO handles to support holding up a 30+ lb can full of gas and the can actually being fairly thick to begin with. Your suggestions make these fuel cans worth having.
In addition to the good info and ideas from Mike, the common sense presented with a bit of sarcasm is absolutely hilarious and priceless as well. I have no idea why it took so long for me to find this channel but I'm glad I did. I'm subscribing immediately!
Step drill (available for cheap at Harbor Freight) makes a cleaner hole every time. Use compressed air to blow out any debris. No compressor? Flush with water several times, leave cap off. Any remaining water will evaporate out in a day.
Great videos. Well done both in quality of the video, and accuracy and usefulness of the information. I was given four of those cans full of gas when my next door neighbor got a whole house generator run on LP gas. He had a small gasoline generator that he had been using but it was a pain. Well I broke one of the spouts the first time I used it and of course spilled gas everywhere. I have actually spilled more fuel from those four safety cans than I did from all of the previous cans I've owned in my 68 years. Another drawback on the spout is that fuel will eventually leak down between the two tubes after they wear, likely in a very short period. One last safety issue, if you have already used this can and it has gas or had gas in it, you want to make sure you use a brushless drill or maybe even drill the hole by hand. Some drills generate sparks in the motor which can ignite fumes remaining in the can.
All excellent points Mike! I’ve received a lot of comments about drilling the hole in the can, and concern over igniting the fumes. I emptied the can previously, and let the container air out overnight, outside before I made any of these mods. I guess it’s better to say that then as soon people will just now! Thanks for joining the conversation!
Midwest gas can doesn't care if someone uses the can incorrectly, they just want to have plausible deniability to ward off lawsuits. With all the protection they add they can claim any accident cannot be their fault because no one can actually use their gas can. Legal problem solved. I've never met a neighbor or farmer that likes these features. Love your take down of these "safety features". I've owned a small farm for 32 years and was an auto mechanic before that. The first thing I do is basically the same as the ideas you report, except I just buy an unrestricted spout for the can from Tractor Supply. I prefer this because their spouts have caps so you can close the can completely, plus they give you one of those vents you talk about in the package. These are all important to me since I have three rider mowers, five weed trimmers, half a dozen chain saws, one compact tractor (diesel) and one Bobcat skid steer (diesel) as well as five cars and trucks, some used exclusively on the farm and not on the road. I do the same modifications to diesel cans except they don't have a "flame arrester" in their opening. No one pays me to waste my time on these cans so I "fix" them all.
Thank you for adding your expert testimony! It's nice to hear from people who actually use the product, and don't have time to wrestle with all of these safety features. I appreciate you watching and commenting! 😁
I think the people at the EPA who come up with these ideas should be required to use these gas cans as he only means to fuel there own vehicles for a year, just so they can show everyone how awesome they are.
I just want to add that in addition to the chore of holding the weight of the can while fumbling with the lame spout a person might also be trying to hold a flashlight, as I was, when trying to refuel my generator in the dark.
I knew a kid in high-school who poured gas on an open fire. He was still covered head to toe in compression bandages even years later. Yeah. They did this because of the sadly growing number of us who don't possess common sense. Bring back the Saturday morning PSAs. Good video. !
I can't believe you installed those yellow plastic vents!!! Today I just upgraded my plastic gas cans with the metal vent like a shader valve works great!!!
I think these ideas are absolutely wonderful and hopefully won't forget about them when I need them. I just have one more thought that may or may not work depending on how durable them little yellow vent caps are. It's possible that a cup of boiling hot water might make them pliable enough without distorting them. If anyone tries this please let me know if it works or not. I would start with a rolling boil as I'm guessing this application will be close to its limits if not above, that yellow plastic looks pretty strong.
Fed mandate made them put it in after Blitz lost a case where a fool used Blitz can and you guessed it the flame went into the can. Part of that ruling also removed the vent. I agree with you 100%.
Let's take a simple design and make it ridiculously complex. Then we'll re-introduce the original design as 'new and improved'. I have one of these cans and I hate it. So I've engineered a solution of sorts. I store the can with one of those siphon hoses you can get at the auto parts store. When I want to fuel something, I remove its original spout, insert the siphon hose. A few squeezes of the bulb on the hose and all works well. Make sure the can is situated higher than whatever you're fueling.
Know a few family members who have hand (arthritis as well) & dexterity issues; & asked them to try to use this particular gas can. Was impossible for them to do so, from the way it’s manufactured. Haven’t really “looked” for a gas can for ppl w/ hand issues…but there’s gotta be some out there, I’m guessing. Kinda an interesting topic, imo. Thx ✌🏻
@Aepek - I have not heard of a company that makes gas containers to accommodate people with disabilities… I agree with you that it is a very interesting topic! Thank you for watching and for joining the conversation. :-)
Agreed, a lot of people really like the flexible replacement spouts. One of my gas containers has a flexible spout, and I really do find it easier to use that to fill my small gas powered tools.
I just had to replace a "safety" can just like it, the threads and gasket wore out on the old can. The design is almost diabolical to prevent easy use. My last can was of similar design, and I made some less elegant modifications. The first thing I did on the new can was break off that stupid red latch. I then started to remove the flame arrester, but it became clear that I would damage the gasket mating surface beyond repair. The next thing I did was very similar to the vent cap. I used a schrader valve with the core removed for the vent, with the cap installed. On the old can I used a retaining ring to hold the valve in place, I modified the new can with parts from the old. I really butchered up the spout on the old can, your spout modifications make total sense. I used a simpler solution on the small can I use for 2 cycle mix, I just made a very small pinhole in the top of the handle, The can would bulge so much in the hot sun I was afraid it would rupture, if I released the excess pressure, the can would buckle and collapse when things cooled off. As long as the can is kept upright, there will be no spillage.
I injure myself every season with these “safer” gas cans. It usually happens when the tab on the nozzle slips off causing the nozzle to plunge into the lawn mower tank. My hand follows behind and I end up with torn skin.
On the question of how often I dispense gas onto an open fire, exactly once. Some 40 odd years ago I poured gas from a milk jug onto an open burn pile. You can guess what happened next. Had the flame not jumped up the stream of fuel and caught the whole thing on fire in my hand I may have thought "that's not a bad way to get a fire going". Instead I NEVER did that again. Just sayin. Some lessons are worth learning.
I have never caught anything on fire that I was using on an open fire. because you pour the gas on what you want to catch on fire first , then... toss something on fire,into what you want to catch fire. WOW...huh....?? to soon!?
Pour some fuel into a tin can, while you are a safe distance from the fire. Walk over to the fire and toss in the fuel from a safe distance. Make sure all the fuel leaves the tin can at once. Be prepared to jump back if needed.
There's a thing called natural selection. So far as I can remember, those little yellow vents were always installed right on the seam of the can. That's a good tip to offset it away from the seam. Thanks!
These 2 gas can videos are spot on. The manufacturers are literally being stupid. Causing a product to fight you actually can cause accidents while trying to idiot proof a product.
John, in fairness to the manufacturers, they are making gas cans that conform to government safety regulations. It’s still a bad design, but I don’t want to point too much blame in one direction. Regardless, these gas cans really are hard to use off the shelf, so these modifications I do believe make them safer. Thank you for watching!
Don't call them gas cans call them fluid containers and make them easy to poor fluids out of. It's up to the consumer to decide what fluids they want to put into them. They have the same retarded design for kerosene cans and it is impossible to use filling a heater.
@@michaelprosperity3420 Boy ain't that a fact. We literally had a 2 man operation using a funnel to fill heaters here. Those lame kerosene bulb pumps take forever and end up dribbling fuel sooner or later. And those new cans with the filter screen don't work with them at all. Can't even get the sump tube in them till you tear it out.
One other mod... If you are going to leave the spring in, rip out the red latch. The spring will still close the valve like normal, but you won't have to force that red piece down to release anymore...
I just got one of the 2 gallon models of this can and did the original mods. As for the cap, there was a red cap on the inside of the spout (where the O-ring had to be removed) and that cap fits perfectly on the end of the spout. Now I'm going to look into the air vent mod.
I remember the first time I picked up a can like these, I nearly took it back.. Your modifications are sensible, especially if you want to use it. The company's lawyers who forced the design no doubt think it's great. Yeh, I don't think any of them use the can either 😁
Well said Bill! A lot of people say I should have returned these containers, but the modifications made them easier and I don’t need to now. Thanks for joining the conversation!
For the vent, I got some tubeless tire stems, took the Schrader valve out, used a step drill to drill an appropriate hole, got a piece of string, threaded it to the hole I drilled, tied it to the tire stem and pulled into place, replaced the cap and it works so good I put them on all 8 of my cans here on the farm.
You didn't need to worry about avoiding the seam. It's not going to compromise anything. The best thing to do with these cans is to remove the flame arrestor as you demonstrated, and then put on an EZ-Pour spout. The spout kit comes with the same vent that you installed in the video, and has a free flow spot with a screw on cap. Basically, you're making an old school gas can out of the new mess up one.
Just bought one of these 5 gal. Nightmares for filling my boat. I'm so glad you shared the fix because these cans are a royal pain in the ass for filling the tank on my pontoon,first time I tried to use it I immediately spilled gas everywhere and ended up pulling the fill tube off and using a funnel.
Machinist here. I've drilled almost every material you've ever heard of that wasn't glass. With thin plastics you generally don't want a pilot hole because it causes the full size drill to thread in like what happened with you. Otherwise, I appreciate the video. I agree completely with your assessment of the problem with safety engineering run amok. You have a new subscriber.
Thanks so much for this information Mike. My first experience with these so called improved nozzles was when I ran out of gas in the turn lane literally 10 yards away from the gas station driveway. I ran into the store and purchased one of these new cans to get my car out of the way of blocking about 7 cars at the time. Unfamiliar with the nozzle, I could not get it to flow. It finally trickled enough in to start the car. I think more went on the ground and on my hands in the process. I have since modified two gas cans with these nozzles that would have otherwise been heading to the trash. One thing I would add to your mod is that when you have the O-ring off and are modifying the spring, REMOVE the red clip! It just swings out of place. Once reassembled it eliminates the need to touch the nozzle and potentially get gas on your hands. Just another useless unneeded step. You can now just press nozzle into its destination.
Thanks for sharing your story Leo! I like leaving the red push button attached because it keeps the nozzles from accidentally depressing an opening if you’re moving the container around. I’m always willing to try new ideas to make these containers easier to use so thanks for your suggestion!
@@MikeFyxdt Yes. I also realized that in removing the red button you have to make sure you have the modified spring just right. Enough to still create a seal but not to much that causes to much stress on the o-ring causing it to possibly fall off and into the gas.
I always use a cigarette lighter for viewing into the gasoline can. Never had any problems. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. Thanks just having a little fun. Thanks for the mods to help with the gas can.
I have been racking my brain for several months now how to modify that bad spout!! Thank you for your videos!! I'm doing those things first thing in the morning. Just couldn't bear to throw it away. I've just been pouring the gasoline into a funnel without the spout
My main considerations on buying a gas can is, it has to have a handle also on the side to hold it in the pouring position OR the spout has to be FLEXIBLE, there are no obstructions in the spout and it has to have a way to either cap the spout or turn it around and put it on the can with the spout inside and a plug sealing the opening. The spout staying OUT all the time is very hazardous and sometimes prevents the can to fit in a tight space. Otherwise I spill gas all over the place.
I believe these spouts come with a little cap that will allow you to store the spout inside the can like the old days, then cap, then ring to hold it all in place
What happened is. Gas can companies were sued. A lawyer went around suing gas can makers. If I remember correctly this lawyer even sued a gas can manufacture out of business. I believe he made millions of dollars doing this. One lawyer.
I think it was the company Blitz. They made great products from drip pans to ice scrapers and gas cans. It was a shame. They made heavy duty great products.
I installed the vents on all my cans a few years ago. A step drill made a perfect hole then install the vent with a quick wack of a mallet. Swarf inside? Tip the can upside down and give it a blast of air.
I like the fact that the new cans don’t have to be vented. So I don’t have fumes in my car or garage. I have 1,2 and 5 gallon cans. Would never use the five for filling a lawn mower, generator or most anything else with a small fuel tank. As you noted, 5 gallon fully loaded is very heavy. On the other hand very easy to use with 1 or 2 gal. 5 is used on the boat for fuel transfer or filling the smaller containers. Adjusting the spring tension sounds like a good idea. The newer spark arrestor that I have seen have been redesigned. Funny thing is seeing someone smoking while using a gas can or gas station fuel pump. If your going to add a vent, you might as well get rid of the spout and use the old fashion type that remain available on line.
Greg, when I added the vent to my container (with the modified spout) it helped it four more smoothly and quickly than the vent that's built into the spout. An old-school spout is a good alternative!
I've put these vents on all of my gas cans. I leave the vent open when in storage to keep the gas from pressurizing when temperature rises while in storage. When the gas becomes pressurized after temperature increase it will come gushing out of the can and spill everywhere when the vent or spout is opened. This happens mostly when the can is full. Happened to me more times than I want to count until I installed these vents. Also, when the can is empty and not vented the sides of the can will suck in overnight when temperatures drop. Properly used, these vents are the best.
Lol, a call would be better than a knock on the door, right? I saw the light after a few comments in that video, and I turned to the manufacturers website who takes great pride in talking about their safety measures. It wasn’t until after the second video that I learned more about the government regulations that require these safety devices. I appreciate you watching!
A big word of caution to anyone not familiar with how dangerous a seemingly 'empty' gas can be. If you have already used the original can and are attempting to modify it as described in this video, the vapors in an empty or nearly empty can are extremely volatile and could be ignited by the arcing armatuer from a corded or cordless drill, especially if the spout has not been removed and there is vapor pressure in the can when the drill pierces it. Also if the can has been sitting in a hot vehicle or out in the sun on a hot day, residual vapors will continue to overflow from the can until it has cooled The vapors could explode the can violently if ignited. It might take a little longer but, in my opinion, thouroughly emptying the can and rinsing it with water and a little dish detergent would be a safer approach.
They design these cans to be used as if we are filling our cars/trucks with them. 99% of the time we are not using them for that purpose. It's always a push or riding mower, an outboard motor, generator etc.. all which are at a completely different angle and height than a car's gas tank.
Neither of my cars will accept a gas can nozzle. You have to use the factory supplied funnel to get past the cap less fuel filler. I used my cans 100% on my mower or generator.
Worked drilling rigs years ago. Shell decided that we should only use brass hammers to prevent sparks. We had never had a problem that way but with brass hammers kept sending brass chips into eyes, arms and faces. They came out years later and said oh dang, use steel. MANY other companies STILL insist on brass..... DERP
Wow, that’s a great story! I suppose the intentions are good, but the rules are being made by people that are not using the product. Perfect metaphor. Thank you for sharing!
Mike I like your clear thinking. I can't add a thing. But on slightly different subjects I can tell you of some of my experience with government safety idiots. I worked for many years as a parts man at a dealership. OSHA was a similar legal problem with doing things safely. Not an OSHA rep, but the inspector from the insurance company came and inspected the dealership to see that we were in line with all safety regulations. The parts department got a gig for not having a three wire cord on our micro-fiche viewer. Now we complained that the viewer had no metal parts outside of the plastic and glass body of the machine. However the slide that held the micro-fiche was metal and glass. But the metal slide did not go inside the machine where the electrics were. We were told it didn't matter, we had to have a three wire cord on the machine. Typical thinking by safety experts? They don't bother to look at how something is built. If it has a cored attached it has to be three wire. Well, I was the one assigned to modify the micro-fiche viewer. We could have run a three wire cord, and just not hooked up the third wire. But I was told to do my best. The third wire had to be attached to the fan motor somewhere. So. I had to carefully dismantle a machine that was not meant to be taken apart. I literally had to take the thing apart piece by piece until I had the motor sitting by itself. I then removed one screw that held the motor together and attached the ground wire there. Let me point out, that the motor was the only metal part in the whole thing. Everything else was glass or plastic. So speaking electrically, there was no danger from getting a shock from a short or malfunction. Thus the requirement of a three wire cord was totally useless. The same dealership was inspected by a later year, by another insurance inspector, a woman this time. We stocked dry acid batteries. Thus we had to fill any battery we sold with acid. Regulations said we had to wear rubber slip-ons over our shoes, wear a heavy rubber apron,, a face shield and heavy over size rubber gloves. It took more time to put all that stuff on than it took to fill a battery. The woman watched me fill a battery and then wrote me up for not wearing any of the safety gear. I was stunned. I told the woman I had been filling batteries for years, and I never spilled any acid or had an accident. I told her flatly that it took longer to put all that gear on than it took to fill a battery. And the gloves alone were so clumsy I was more apt to have a accident just from wearing therm. And lastly I asked her if she saw me spill even a single drop of acid anywhere? She left and we never head another word about me not wearing acid safety gear. And one other note I'd like to make. Typical of government, we all are required to have income tax taken from every one of our pay checks. Why? I know I have never lacked enough money to pay my taxes when April came around. If some other taxpayers were always late because they didn't have money to pay income taxes, then maybe they should have it taken out of each check. The rest of us should be allowed to get the full use of our income without government being involved. I know the government likes to take the money monthly, so they can earn interest on it until April. But we the taxpayers should have that benefit, not the government.
I did not read all the comments so someone may have already mentioned this, however I do believe this might be worth saying. If or when you are using a similar plastic style can outside lets say for use with a chainsaw, The sunshine can cause expansion of the gas mixture and create pressure. This type of can in its original form provides no way to vent the vapor pressure. If you put this nozzle into a chainsaw and depress to pour the gas the pressure will cause a back spray and if there is some fuel left in the chainsaw that fuel can also be splashed back towards the person doing the pouring. I no longer purchase this type of can. Some times I do purchase a new nozzle kit to totally replace nozzles like this. I only do that when I cannot find a standard type can. (becoming more difficult to find a standard can). Releasing built up pressure should be done with the gas can upright not tilted. This original can design does not allow this to happen. I found this type of can with the stiff spring too difficult to vent. I am a pretty strong person.
Excellent points. I have added a plastic relief valve to the back of my containers. Not only does it let the fuel flow smoothly, it lets you "burp" the container when the pressure builds up. Thanks for your comments and for watching!
Why are these cans engineered in a way that makes them awkward and difficult to use? Answer: Because we have a population with near zero common sense and a tort system that allows frivolous law suits to be won when people do moronic things in addition to emission control laws that also make no sense. On that latter point, exactly how much unburned hydrocarbons are emitted when a crazy "flash arrestor" caused gasoline to overflow and spill on the ground when the can is filled?
Especially like your tire valve vent (very secure) you installed on an earlier video. I found the yellow vents don't stay closed and self open after extended usage. I am surprised they haven't added a "Don't drink the contents" warning label to the fuel cans. Maybe they have but I missed it.
John, one of my older 2 gallon cans had a flexible spout which was handy, but isn't very well made - I keep waiting for it to crack. So I would guess durability is the reason.
@@strange-universe -- Actually the stiff spout is very easy to use, just put your finger over the end of the spout. Put the spout close to the tank, when the small tank is full put your finger back on and tilt the gas can back. The hard part is not wiping your finger on your pants !!!
In regards to the flame retarding device, Blitz was a huge manufacture of gas cans. They lost several cases from users that poured gas on open flames and the gas can exploded. They went bankrupt.
Brilliant, the vent cap was a perfect choice to fix the slow pour of these "new safety cans". you also picked one of the thickest parts of the entire can to install it. as for the spring, I would have gone to the hardware store for a new spring with a smaller diameter wire or more coils or both. When you remove coils from a spring the coil or spring rate increases (the spring gets stiffer). however, your method is perfectly legit and obviously works. This is only my autistic brain at work that drives me to perfectionism, it doesn't always work. I agree with you on the flame arrestor. I don't pour gasoline on open fires, but I have seen people do it... and get burnt. As one of my more favorite characters likes to say, "Stupid is as stupid does". keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing what else you have for us.
I appreciate you watching and it seems like we have a common way of thinking. The spring was an experiment and I think it worked out pretty well. One of my goals was not to spend anything additional, just use what came with the gas containers. Mission accomplished, but I’m sure there’s other valid solutions. Thanks for joining the conversation!
Someone must have got the design prize of the week for this. Tell me how its safe if you overfill your lawn mower with one of these spouts and it hits the hot muffler. Safety? Where's the can vent on these? Gas expands with temperature, but i guess the vent was another design prize on the new cans.
The best spout I've ever used was the Enviro-Flo spout. It didn't leak, it was self-venting, and easy to use (after you removed/disabled the "safety features"). I bought some several years ago and still use them today. Of course, the spout was outlawed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission -- clearly a bunch of people who know nothing about gas can safety
Rob, it seems like all of the good, usable designs are now being hampered by additional safety features that ironically make them less safe. Bring back the old designs!
Wish I would of seen this 2 years ago. I bought new gas cans in prep for Hurricane Ian. I was pissed @ the new gas cans. Complicated & HARD to use. Ridiculous !! You Rock Mike! Thank You for Your Time and Consideration❤👍. Oh and your Tips too. Your a lot like me. Seems like a lot of the stuff you buy today has to be modified to work properly.
31/64th will fit somewhat loose helps to go a 64" smaller and be real steady! also put the vent in real hot water to make it more flexable when you snap it into the hole. they will break in cold weather but otherwise really help
Reducing the number of turns of a compression spring while keeping the same wire size, turn diameter, and free length will not reduce the spring force. Reducing turns increases spring gradient. This means cutting off turns and stretching the shortened spring to the original free length would result in the forces being higher at the working lengths in the spout. If the force is actually lower, remove your modified spring to check it’s free length. You will likely find it’s shorter than the original because you didn’t heat treat the spring to relieve stresses after you stretched it. Better to avoid the stretching. Reduce the free length by just cutting off a few turns while keeping the spring long enough to close the spout. I am not a spring design expert but I am an engineer that has designed springs.
In theory this makes sense! I wondered if I should have heated the spring to change his temper, but I was afraid that was adding too many variables to the experiment.
@@MikeFyxdt You would have had heat the spring to a certain temperature according to the material. Too hot and you anneal it. I recently tried to fill a new can having a FMD and twice splashed gas all over. The attendant said he hasn’t found a way to fill them either. I ripped out the screen when I got home.
@@gwford3 That was my experience too, George! Hey it’s nice to hear that someone else has gas station attendants! I can’t tell you how many people said I must be living in a time warp from the 1950s. LOL!
I appreciate the information in the video. Hearing about what that insert inside the can is actually supposed to be used for is all I needed to know to rip mine out. I still can't use my three 5 gallon cans with my car so I continue needing to use my single 1 gallon can in the middle. I'm looking for an electric pump but they all seem to have a problem with that insert. Again proven to be a detrimental design. I actually hope they don't change the design of these cans because thankfully it's easy to "fix" them and I'd be concerned they may try to "improve" them and end up with something worse and harder to remove.
How many folks surveyed that liked being told about the dangers of gasoline, liked Mid-West's solutions to these dangers once they tried using them? I'm guessing a very small percentage. As far as shortening spring to make easier to compress that's counterintuitive. By shortening spring you actually make it stiffer. So although it may have less preload, it will require more force to compress per inch than before. The best thing to do would be to find a spring of that original length that has less force per inch of compression, which will probably mean it's made of thinner wire.
@@MikeFyxdt here a new one I hadn't seen before that looks like a copy of no spill www.homedepot.com/p/Easy-Can-1-25-Gal-Gasoline-Can-with-FMD-3415/301697346?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&mtc=Shopping-B-F_D28I-G-D28I-28_37_OUTDOOR_POWER_ACC-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-SMART_SHP&cm_mmc=Shopping-B-F_D28I-G-D28I-28_37_OUTDOOR_POWER_ACC-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-SMART_SHP-71700000079956011-58700006728091443-92700060957828818&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2tCGBhCLARIsABJGmZ6XXxDIennjCzdg3rEvN12axkSUXASTphtnKHPURtZCHuEJdpDMab0aAtNrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Safety is marketing spin. They include these features for one reason only, the government required them to, and not for safety as the first function, but evaporative emissions. It's true that the spout can't pour as fast as one may want to but just as important is the fact that one can't pour slowly or accurately either. Using the can as designed, you can only pour at full tilt and can't see the level until the vessel being filled overflows. A complete failure from four levels, safety, having spilled fuel in the open, evaporative emissions from same, and economic in the form of wasted fuel and most importantly, containing and dispensing fuel. Basically the design guarantees to spill fuel, which makes that flame arrestor really appealing.
I use portable fuel can’s regularly! Ease of use is the ONLY thing that makes me happy! I purchased 2 new Midwest fuel cans ( Diesel ) recently and immediately regretted it! However a quick search on Amazon obtained me a set of 3 conventional flexible spouts with VENT kits and now with the idiot screens removed, the vents installed and the marvelously useless spouts replaced I have a pair of perfectly functional fuel cans! It’s a true shame that your videos are both necessary and useful!
i added vents to my gas cans and didnt have a heat gun. i had good results with adding just a small bit of silicone to the vent "shaft" then pressing them in. i did allow a few days for the silicone to dry completely but years later they still work great. also instead of working on the silly spout there are great straight flow spouts available on ebay and amazon for fairly cheap compared to my time to mod an existing one and the frustration of dealing with mandated design flaws.
I caught my dad using old gallon milk jugs for his 2 cycle gas mix back in the '80s. When I brought him several new proper containers he realized how dangerous what it was he was doing. I mean, I have set down a bag of groceries too hard with a gallon of milk in it and ruptured it. Thankfully, the house did not burn down.
Plastic gas cans are blow molded and thus have no seams. That line is where the two sides of the mold meet and the flash of plastic seeps between. It is then removed with a sharp tool. So it is safe to place the vent in that location. The easiest way to check if it is a seam is to feel the inside of the can. If it smooth then no seam. If there is a seam I personally would return the can. A seam would be a possible failure point.
Great mods. It would be nice if a regular cap could be fashioned. I would like to remove the spout and seal the can with a cap. I find myself worried about snapping the spout off as I pack for a camping trip.
All this trouble for a new gas can is ludicrous. When I need a new gas can, I'll go to a truck stop or other fuelmstation where lots of diesel is sold (or even at rest areas) where they empty diesel fuel additive (DFA) into the DFA tank. Those are just like the older style gas can but with an air inlet valve that works! And they are free! Just rinse it out a couple times and let it air dry. If your lucky, you can also find the ordinary screw cap to use when you are transporting and storing the fuel and then replace it with the nozzle attachment where needed. I just found 2! Can't beat free and 1 min. of my time rinsing them out! Saved 2 gas cans from the landfill too!
I was taught at a very early age to keep the cap on a gas can (so no fumes come out) and never to pour fuel on an open fire. That’s still the sensible way to achieve safety.
Gary, me too. I always assumed other people knew common sense safety when handling fuel. I guess I assumed wrong, hence all the safety features built into these new gas container designs.
I recently bought a kerosene heater for alternate or emergency heat in winter. On my way to check out I grabbed a nice sturdy looking kerosene can to store my fuel, but unfortunately I failed to really examine the can. After all, how complex can a fuel can be? Right? The first time I went to fill the can I was faced with unscrewing the darn self locking cap. The plastic of the locking rachet cap was very cold and stiff, as were my hands. As you can imagine it took me five to ten times longer to get that cap off than it should have! Once the cap was off I thought I was ready to fill"er up, but I was faced with what I too thought was a filter in the throat of the can. Managed to get the can full but not without some finagling on my part. Once home I put my shiny new heater together and prepared to fill it from the can. As you probably know most kerosene heaters come with a siphon pump to fill them without struggling with the weight of full fuel can and and the siphon provides better, easier control of fuel flow so you don't overflow the tank. Well, because the tank was full to the top I was able to siphon the fuel from the can into the tank of the heater. Problem solved? Oh heck no! Now that the can is very nearly full but not to the top, I can't reach the top of the fuel level with the siphon, it's blocked by the filter/flame arrestor. Now that I've seen your video I'll be attempting you technique for remove the blockage from the throat of my can. Thanks for your tips!
Thank you for doing what you should have done in the first video. Stopping to "cut the curl" in the middle of drilling was a waste. The drill bit is designed to eject chip as it runs.
I hear you! Since the canned previously had fuel in it, I was super concerned that the plastic would go in the container and get stuck. It may have been overkill, but it did appease my OCD. :-)
I have a couple of these cans and they really suck, I have found another way to fix the problem, but it involves spending a little more money. It's a new spout and a vent piece you have to put on the can, but your way sure is cheaper and probably a little easier. Thanks! Guess I should have watched the whole video first, see you do put a vent on the tank. LOL
Hey Jon, Yes the vent cap did make a pretty big difference! If I had to do it all over again I would’ve bought higher quality containers, but now these suit my needs. Thanks for watching!
While using the one I have, that darn red latch popped out of the channel way and started messing things up so I just ripped it right off and now I can just place the spout in the hole, let the catch settle on the edge of the hole and the weight of the can pushes the spout open. Of course if it's a small engine and you let it go to fast the gas fills up to quick and overflows causing a mess.
I've spilled more gas trying to use those "Safer" spouts, than I ever spilled before....
When it comes to gas-cans, "Difficult = Dangerous."
Allan, exactly! Thanks for watching.
And all the hydrocarbons that are being released during the spillage from these unsave designs.
I have NEVER gotten more gasoline on myself then I have trying to use these "safety" spouts. I've had some that the spring was so strong, it literally shot the end of the spout and miscellaneous parts into the fuel tank when the little lip slipped off the edge. Naturally fuel went everywhere.
Exactly. I gave one of these cans. Absolutely hate it.
I was a Risk Managed for the largest municipal utility in the state of Michigan.
Fire prevention was very high on our list of safety measures. We used systems like Lockout Tag out whenever hot work was performed, among many other safety program rules and procedures.
I agree with everything in this video. The ridiculous modifications to gas cans create more of a hazard than the old style cans. Proper training is the solution. But as the saying goes “you can’t cure stupid.”
@Stroys - thank you for supporting these mods and my message! This video definitely put me into a gray area, where common sense and regulation are heading in opposite directions. It’s nice to hear someone from the industry’s opinion. I appreciate you joining the conversation!
You cant cure stupid, but you *can* vote it out if office.
I like stupid people deserve stupid results
@Stroys last sentence says it all. ♾️ 🔁
Proper training only goes as far as proper execution.
Bring back the old ones and just let Darwin do his job
My old can was solid. This one, not so much. Thanks for watching!
Amen to Darwin !!
Gotta agree. Unnecessary safety features that coddle stupid people are watering down the collective intelligence of the world. I say remove the warning on the shampoo bottles that state "for external use only" and let the cleansing begin.
@@timothyneiswander3151 -- I say they should put those safety spouts on water cans and see if these stupid people can figure out how to get the water out of them
@@timothyneiswander3151 I'm disappointed the Tide Pods craze ended so quickly, personally.
Hey Mike, I am a retired firefighter, I have been to many fires. Looking back, I have to say, I cannot remember not even one that involved an "old school" gas can that caused a fire due to the way it was designed or that was even involved in a fire period.
I think the designers of these cans are really just looking do something different to promote business. This apparently resulted in them being "too smart by half as much."
Douglas, thanks for sharing some perspective, and thanks for your service as a first responder! The old school equipment was built like a tank, and you didn’t really start hearing horror stories until the plastic cans were popular. If plastic containers are a reality moving forward, I think we could do much better in the design of the containers and the spouts.
Number one Blitz filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy November 9, 2011. The company faced 42 lawsuits before filing for bankruptcy.
The cans were prepared by woke trying take on the feelings on the gas container.
In California I'm pretty sure these "safety features" are required by regulations. Company's manufacture to the most strict standard so they only have to make one item. The rest of the country than has to deal with California regulations, even if it's not required where they live. Same with auto emissions.
This is the answer right here. Every single time a woke liberal gets involved everything goes to hell. They can’t design a gas can or figure out which bathroom to use.
I'm glad to find out that I'm not the only one who have these problems with the new "safety " cans.
Thank you so very much.
I’m glad it helped!
“Safety” cans are unsafe.
I seriously couldn't figure out how to get the fuel out. Fortunately for me my old spout worker fine. I threw the new one in the trash!
I'm glad that I still have my galvanized steel cans that I bought 40 years ago.
I lost my galvanized steel can when I moved. I wish I still had it, I’m glad you still have yours! Thanks for watching!
I still have my old metal gas cans. I hate those plastic thingies. I get gas on me and everything around me. There is no way that it safe. This shit should be banned.
@GMAN They don't look new anymore but still quite usable.
@GMAN they do not rust if you keep them full in a rated fuel storage cabinet with a vent to the outdoors.
If you store more than a gallon of fuels of any kind in your garage please add a placard at the door(s) for the fire fighters to prepare for an explosion when your garage is on fire. That is, unless you have a vented storagr cabinet, properly installed with the vent to outside air.
The cabinets are usually guaranteed to a given temperature and will delay any explosin of stored fuels.
That is what we do on the farm, home and in industry.
May I add a little suggestion about the plastic shavings when drilling the hole for the vent. Dip the bit into some axle grease or apply with something suitable and the shavings will stick to the bit as you drill or pull it out. Works well.
Thanks for the suggestion Dick! I appreciate you watching.
Or turn the can up side down and drill
I will remember that
To keep the plastic shavings from going into the can, remove the spout and pressurize the can with your shop vac.
Why worry about any of these ideas? It is almost impossible to keep all of the shavings /chips out of the can due to the very nature of drill bits. Just start with a clean, dry can (new is good) and pour the chips out of the threaded opening that the spout screws onto. A bit of compressed air in the new hole will make this even easier and quicker. Personally, I would debur the inside of the new hole before clean out as I REALLY do not want any volunteer bits of plastic in my chainsaw. A link to the vents would be helpful.
The world has truly gone crazy when it requires this much time and energy to make something as simple as a gas can work properly. Thanks for being one of the sane ones Mike.
It's really not difficult or complicated for normal people.
@@theupscriber65 Way to miss the point dude.
Just look at what is in the white house.
To be fair,, the new ones make it a lot easier to dump gas on a hot exhaust system
Giving the big middle finger to the nanny state. Great video, thanks for calling out stupidity!!
ROFLMAO
15:07 Just in case you missed...
May have been prudent to pack the drill flutes with Crisco to prevent the plastic swarf from falling inside.
Tort reform now!
Just throw that spout in the trash can and get a funnel
I absolutely hate those spouts!
Hey, Mike…excellent research and extremely timely review. I use their diesel fuel can. I can lift it high enough to fill my farm tractor and then keep it all steady while compressing the spout. I stand on a ladder to get this filled. I am 70 years old….going to modify my container and spout NOW👍
When I put my vent in, I moved it about three inches to the right of where you put it. It is on the right side of the handle at basically the same level. The advantage, is you can start pouring the can with it closed, then open it with the thumb of the same hand holding the handle.
I was thinking that the right side would have been a much better option too.
That would work only if you’re holding the can backwards.
what happens to the shavings from the drill u used to do the hole
Thank you. Safety departments are way overboard, and no one wants to say it.
And thank you for watching!
Wherever i have worked the safety people are full of power and must do things to validate their jobs. Most sit around drinking coffee and going to meetings.
@@user-1A-2A I've worked on sites where people wound say "be on your game, OSHA is coming"!
I used a 1/2 inch drill bit to install the yellow air vent and it worked just fine. In fact it was a tight fit, but a tap from a plastic mallet did the trick. Also used a small bead of clear silicone RTV to make a seal around the vent. The Midwest cans are great, once you do these modifications.
Gary, thanks for sharing your experience! I feel like the vent does make a big difference. I saw your other comment about putting the vent on the seam… three years and Still working is a good sign!
For the vent, I got some tubeless tire stems, took the Schrader valve out, used a step drill to drill an appropriate hole, got a piece of string, threaded it to the hole I drilled, tied it to the tire stem and pulled into place, replaced the cap and it works so good I put them on all 8 of my cans here on the farm.
Put a dab of liquid detergent on the tire stem and it will pop right into place.
@@Watchyn_Yarwood I have a 30 gallon oil barrel for farm transfer. Thinking that for vent while filling thru 3/4 bung. As large hole used for 12v pump.
@@larrythompson8630 That should work. Doesn't take much for a proper vent.
My friend has two of these gas cans. We tried to put gas into his 2020 Honda CRV. If you are familiar with the gas filler set up on the CRV, you will understand that this gas can design is a miserable failure. Even with the two of us working together, we got gas all over us, the side of the car, and on the ground. So a big Thank You, Mike! I appreciate this mod!
Michael, thank you for sharing this story. You wouldn’t believe how many viewers have had a similar experience. On a sidenote, nothing beats a funnel for trying to get gas into a car… Thanks for joining the conversation!
@@MikeFyxdt Except.. you can't press the highly engineered container nozzle, with safety accoutrements, against the funnel. I have a similar issue fueling my zero-turn. The zero tank filler threaded cap, with it's sloping liner, is at least 1/2" thick, thus the little tab on the nozzle wants to slide right into the tank. The only way, is put on heavy gloves to hold that tiny tab, while you're trying to fill. Gas on me, the tank, the engine area, etc. And trying my best, to refrain from profane language.
I've used the old gas cans all my life and never once had a problem, and no one else that I know, has ever had a problem.
Agree, whole-heartedly, anything the government gets involved in becomes a huge cluster!!
Absolutely!
Yeah, the US government used to send men to the moon in vehicles with less computer power than a modern cell phone. Now, it can't even design a working website or a working gas can.
I followed your directions and poured gas with any issues no spilling no getting pissed off. So it was a good morning, Tks
Rick, I'm glad it worked out for you!
I am so sick of companies playing to the lowest denominator, thereby making things difficult for everyone else. At the same time, stupid is as stupid does, and stupid people are still going to do stupid things. When companies mistakenly believe they can fix stupid, maybe THEY are stupid as well.
I think it's more about liability, so when the numbskull survives pouring gas on a fire, they can't sue the can maker. Why have common sense when you can blame your idiocy on someone else?
👍👍👍👍
No, you can't fix STUPID, but you can numb it with a 2"x4". :)
Should people be trusted pumping their own gas???
Well originally it was not self-service!!!
So to save a buck, full service went away!
Couldn’t have said it better Myself. 👍
Thanks again, Mike. Part 2 is as spot on as Part 1. I have experienced ALL of the issues that you mentioned and plan to modify my 4 cans as you did. I may even buy more of them since I see how to make them better. My only positives concerning this can is the TWO handles to support holding up a 30+ lb can full of gas and the can actually being fairly thick to begin with. Your suggestions make these fuel cans worth having.
In addition to the good info and ideas from Mike, the common sense presented with a bit of sarcasm is absolutely hilarious and priceless as well. I have no idea why it took so long for me to find this channel but I'm glad I did. I'm subscribing immediately!
Step drill (available for cheap at Harbor Freight) makes a cleaner hole every time. Use compressed air to blow out any debris. No compressor? Flush with water several times, leave cap off. Any remaining water will evaporate out in a day.
Great videos. Well done both in quality of the video, and accuracy and usefulness of the information.
I was given four of those cans full of gas when my next door neighbor got a whole house generator run on LP gas. He had a small gasoline generator that he had been using but it was a pain. Well I broke one of the spouts the first time I used it and of course spilled gas everywhere. I have actually spilled more fuel from those four safety cans than I did from all of the previous cans I've owned in my 68 years.
Another drawback on the spout is that fuel will eventually leak down between the two tubes after they wear, likely in a very short period.
One last safety issue, if you have already used this can and it has gas or had gas in it, you want to make sure you use a brushless drill or maybe even drill the hole by hand. Some drills generate sparks in the motor which can ignite fumes remaining in the can.
All excellent points Mike! I’ve received a lot of comments about drilling the hole in the can, and concern over igniting the fumes. I emptied the can previously, and let the container air out overnight, outside before I made any of these mods. I guess it’s better to say that then as soon people will just now! Thanks for joining the conversation!
I just remove the unsafe nozzle and use a funnel. But I appreciate your engineering skills. Thanks 🙏🏼
Midwest gas can doesn't care if someone uses the can incorrectly, they just want to have plausible deniability to ward off lawsuits. With all the protection they add they can claim any accident cannot be their fault because no one can actually use their gas can. Legal problem solved. I've never met a neighbor or farmer that likes these features.
Love your take down of these "safety features". I've owned a small farm for 32 years and was an auto mechanic before that. The first thing I do is basically the same as the ideas you report, except I just buy an unrestricted spout for the can from Tractor Supply. I prefer this because their spouts have caps so you can close the can completely, plus they give you one of those vents you talk about in the package.
These are all important to me since I have three rider mowers, five weed trimmers, half a dozen chain saws, one compact tractor (diesel) and one Bobcat skid steer (diesel) as well as five cars and trucks, some used exclusively on the farm and not on the road. I do the same modifications to diesel cans except they don't have a "flame arrester" in their opening. No one pays me to waste my time on these cans so I "fix" them all.
Thank you for adding your expert testimony! It's nice to hear from people who actually use the product, and don't have time to wrestle with all of these safety features. I appreciate you watching and commenting! 😁
I et you fill yout equipment up when they hot also.
I think the people at the EPA who come up with these ideas should be required to use these gas cans as he only means to fuel there own vehicles for a year, just so they can show everyone how awesome they are.
Ha ha, that would be awesome! I’ll bet people would love to see that video! :-)
I just want to add that in addition to the chore of holding the weight of the can while fumbling with the lame spout a person might also be trying to hold a flashlight, as I was, when trying to refuel my generator in the dark.
Excellent point! I have a porch light where my generator is, and I can’t imagine having to hold a flashlight at the same time. Crazy!
I think you solved the mystery of the flame arrestor inclusion. They used a lighter instead of a flashlight.
I knew a kid in high-school who poured gas on an open fire. He was still covered head to toe in compression bandages even years later. Yeah. They did this because of the sadly growing number of us who don't possess common sense. Bring back the Saturday morning PSAs. Good video. !
Best fix for the nozzle is to replace it with a older type flex nozzle or yellow capped nozzle
I can't believe you installed those yellow plastic vents!!! Today I just upgraded my plastic gas cans with the metal vent like a shader valve works great!!!
I think these ideas are absolutely wonderful and hopefully won't forget about them when I need them. I just have one more thought that may or may not work depending on how durable them little yellow vent caps are. It's possible that a cup of boiling hot water might make them pliable enough without distorting them. If anyone tries this please let me know if it works or not. I would start with a rolling boil as I'm guessing this application will be close to its limits if not above, that yellow plastic looks pretty strong.
Victor, softening the yellow caps is a wonderful suggestion! Thank you, I hope other people see the suggestion!
Fed mandate made them put it in after Blitz lost a case where a fool used Blitz can and you guessed it the flame went into the can. Part of that ruling also removed the vent. I agree with you 100%.
Let's take a simple design and make it ridiculously complex. Then we'll re-introduce the original design as 'new and improved'.
I have one of these cans and I hate it. So I've engineered a solution of sorts. I store the can with one of those siphon hoses you can get at the auto parts store. When I want to fuel something, I remove its original spout, insert the siphon hose. A few squeezes of the bulb on the hose and all works well. Make sure the can is situated higher than whatever you're fueling.
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Know a few family members who have hand (arthritis as well) & dexterity issues; & asked them to try to use this particular gas can. Was impossible for them to do so, from the way it’s manufactured. Haven’t really “looked” for a gas can for ppl w/ hand issues…but there’s gotta be some out there, I’m guessing.
Kinda an interesting topic, imo.
Thx ✌🏻
@Aepek - I have not heard of a company that makes gas containers to accommodate people with disabilities… I agree with you that it is a very interesting topic! Thank you for watching and for joining the conversation. :-)
I'm with you 100%. I went and bought the old style flexable spout and replaced all the new so called "safty" spouts and threw them away...
You can get those? I could use that for the lawn mower.
Agreed, a lot of people really like the flexible replacement spouts. One of my gas containers has a flexible spout, and I really do find it easier to use that to fill my small gas powered tools.
I just had to replace a "safety" can just like it, the threads and gasket wore out on the old can. The design is almost diabolical to prevent easy use. My last can was of similar design, and I made some less elegant modifications. The first thing I did on the new can was break off that stupid red latch. I then started to remove the flame arrester, but it became clear that I would damage the gasket mating surface beyond repair. The next thing I did was very similar to the vent cap. I used a schrader valve with the core removed for the vent, with the cap installed. On the old can I used a retaining ring to hold the valve in place, I modified the new can with parts from the old. I really butchered up the spout on the old can, your spout modifications make total sense.
I used a simpler solution on the small can I use for 2 cycle mix, I just made a very small pinhole in the top of the handle, The can would bulge so much in the hot sun I was afraid it would rupture, if I released the excess pressure, the can would buckle and collapse when things cooled off. As long as the can is kept upright, there will be no spillage.
I injure myself every season with these “safer” gas cans. It usually happens when the tab on the nozzle slips off causing the nozzle to plunge into the lawn mower tank. My hand follows behind and I end up with torn skin.
I guarantee they didn’t survey landscapers that use the cans every single day. I doubt a single one would say they like the safety features!
On the question of how often I dispense gas onto an open fire, exactly once. Some 40 odd years ago I poured gas from a milk jug onto an open burn pile. You can guess what happened next. Had the flame not jumped up the stream of fuel and caught the whole thing on fire in my hand I may have thought "that's not a bad way to get a fire going". Instead I NEVER did that again. Just sayin. Some lessons are worth learning.
When I was 6yrs old, same thing happed to me lost about 6weeks of school because of it
I have never caught anything on fire that I was using on an open fire. because you pour the gas on what you want to catch on fire first , then... toss something on fire,into what you want to catch fire. WOW...huh....?? to soon!?
Pour some fuel into a tin can, while you are a safe distance from the fire. Walk over to the fire and toss in the fuel from a safe distance. Make sure all the fuel leaves the tin can at once. Be prepared to jump back if needed.
I once dumped bacon grease into a campfire. Never again. My eyebrows did grow back.
Gasoline is not a safe fuel to start a fire. Kerosene or diesel is the way to go. No explosions.
There's a thing called natural selection.
So far as I can remember, those little yellow vents were always installed right on the seam of the can. That's a good tip to offset it away from the seam. Thanks!
If the seam is a weak link, you don’t want to make it weaker! Thanks for watching Curt!
These 2 gas can videos are spot on. The manufacturers are literally being stupid. Causing a product to fight you actually can cause accidents while trying to idiot proof a product.
John, in fairness to the manufacturers, they are making gas cans that conform to government safety regulations. It’s still a bad design, but I don’t want to point too much blame in one direction. Regardless, these gas cans really are hard to use off the shelf, so these modifications I do believe make them safer. Thank you for watching!
@@MikeFyxdt OK, let's modify John Norman's statement to say the GOVERNMRENT IS BE ING STUPID!! Frickin' nanny state regulations1
It's not the companies, it's the Govt. regulations, that being our ever expanding nanny state.
Don't call them gas cans call them fluid containers and make them easy to poor fluids out of. It's up to the consumer to decide what fluids they want to put into them. They have the same retarded design for kerosene cans and it is impossible to use filling a heater.
@@michaelprosperity3420 Boy ain't that a fact. We literally had a 2 man operation using a funnel to fill heaters here. Those lame kerosene bulb pumps take forever and end up dribbling fuel sooner or later. And those new cans with the filter screen don't work with them at all. Can't even get the sump tube in them till you tear it out.
One other mod... If you are going to leave the spring in, rip out the red latch. The spring will still close the valve like normal, but you won't have to force that red piece down to release anymore...
Brian, thanks for the tip! 😁
I just got one of the 2 gallon models of this can and did the original mods. As for the cap, there was a red cap on the inside of the spout (where the O-ring had to be removed) and that cap fits perfectly on the end of the spout. Now I'm going to look into the air vent mod.
I didn’t know the red cap worked on the spout. That’s good info! Thanks!
thanks for the reminder that this little red cap with a thump-nick on it, can fit on the spout!!! 👍("there was a red cap on the inside of the spout")
Just a side note in our area u can buy the original style spout and swap them out. Im not sure what regulations other areas have.
I get my replacement nozzles at Tractor Supply and they also come with a vent with attached cover and they work great on 5 gallon plastic cans.
I remember the first time I picked up a can like these, I nearly took it back.. Your modifications are sensible, especially if you want to use it. The company's lawyers who forced the design no doubt think it's great. Yeh, I don't think any of them use the can either 😁
Well said Bill! A lot of people say I should have returned these containers, but the modifications made them easier and I don’t need to now. Thanks for joining the conversation!
Blitz filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy November 9, 2011. The company faced 42 lawsuits before filing for bankruptcy.
For the vent, I got some tubeless tire stems, took the Schrader valve out, used a step drill to drill an appropriate hole, got a piece of string, threaded it to the hole I drilled, tied it to the tire stem and pulled into place, replaced the cap and it works so good I put them on all 8 of my cans here on the farm.
I modified my gas cans to make user friendly. A tire valve for a vent and a old school spout.
Those are both solid fixes! Thanks for watching!
You didn't need to worry about avoiding the seam. It's not going to compromise anything. The best thing to do with these cans is to remove the flame arrestor as you demonstrated, and then put on an EZ-Pour spout. The spout kit comes with the same vent that you installed in the video, and has a free flow spot with a screw on cap. Basically, you're making an old school gas can out of the new mess up one.
Just bought one of these 5 gal. Nightmares for filling my boat. I'm so glad you shared the fix because these cans are a royal pain in the ass for filling the tank on my pontoon,first time I tried to use it I immediately spilled gas everywhere and ended up pulling the fill tube off and using a funnel.
Thank you Mike, now I have a gas can my wife can use.
Exactly, my wife struggles so much that I needed to do it for safety sake.
Machinist here. I've drilled almost every material you've ever heard of that wasn't glass. With thin plastics you generally don't want a pilot hole because it causes the full size drill to thread in like what happened with you.
Otherwise, I appreciate the video. I agree completely with your assessment of the problem with safety engineering run amok. You have a new subscriber.
Good Video Mike ! Remember, "I'm from the Government, I'm here to help you."
Thank you John!
Which means "I'm an idiot that you pay for !!! Such a crock.
9 words that should scare the bejeebies out of you!!!
Thanks so much for this information Mike. My first experience with these so called improved nozzles was when I ran out of gas in the turn lane literally 10 yards away from the gas station driveway.
I ran into the store and purchased one of these new cans to get my car out of the way of blocking about 7 cars at the time.
Unfamiliar with the nozzle, I could not get it to flow. It finally trickled enough in to start the car. I think more went on the ground and on my hands in the process.
I have since modified two gas cans with these nozzles that would have otherwise been heading to the trash.
One thing I would add to your mod is that when you have the O-ring off and are modifying the spring, REMOVE the red clip! It just swings out of place. Once reassembled it eliminates the need to touch the nozzle and potentially get gas on your hands. Just another useless unneeded step. You can now just press nozzle into its destination.
Thanks for sharing your story Leo! I like leaving the red push button attached because it keeps the nozzles from accidentally depressing an opening if you’re moving the container around. I’m always willing to try new ideas to make these containers easier to use so thanks for your suggestion!
@@MikeFyxdt Yes. I also realized that in removing the red button you have to make sure you have the modified spring just right. Enough to still create a seal but not to much that causes to much stress on the o-ring causing it to possibly fall off and into the gas.
I always use a cigarette lighter for viewing into the gasoline can. Never had any problems. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. Thanks just having a little fun. Thanks for the mods to help with the gas can.
Thanks for sharing YOUR explosive details!
I have been racking my brain for several months now how to modify that bad spout!! Thank you for your videos!! I'm doing those things first thing in the morning. Just couldn't bear to throw it away. I've just been pouring the gasoline into a funnel without the spout
Perfect example of Mike Rowe's "safety third" principle
Yup! Sometimes you have to make your own decisions to what's safe. Great example - thanks for adding to the conversation!
My main considerations on buying a gas can is, it has to have a handle also on the side to hold it in the pouring position OR the spout has to be FLEXIBLE, there are no obstructions in the spout and it has to have a way to either cap the spout or turn it around and put it on the can with the spout inside and a plug sealing the opening. The spout staying OUT all the time is very hazardous and sometimes prevents the can to fit in a tight space. Otherwise I spill gas all over the place.
I believe these spouts come with a little cap that will allow you to store the spout inside the can like the old days, then cap, then ring to hold it all in place
What happened is. Gas can companies were sued. A lawyer went around suing gas can makers. If I remember correctly this lawyer even sued a gas can manufacture out of business. I believe he made millions of dollars doing this. One lawyer.
I think it was the company Blitz. They made great products from drip pans to ice scrapers and gas cans. It was a shame. They made heavy duty great products.
I spill gas everywhere when using those new containers. Now I can fix them where I won't be waisting gas. Thanks for the video.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching.
You Made it brotha!! 1k Subs!! Congrats!!!!
It’s been a fantastic voyage and I’ve made some good friends!
I installed the vents on all my cans a few years ago. A step drill made a perfect hole then install the vent with a quick wack of a mallet. Swarf inside? Tip the can upside down and give it a blast of air.
Thank you so much! I'm a small woman and not in great condition. I dreaded having to wrestle with those stinking things.
Elizabeth, I am so proud that women are speaking up and demanding change in these comments. Thank you for watching and adding to the conversation!
I like the fact that the new cans don’t have to be vented. So I don’t have fumes in my car or garage. I have 1,2 and 5 gallon cans. Would never use the five for filling a lawn mower, generator or most anything else with a small fuel tank. As you noted, 5 gallon fully loaded is very heavy. On the other hand very easy to use with 1 or 2 gal. 5 is used on the boat for fuel transfer or filling the smaller containers. Adjusting the spring tension sounds like a good idea. The newer spark arrestor that I have seen have been redesigned. Funny thing is seeing someone smoking while using a gas can or gas station fuel pump. If your going to add a vent, you might as well get rid of the spout and use the old fashion type that remain available on line.
Greg, when I added the vent to my container (with the modified spout) it helped it four more smoothly and quickly than the vent that's built into the spout. An old-school spout is a good alternative!
"were the government and were here to help" Run the other direction !
I'll be a free American thank you very much !
Run before you get covered in spilled gasoline!
Supposed to be 9 words. We're from. Anyhow. Those are the 9 words stating the scariest biggest lie ever told!
I'm from/ we're from. Lol. Either or.
I've put these vents on all of my gas cans. I leave the vent open when in storage to keep the gas from pressurizing when temperature rises while in storage. When the gas becomes pressurized after temperature increase it will come gushing out of the can and spill everywhere when the vent or spout is opened. This happens mostly when the can is full. Happened to me more times than I want to count until I installed these vents. Also, when the can is empty and not vented the sides of the can will suck in overnight when temperatures drop. Properly used, these vents are the best.
Sounds like you got a call from “someone” after the last video? LOL
Lol, a call would be better than a knock on the door, right? I saw the light after a few comments in that video, and I turned to the manufacturers website who takes great pride in talking about their safety measures. It wasn’t until after the second video that I learned more about the government regulations that require these safety devices. I appreciate you watching!
Busted and afraid
A big word of caution to anyone not familiar with how dangerous a seemingly 'empty' gas can be. If you have already used the original can and are attempting to modify it as described in this video, the vapors in an empty or nearly empty can are extremely volatile and could be ignited by the arcing armatuer from a corded or cordless drill, especially if the spout has not been removed and there is vapor pressure in the can when the drill pierces it. Also if the can has been sitting in a hot vehicle or out in the sun on a hot day, residual vapors will continue to overflow from the can until it has cooled The vapors could explode the can violently if ignited. It might take a little longer but, in my opinion, thouroughly emptying the can and rinsing it with water and a little dish detergent would be a safer approach.
They design these cans to be used as if we are filling our cars/trucks with them. 99% of the time we are not using them for that purpose. It's always a push or riding mower, an outboard motor, generator etc.. all which are at a completely different angle and height than a car's gas tank.
That’s exactly what I was trying to get across! Well said, I agree 100%.
Your wrong! It's 98.5% of the time. Only 1.5% of small engs. help to pollute the world. So why do they care about gas cans? Safety reasons?
Neither of my cars will accept a gas can nozzle. You have to use the factory supplied funnel to get past the cap less fuel filler. I used my cans 100% on my mower or generator.
@@robertheinkel6225 What kind of car do you have? I have never seen a car without a twist-off fuel cap, just wondering
Worked drilling rigs years ago. Shell decided that we should only use brass hammers to prevent sparks. We had never had a problem that way but with brass hammers kept sending brass chips into eyes, arms and faces. They came out years later and said oh dang, use steel. MANY other companies STILL insist on brass..... DERP
Wow, that’s a great story! I suppose the intentions are good, but the rules are being made by people that are not using the product. Perfect metaphor. Thank you for sharing!
I clip the tabs off of my Listerine bottle caps. No more squeeze and turn for me.
Those Listerine tabs are so annoying!!!
Mike I like your clear thinking. I can't add a thing. But on slightly different subjects I can tell you of some of my experience with government safety idiots. I worked for many years as a parts man at a dealership. OSHA was a similar legal problem with doing things safely. Not an OSHA rep, but the inspector from the insurance company came and inspected the dealership to see that we were in line with all safety regulations. The parts department got a gig for not having a three wire cord on our micro-fiche viewer.
Now we complained that the viewer had no metal parts outside of the plastic and glass body of the machine. However the slide that held the micro-fiche was metal and glass. But the metal slide did not go inside the machine where the electrics were. We were told it didn't matter, we had to have a three wire cord on the machine.
Typical thinking by safety experts? They don't bother to look at how something is built. If it has a cored attached it has to be three wire.
Well, I was the one assigned to modify the micro-fiche viewer. We could have run a three wire cord, and just not hooked up the third wire. But I was told to do my best. The third wire had to be attached to the fan motor somewhere.
So. I had to carefully dismantle a machine that was not meant to be taken apart. I literally had to take the thing apart piece by piece until I had the motor sitting by itself. I then removed one screw that held the motor together and attached the ground wire there. Let me point out, that the motor was the only metal part in the whole thing. Everything else was glass or plastic. So speaking electrically, there was no danger from getting a shock from a short or malfunction. Thus the requirement of a three wire cord was totally useless.
The same dealership was inspected by a later year, by another insurance inspector, a woman this time. We stocked dry acid batteries. Thus we had to fill any battery we sold with acid. Regulations said we had to wear rubber slip-ons over our shoes, wear a heavy rubber apron,, a face shield and heavy over size rubber gloves. It took more time to put all that stuff on than it took to fill a battery. The woman watched me fill a battery and then wrote me up for not wearing any of the safety gear.
I was stunned. I told the woman I had been filling batteries for years, and I never spilled any acid or had an accident. I told her flatly that it took longer to put all that gear on than it took to fill a battery. And the gloves alone were so clumsy I was more apt to have a accident just from wearing therm. And lastly I asked her if she saw me spill even a single drop of acid anywhere?
She left and we never head another word about me not wearing acid safety gear.
And one other note I'd like to make. Typical of government, we all are required to have income tax taken from every one of our pay checks. Why? I know I have never lacked enough money to pay my taxes when April came around. If some other taxpayers were always late because they didn't have money to pay income taxes, then maybe they should have it taken out of each check. The rest of us should be allowed to get the full use of our income without government being involved. I know the government likes to take the money monthly, so they can earn interest on it until April. But we the taxpayers should have that benefit, not the government.
I would have smacked that vent with the soft side of a parts hammer. No heat around gas fumes if the can was already put in to service.
I am definitely going to try the mallet trick instead of heating it next time. Thanks for the tip!
I did not read all the comments so someone may have already mentioned this, however I do believe this might be worth saying. If or when you are using a similar plastic style can outside lets say for use with a chainsaw, The sunshine can cause expansion of the gas mixture and create pressure. This type of can in its original form provides no way to vent the vapor pressure. If you put this nozzle into a chainsaw and depress to pour the gas the pressure will cause a back spray and if there is some fuel left in the chainsaw that fuel can also be splashed back towards the person doing the pouring. I no longer purchase this type of can. Some times I do purchase a new nozzle kit to totally replace nozzles like this. I only do that when I cannot find a standard type can. (becoming more difficult to find a standard can). Releasing built up pressure should be done with the gas can upright not tilted. This original can design does not allow this to happen. I found this type of can with the stiff spring too difficult to vent. I am a pretty strong person.
Excellent points. I have added a plastic relief valve to the back of my containers. Not only does it let the fuel flow smoothly, it lets you "burp" the container when the pressure builds up. Thanks for your comments and for watching!
Why are these cans engineered in a way that makes them awkward and difficult to use? Answer: Because we have a population with near zero common sense and a tort system that allows frivolous law suits to be won when people do moronic things in addition to emission control laws that also make no sense. On that latter point, exactly how much unburned hydrocarbons are emitted when a crazy "flash arrestor" caused gasoline to overflow and spill on the ground when the can is filled?
This is your typical case of bad ideas leading to bad design. Thanks for checking in!
Succinctly stated in a nutshell!
Especially like your tire valve vent (very secure) you installed on an earlier video. I found the yellow vents don't stay closed and self open after extended usage. I am surprised they haven't added a "Don't drink the contents" warning label to the fuel cans. Maybe they have but I missed it.
Also older had a flexible spout, which why did they get rid of. 🤔🤨😉
John, one of my older 2 gallon cans had a flexible spout which was handy, but isn't very well made - I keep waiting for it to crack. So I would guess durability is the reason.
the straight stiff spouts are as much of the problem as the unsafe features.
@@strange-universe -- Actually the stiff spout is very easy to use, just put your finger over the end of the spout. Put the spout close to the tank, when the small tank is full put your finger back on and tilt the gas can back. The hard part is not wiping your finger on your pants !!!
In regards to the flame retarding device, Blitz was a huge manufacture of gas cans. They lost several cases from users that poured gas on open flames and the gas can exploded. They went bankrupt.
You nailed everything. Common sense Duh. What is that???
Thank you for watching!
I wish common sense was more common.
Brilliant, the vent cap was a perfect choice to fix the slow pour of these "new safety cans". you also picked one of the thickest parts of the entire can to install it. as for the spring, I would have gone to the hardware store for a new spring with a smaller diameter wire or more coils or both. When you remove coils from a spring the coil or spring rate increases (the spring gets stiffer). however, your method is perfectly legit and obviously works. This is only my autistic brain at work that drives me to perfectionism, it doesn't always work. I agree with you on the flame arrestor. I don't pour gasoline on open fires, but I have seen people do it... and get burnt. As one of my more favorite characters likes to say, "Stupid is as stupid does".
keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing what else you have for us.
I appreciate you watching and it seems like we have a common way of thinking. The spring was an experiment and I think it worked out pretty well. One of my goals was not to spend anything additional, just use what came with the gas containers. Mission accomplished, but I’m sure there’s other valid solutions. Thanks for joining the conversation!
If you want to "screw" something up (that always worked perfectly fine), get the government involved!
Making something safer by making it more complicated is not OK in my book. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I'm from the government and I'm here to help you. Hear this, RUN!
Someone must have got the design prize of the week for this. Tell me how its safe if you overfill your lawn mower with one of these spouts and it hits the hot muffler.
Safety? Where's the can vent on these? Gas expands with temperature, but i guess the vent was another design prize on the new cans.
Good points! I added vent in my second video, and I always burp these cans by opening the main cap a little before I use them. Thanks for commenting!
The best spout I've ever used was the Enviro-Flo spout. It didn't leak, it was self-venting, and easy to use (after you removed/disabled the "safety features"). I bought some several years ago and still use them today.
Of course, the spout was outlawed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission -- clearly a bunch of people who know nothing about gas can safety
Rob, it seems like all of the good, usable designs are now being hampered by additional safety features that ironically make them less safe. Bring back the old designs!
Wish I would of seen this 2 years ago. I bought new gas cans in prep for Hurricane Ian. I was pissed @ the new gas cans. Complicated & HARD to use. Ridiculous !! You Rock Mike! Thank You for Your Time and Consideration❤👍. Oh and your Tips too. Your a lot like me. Seems like a lot of the stuff you buy today has to be modified to work properly.
Not a Criticism just an Observation. I Like You Videos. Thank You
31/64th will fit somewhat loose helps to go a 64" smaller and be real steady!
also put the vent in real hot water to make it more flexable when you snap it into the hole.
they will break in cold weather but otherwise really help
Reducing the number of turns of a compression spring while keeping the same wire size, turn diameter, and free length will not reduce the spring force. Reducing turns increases spring gradient.
This means cutting off turns and stretching the shortened spring to the original free length would result in the forces being higher at the working lengths in the spout. If the force is actually lower, remove your modified spring to check it’s free length. You will likely find it’s shorter than the original because you didn’t heat treat the spring to relieve stresses after you stretched it.
Better to avoid the stretching. Reduce the free length by just cutting off a few turns while keeping the spring long enough to close the spout.
I am not a spring design expert but I am an engineer that has designed springs.
In theory this makes sense! I wondered if I should have heated the spring to change his temper, but I was afraid that was adding too many variables to the experiment.
@@MikeFyxdt You would have had heat the spring to a certain temperature according to the material. Too hot and you anneal it.
I recently tried to fill a new can having a FMD and twice splashed gas all over. The attendant said he hasn’t found a way to fill them either. I ripped out the screen when I got home.
@@gwford3 That was my experience too, George! Hey it’s nice to hear that someone else has gas station attendants! I can’t tell you how many people said I must be living in a time warp from the 1950s. LOL!
@@MikeFyxdt I will bet you live in the Northeastern US i believe the rest of the US is almost without exception pump it yourself or you get no gas.
I appreciate the information in the video. Hearing about what that insert inside the can is actually supposed to be used for is all I needed to know to rip mine out. I still can't use my three 5 gallon cans with my car so I continue needing to use my single 1 gallon can in the middle. I'm looking for an electric pump but they all seem to have a problem with that insert. Again proven to be a detrimental design.
I actually hope they don't change the design of these cans because thankfully it's easy to "fix" them and I'd be concerned they may try to "improve" them and end up with something worse and harder to remove.
How many folks surveyed that liked being told about the dangers of gasoline, liked Mid-West's solutions to these dangers once they tried using them? I'm guessing a very small percentage.
As far as shortening spring to make easier to compress that's counterintuitive. By shortening spring you actually make it stiffer. So although it may have less preload, it will require more force to compress per inch than before. The best thing to do would be to find a spring of that original length that has less force per inch of compression, which will probably mean it's made of thinner wire.
Agreed 100%
@@MikeFyxdt here a new one I hadn't seen before that looks like a copy of no spill
www.homedepot.com/p/Easy-Can-1-25-Gal-Gasoline-Can-with-FMD-3415/301697346?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&mtc=Shopping-B-F_D28I-G-D28I-28_37_OUTDOOR_POWER_ACC-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-SMART_SHP&cm_mmc=Shopping-B-F_D28I-G-D28I-28_37_OUTDOOR_POWER_ACC-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-SMART_SHP-71700000079956011-58700006728091443-92700060957828818&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2tCGBhCLARIsABJGmZ6XXxDIennjCzdg3rEvN12axkSUXASTphtnKHPURtZCHuEJdpDMab0aAtNrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Safety is marketing spin. They include these features for one reason only, the government required them to, and not for safety as the first function, but evaporative emissions. It's true that the spout can't pour as fast as one may want to but just as important is the fact that one can't pour slowly or accurately either. Using the can as designed, you can only pour at full tilt and can't see the level until the vessel being filled overflows. A complete failure from four levels, safety, having spilled fuel in the open, evaporative emissions from same, and economic in the form of wasted fuel and most importantly, containing and dispensing fuel. Basically the design guarantees to spill fuel, which makes that flame arrestor really appealing.
Stuart, that was perfectly explained. Well done! I couldn't agree more. 😁
I use portable fuel can’s regularly! Ease of use is the ONLY thing that makes me happy! I purchased 2 new Midwest fuel cans ( Diesel ) recently and immediately regretted it! However a quick search on Amazon obtained me a set of 3 conventional flexible spouts with VENT kits and now with the idiot screens removed, the vents installed and the marvelously useless spouts replaced I have a pair of perfectly functional fuel cans! It’s a true shame that your videos are both necessary and useful!
i added vents to my gas cans and didnt have a heat gun. i had good results with adding just a small bit of silicone to the vent "shaft" then pressing them in. i did allow a few days for the silicone to dry completely but years later they still work great.
also instead of working on the silly spout there are great straight flow spouts available on ebay and amazon for fairly cheap compared to my time to mod an existing one and the frustration of dealing with mandated design flaws.
John - great suggestions! Thanks for sharing!
@@MikeFyxdt you are entirely welcome of course
I caught my dad using old gallon milk jugs for his 2 cycle gas mix back in the '80s. When I brought him several new proper containers he realized how dangerous what it was he was doing. I mean, I have set down a bag of groceries too hard with a gallon of milk in it and ruptured it. Thankfully, the house did not burn down.
Plastic gas cans are blow molded and thus have no seams. That line is where the two sides of the mold meet and the flash of plastic seeps between. It is then removed with a sharp tool. So it is safe to place the vent in that location. The easiest way to check if it is a seam is to feel the inside of the can. If it smooth then no seam. If there is a seam I personally would return the can. A seam would be a possible failure point.
Kevin, I didn’t know that. Thanks for adding to the conversation!
Great mods. It would be nice if a regular cap could be fashioned. I would like to remove the spout and seal the can with a cap. I find myself worried about snapping the spout off as I pack for a camping trip.
Insert the spout into the can when traveling
All this trouble for a new gas can is ludicrous. When I need a new gas can, I'll go to a truck stop or other fuelmstation where lots of diesel is sold (or even at rest areas) where they empty diesel fuel additive (DFA) into the DFA tank. Those are just like the older style gas can but with an air inlet valve that works! And they are free! Just rinse it out a couple times and let it air dry. If your lucky, you can also find the ordinary screw cap to use when you are transporting and storing the fuel and then replace it with the nozzle attachment where needed. I just found 2! Can't beat free and 1 min. of my time rinsing them out!
Saved 2 gas cans from the landfill too!
Free gas containers? That’s awesome! I had no idea…
I was taught at a very early age to keep the cap on a gas can (so no fumes come out) and never to pour fuel on an open fire. That’s still the sensible way to achieve safety.
Gary, me too. I always assumed other people knew common sense safety when handling fuel. I guess I assumed wrong, hence all the safety features built into these new gas container designs.
I recently bought a kerosene heater for alternate or emergency heat in winter. On my way to check out I grabbed a nice sturdy looking kerosene can to store my fuel, but unfortunately I failed to really examine the can. After all, how complex can a fuel can be? Right?
The first time I went to fill the can I was faced with unscrewing the darn self locking cap. The plastic of the locking rachet cap was very cold and stiff, as were my hands. As you can imagine it took me five to ten times longer to get that cap off than it should have! Once the cap was off I thought I was ready to fill"er up, but I was faced with what I too thought was a filter in the throat of the can. Managed to get the can full but not without some finagling on my part.
Once home I put my shiny new heater together and prepared to fill it from the can. As you probably know most kerosene heaters come with a siphon pump to fill them without struggling with the weight of full fuel can and and the siphon provides better, easier control of fuel flow so you don't overflow the tank.
Well, because the tank was full to the top I was able to siphon the fuel from the can into the tank of the heater. Problem solved? Oh heck no!
Now that the can is very nearly full but not to the top, I can't reach the top of the fuel level with the siphon, it's blocked by the filter/flame arrestor.
Now that I've seen your video I'll be attempting you technique for remove the blockage from the throat of my can.
Thanks for your tips!
Thank you for doing what you should have done in the first video. Stopping to "cut the curl" in the middle of drilling was a waste. The drill bit is designed to eject chip as it runs.
I hear you! Since the canned previously had fuel in it, I was super concerned that the plastic would go in the container and get stuck. It may have been overkill, but it did appease my OCD. :-)
I have a couple of these cans and they really suck, I have found another way to fix the problem, but it involves spending a little more money. It's a new spout and a vent piece you have to put on the can, but your way sure is cheaper and probably a little easier. Thanks! Guess I should have watched the whole video first, see you do put a vent on the tank. LOL
Hey Jon, Yes the vent cap did make a pretty big difference! If I had to do it all over again I would’ve bought higher quality containers, but now these suit my needs. Thanks for watching!
While using the one I have, that darn red latch popped out of the channel way and started messing things up so I just ripped it right off and now I can just place the spout in the hole, let the catch settle on the edge of the hole and the weight of the can pushes the spout open. Of course if it's a small engine and you let it go to fast the gas fills up to quick and overflows causing a mess.