Am I old or does everything just suck now? For gas cans, it is probably a bit of both.

I have been struggling with fuel storage for at least a decade. I started with cheap plastic cans with terrible spouts/nozzles that leak and/or have stupid safety valves that require engagement in one way or another to allow fuel to flow.

A couple years ago, I bought metal jerry cans that were not technically for fuel because they were black and didn’t have an exhaust valve. The nozzle attachments didn’t have the silly safety engagement requirement but they still leaked at the attachment point to the can (and gas spilled on a painted deck works much better at removing the paint than actual paint remover). They also bulged from lack of venting and vented ‘violently’ when opening them up.

I finally stepped up and shilled out $131.78 with tax for a 2-gallon Justrite can directly from www.justrite.com. The 2-gallon is essentially the same price as the 5-gallon but I opted to test out the smaller can because I also needed it for an upcoming YouTube video.

Why can’t all gas cans do this?

When you want to fill the can, you just flip the spring-loaded filler cap and put the pump nozzle in. No screwing off a cap or anything. The auto-shutoff at the Shell station stopped pumping at 1.94 gallons into my 2-gallon can. Close enough. When you’re done, just let go of the cap and the spring forces it back into place.

When you want to pour gas out, just place the flexible metal hose into whatever needs to be filled, tilt the can and grab the safety valve thing along with the can handle. No leaks, no awkward yoga pose to keep pressure at the right place. Gas goes where it needs to go. I get flashbacks of days gone by when fuel cans didn’t suck so damn hard.

But over $100?

The can is great. It is everything every fuel can should be. I just don’t get why it costs so much. Plastic cans cost $15-30 with some crazy cans that look intimidatingly complicated around $60. Those 5-gallon black jerry cans I bought a while back were $50 each and the Type 1 Justrite can without the metal nozzle or fancy valve assembly (you get a plastic funnel instead) is around $60. Should this can cost more than twice as much? No, it shouldn’t. The valve assembly is patented or whatever but geeze…

Conclusion

I’m really tired of buying fuel storage canisters. I have wasted hundreds of dollars over the last 10 years or so buying cans that were terrible. This can is not terrible. It is expensive but I would buy it again.

I bought this Type-II can because I needed a nozzle/hose for my particular use case. I do need more fuel storage in 5-gallon containers but will be settling for Type-1 canisters with the plastic funnel going forward. I should probably have a couple DOT-cans for taking into the desert in the bed of my truck but, at $300+, I’ve got to draw the line somewhere.

Stop wasting time/money and buy one of these.

Disclaimer: I purchased the canister directly from Justrite. I have no association with Justrite and am not sponsored in any way by anyone.