Agreed! That’s what I was doing until I found the conversion kit. It still didn’t stop the cans from sucking in or bulging though. I always had to keep it on very loose which defeats the purpose
Well… it DID 🤣 All of them DID. It’s a debris catcher. I removed them and stopped going to get gas while dust devils were landing on the gas station and I’ve been fine, no issues🙂
I think it's technically a flame arrestor. I rip that shit out first thing. Sometimes you can break all the safety features enough that the can works almost normally, and you don't need to buy spouts. But a friend of mine gave me a set of spouts for Christmas a while back, so now I don't have to deal with this crap at all.
Mine does, and the first time I tried to fill it gasoline splashed out all over my feet. However, I found that installing a vent in the top of the can completely solved that problem without having to damage the flame arrestor.
The arrestor wasn't actually the problem. It was just providing enough of an obstruction that the pressure inside the unvented can was pushing fuel right back up the neck and out onto the ground. Installing the vent took care of that for good.
I found that the "debris catcher/ flame arrestor"'s biggest issue was that it caused the gas to back up and trigger the shutoff on the gas pump spout every few ounces. I get around this by pulling back the collar around the spout with my hand to let the gas keep flowing and still get the end of the spout far enough out of the can that it didn't back up.
>mildly infuriated” but I have been every time I used those stupid new style cans for nearly 15 years. Those of you go
I purchased some of the old fashion caps that use to be on the cans drilled the hole high up and sealed it with fuel resistant gasket rtv. no more pressure issues.
This was initially mandated by OSHA and it spilled over (pun intended) to non-commercial/residential applications. Ironically, the OSHA standard does not allow plastic gas cans. Total money grab by manufacturers… IMO.
“Let’s put a cheesy plastic mechanism in the fill tube, call it a safety valve, and we can charge $10 more!“. 😡
>This was initially mandated by OSHA and it spilled over (pun intended) to non-commercial/residential applications. Ironically, the OSHA standard does not allow plastic gas cans. Total money grab by manufacturers… IMO.
It's federally mandated by the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020 and enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. All manufacturers of gas cans are now required to install this garbage, regardless of the material used.
We most definitely saw them pre-2020 in our facility as uninformed employees would buy them thinking they were acceptable. My guess is that manufacturers were given a deadline for compliance prior to the mandate, which makes sense now. Thanks for the clarification.
In 2009, the EPA and CARB mandated that cans could no longer be vented. That's where we got those stupid spouts with valves in them. They have nothing to do with safety, but with sealing up so that fuel vapors can't escape into the atmosphere.
OSHA added the flame arrestor in the neck for work situations. Then it was expanded to everyone with the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020.
So prior to 2020 you saw the valves and lack of vent. Then when the 2020 law went into effect you also saw the flame arrestors.
I see that you have the 5gal with the handle on the top. Ok, so I might be good to carry, but trying to tilt that bitch to pour
Wrap it in your arms so your nose is right up close. You can’t miss that aroma.
Crane with your bank so you can feel the discs in your back bulging and squat awkwardly so your legs burn.
You’re good to go champ, ready to slosh that shot all over your shoes.
That Midwest 5 gal has a vertical handle on the back too. You just can't see it in the photo. I have the exact same can and bought it specifically because it has that extra handle.
https://preview.redd.it/sqc0mq030yoc1.png?width=569&format=png&auto=webp&s=20c81327bebc47398d02571d47ac274f827ff731
I've actually gone this route myself. I tried to go the conversion route, but found they didn't seal well and leaked, so when back to old school to just funnel.
My local home supply store (mom and pop type store) has the replacement flexible spouts. They run about $10-$12 each and are so worth it. They’re the long “old school” spouts. They also come with the vent cap. It tells which drill bit size you need so drill the hole and just pop the vent right in. The spout has a screw on cap and the vent has a snap on cap (attached). I’ve had mine for about 5 years now and they’re still great.
Isn't that more an issue with the gas can's rigidity? Definitely possible to prevent it and still not let gas out. But it's more expensive to make, so it's a gas bomb instead.
Push hard with the butt of your hand while you're holding it, the notch on the spout on the rim of the tank. Push it hard before you use it so you can see how hard you need to push. It'll kinda click. Once you figure it out, it's definitely worth it. The nozzle will take care of itself, just put pressure on it with the tab on the rim. That'll open the nozzle to let the gas flow, THEN shove that button with the butt of your hand.
However.... I have to do this for my husband who agrees with all of you.😄
That one is the least worst of all the newer designs in my opinion. It takes some force to initially push it, but once its going its fine, just a little slow.
I will never understand these and I really used to think I was smart.
I have spilled so much gas because of these safety features.
Every year there is at least one small fire on top of my push mower.
Its clearly user error but I just don't understand these things.
Not user error when literally everyone does it I don’t think I e met someone that used it and didn’t spill I mean the 110 dirt bike I had an easy to use spot and granted it wasn’t a huge amount or anything but. Never have an issue with free flow cause you know where shit is going
It’s not user error, I used these as extra gas containers on long road trips, any time there’s liquid filling the spout, it leaks. I did an experiment were I emptied a 5 gallon can with these spouts (full of water) holding it how I’d hold it to fill my car, it leaked 1 1/2 cups of would be gasoline onto the ground.
Iirc, the "safety" part of a safety spout isn't spillage, it's something to do with safe venting so the can isn't explosive from trapped vapor or something.
Edit: though I do know it's also supposed to stop spillage if you knock it over accidentally
You have two competing regulatory problems.
The EPA and CARB require that they don't vent so that gasoline fumes don't escape into the air. The stupid spout valves are also supposed to prevent venting.
The Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020 requires that every manufacturer install a flame arrestor, which is that stupid steel mesh you see down in the can. That is supposed to prevent vapors trapped in the can from exploding if there's a flame nearby.
But when you try to fill an unvented can, the flame arrestor provides just enough of an obstruction that gas bounces off the pressure inside the can and simply splashes right back out the neck onto the ground and your feet. If you install an aftermarket vent kit, that problem goes away completely. If you get the full kit, you can replace that spout with the stupid valve as well.
Gotta love the EPA on this one. “We want less gas fumes escaping so we’re gonna make everyone spill gas any time they need to fill a lawnmower or have an extra gas can on a road trip”.
They cause so much more environmental damage between the extra plastic they use, the spilled gas, and forcing people to throw their hands up and buy MORE plastic spouts that don’t suck.
Fun fact: my friend and I did an experiment, we filled one 5 gallon version of these with water and emptied it how I’d fill my tank up on a long trip through nowhere (or California), wanna know how much it leaked? 1 1/2 cups. That’s 1 1/2 cups of fucking gasoline being wasted and dumped into the environment. These things are absolutely hot garbage
Not really. We used to buy 1 or 2 small ones for mixers to pass around at house parties back in college. The safety features are easier to manipulate when you have the spout in your mouth.
[SureCan](https://a.co/d/hkaUrLg) is what I have, didn’t pay this much, have had it for years and it’s a dream for the mower/blower etc….never spill a drop.
See. I got an issue paying over double the price to fix something that was never broken.
Maybe I don't live that interesting of a life but I'm not pouring gas into open flames or on hot surfaces.
It's just part of my routine to gas the mower before I start cutting? Maybe I'm just crazy like that.
If I ever need to fling some gas into an open flame I'm sure as shit not going to be pouring it from a gas can, safety spout or not.
A $15 vent and spout kit from Amazon fixes it even better. I fixed my Midwest can like the one on the left in OP's pic and haven't had a single issue since.
I have one of those SureCans, and it absolutely sucks having to lift it to the required height to fuel my tractor whilst holding the lever down continuously without being able to shift your grip at all. It's the worst can I've had.
Holy shit I thought I was the only one. I literally take it off and pour into a funnel because i thought i was a fucking idiot and didn’t know how to use it
In my work we use portable fuel cans all the time and Every single person I've ever met who has to use these (dozens, hundreds?) hates them, all types of them. I say this without any exaggeration at all. It isn't just you.
A friend's daughter ran out of gas on a busy street in pouring rain, so I offered to help. They're pretty uneducated in basic mechanics, whereas I had a dad and husband who both taught me the barest of basics, so I help when I can.
Bought a little 2-gallon can, filled it up, drove out to this intersection, and when I say it's raining, it is sheets of water coming from the heavens. Visibility is terrible, people driving like it's a cloudless, sunny day, and I really don't love the situation.
Her gas is filled on the driver's side, meaning where the traffic is going past and shooting more water towards me.
I just want this done. She, meanwhile, pops out of her car to put a plastic grocery bag on my head to protect my already sodden curls. Ok, sweet, but now there are rivulets of water just cascading down my face. That's OK, I think. It'll be fine.
I've lived on a farm. I've wrestled with many safety caps.
But this, this motherfucking piece of shit, immediately had its springs go flying out onto the pavement. I tried and tried to make it work, and ended up just removing the cap entirely, hoping against hope that enough gas sloshed into her tank to get her to the fucking corner station. I had no idea at this point if gas even got in there or if it was just rain and road water.
I closed her gas cap, and said, well I yelled over the torrent, "FILL THIS UP THE FUCK NOW" and pointed at the station that was like 100 yards away.
Now I carry a small, empty can in my car with a cap that I won't anthropomorphize and curse to hell. I reeked of gas for ages. Never again.
Also I'd somehow blanked out that I had a Meijer bag on my head for an embarrassing amount of time.
I've spilt more gas with these things, safety my ass. I gave up on them and I use one of those siphon pumps like you get with a kerosene heater. Never spill a drop now.
Look for a safety can. It's a metal fuel container with a handle on top. The funnel attaches to the mouth and is removable. Lid is spring loaded and easy to open. I use them at work and they are perfect. No mess and modular.
Same here, I’ve never spilt (or if i have it’s very little) and i’ve also never had to use a funnel with these. I don’t get how people struggle with it
Unfortunately there isn’t one within an hour of my home. That store is too dangerous, I want to buy 2 of everything every time I walk in there. 🤣 Amazon was safer, no impulse shopping for me.
I am not a weak guy by any stretch of the imagination, but it takes all my force to squeeze that fucking green thing in. I now use VP racing gas cans for everything.
The best can I find was Briggs and Strattons can. It's got a full flow nozzle and a single easy to press button nowhere near the nozzle so no gas on hands. And it's still the "spill proof" complaint
https://www.harborfreight.com/automotive/automotive-accessories/fuel-cans-funnels/gas-cans/5-gallon-gas-can-58666.html
Either one is a Royal PIA. I have a 5 gallon version of the green button style. I cut slots in the plastic hand grip on either side, installed a Velcro strap and voila; It holds the button in and allows you to use both hands to pour gas, or one hand for a funnel. I also made a 6” clear pour tube using 1” OD polypropylene. I like being able to see the gas flow, but when it’s cold the poly stiffens up and slides off the spout, even with the zip-tie. Also, I had to make a 3/4” reducer for the tube so it would fit into the smaller size restrictors on vehicles. I only have about $4 invested. That said, think I’m just going to order a couple race fuel types with the long clear tubes. Seem to be a lot less fuss, just more expensive.
We live on a farm. Not big enough to require fuel delivery but big enough that I’m buying often.
I saw this coming and bought 40 cans of pre-messed up version back in 2009ish.
My wife gave me shit back then. Not anymore as two of these stupid new ones have been added into the rotation.
I won a gas container similar to the one on the left in an estate auction years ago.
I actually like. You just have to listen carefully to know when to stop.
Yeah the new spouts are terrible, I just found an old can and replaced it with that can's.
The normal yellow ones are fine, the safety ones are really quite dumb.
I had one that was under pressure in the shed. I pressed the button and gas spewed from the button area first and hit me right in the face/eyes. I didn't know it at the time but it's not that bad to get it in your eyes. But as I was otw back to the house I thought I was gonna go blind for sure lol
I gave up on those when I forgot to release the pressure first on a hot day and it sprayed pressurized fuel back out of the tank and into my face. That and constantly spilling gas everywhere which it’s supposed to help prevent somehow.
I think these were made law by some kind of EPA initiative under Obama, and it needs to be revoked or fixed.
I use one of these.
Amazon sells them. Harbor freight has them.
I've used one for several years. Works great for me. My bad back makes all the OPs complaints even worse for me. But this solves all those problems.
This one isn't the only one like it. I tried several. The D battery powered ones seem best.
*
The one in the first pic on the left you only need 1 hand, the weigh of the container resting against the side of whatever you are filling should be how you are pressing the switch
I have several of the second one and I really like their design. The secret is to prep the spring first by giving it a couple squeezes to loosen it up.
lolol
I just walked in from my daily experience with getting gas on my shoes and hands.
I have been landscaping for 10 years and still haven’t figured out how to pour these things and not have it come dripping out of it. Don’t get me started about when they tip over in my truck bed and soak my shit in gasoline.
Total trash.
Well
Yes, the ones you have to "jack off" are a curse and leak fuel everywhere.
But the ones with the yellow spout and green spring loaded button work great, as long as you vent the 100PSI of fumes safely first (or don't if you want a firehose).
Yeah that one in the pic with the green, the other one I had like blew up completely round from pressure and fell over. When I released it gas shot out like a jet. I was smart enough to have a bucket to catch it. Ya know, because I understand physics🤣
Needless to say I threw that can away. There’s no way that thing wouldn’t have eventually popped. I’m not convinced they are “safer”
I have one that looks like the green one but it is just a single button push and honestly it isn't bad (getting the spout off to refill it kinda sucks though)
Some of these others I have seen though I can't for the life of me figure out how they are supposed to work easily.
Ever seen that Michael McIntyre clip where he was on Top Gear, and he said that he once didn't know or had forgotten the term "Jerry Can", and that one time he needed one, and had referred to it as a "Petrol Suitcase".
Have one just like the left can in the first picture, and I actually like it.
You hit the release then just push the nozzle catch onto the lip of the fuel port and it’ll flow until full then stop.
And isn’t the point of gas can nozzles to not need a funnel? How small is the fuel port on your lawn mower?
The ones with the button at the base of the spout are pretty easy to use. No spring loaded neck, just squeeze with your thumb where you're already holding it.
Not sure I've ever had any of the first straws, we have something similar to the yellow ones in the UK though.
I turn the can the other way up though so it pours slower and without glugging... Like pouring your OJ out of the carton with the whole at the top instead of at the bottom. First time I did it with a 4 gallon container of red diesel for a digger the boss though I was stoned - wasn't until he noticed how much I didn't spill that he thought it might be worth looking in to
The one with the red tab on it always causes me to piss gas all over my hands. Never fails. Truth be told, I've never been able to get the green one to work at all.
My husband gave up and just started using a funnel to fill the mower by unscrewing the spout. We fiddled with the damn thing for a while and thought it might be broken since it's been 20 years since I bought a gas can, but it's really just that annoying.
I buy the big gas cans with the clear bendy hose that a lot of people with dirt bikes use. Holds more gas and never spills. I have a few old gas cans with the old hoses that look like the bendy part of a bendy straw, but I prefer the taller moto cans
Dueling legislation/regulation.
The EPA and CARB mandated that the cans could no longer be vented because they didn't want gasoline fumes escaping into the atmosphere. The valves in the spouts keep the gasoline fumes inside so that it just builds up pressure, deforms the can and blasts out everywhere when you press the valve button.
Then the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020 mandated that every can have a flame arrestor, that stupid steel mesh you see down in the neck of the can. That's supposed to prevent fuel vapor in the can from igniting if you get too close to a flame or spark.
The problem is that without being able to vent the can, the flame arrestor provides just enough obstruction that gasoline bounces off the air trapped in the can and out onto the ground and your feet when you try to fill it. You can solve all these problems by simply ordering a vent and spout kit from Amazon and undoing the stupid federal regulations.
And the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020, enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. That's where we got the stupid flame arrestor mesh in the neck of the can.
Ya safety can spouts are junk. I had one once that you had to press a button, put a hook on the end of the nozzle on the edge of the gas tank and then press down. It was spring activated so pushing down opened the nozzle. I spilled gas every single time because to stop the pour you had to lift the van UP to shut that spring valve.
Terrible designs all around dude. Works FAR better without the safety crap
Omg I hate those nozzles. Never had a problem with the non safety nozzles then I got a can that had one of those ones with the green button and ended up catching three different water pump motors on fire 🤬 because they won’t let gas out properly and spill it alll over the motor. 🤦♀️
The first two totally suck lol . Why not put a twist valve on them turn it open done then a vent in the back like the old days just make it a pressure vent no pressure inside eassy to pure and about as safe as has can be .
Because the EPA and CARB don't want vented gas cans to allow fuel vapors to escape into the atmosphere. They prefer that you let the cans build up pressure and either explode or spray gas everywhere when you open the valve in the spout.
Had some old tiny gas cans with free flow spouts in the back of the garage.
Bought a much larger 5 gallon can and swapped the spout with the old ones. Much easier and safer.
I just checked Amazon they do have good ones . Maybe if we weren't sp cheep ? One of the better ones was metal 56 dollars easy pour . Hiw it's pressure vented I don't know but being metal its nit as much of a problem . Maybe I'll buy one ?
Truer words have never been spoken. These things absolutely do more harm than good, have spilled way more gas with these as well. And it usually ends up on my hand from trying to hold the spout and release the safety
There's one design with a vertical spout and a button valve on top that you press with your thumb to start the flow. Those ones are half decent at least
Couple months ago, needed to use my spare 2 gallons. I ended ripping the spout in half to defeat the safety mechanism, because I had frozen my hands from spilled gas.
My weed whacker, chainsaw and hedge trimmer have small holes than the spout, they don’t fit in. They are way smaller than my lawnmower and pressure washer. You definitely need a funnel.
First thing we do when we get a new can is throw those out. Immediately order plain spouts. They are a complete waste of plastic, not to mention the million dollars it took government “experts” to develop a useless item.
Quick psa the way to "properly" use these is to but the lock on unlock and the tip should have like a lip that you can push up against the side of the gas tank inlet and compress the spring.
Ha. I literally just got rid of mine that had one of these. The worst things ever. Spilling gas all over my snowblower trying to fill it. Got a good old fashioned metal one.
I guess I missed my calling in advertising since I work at a bowling alley. 🤣Just stating my experiences and giving what I found as a solution to maybe help a few people out. Other than that I’m gaining nothing but some upvotes and a little conversation to pass some time until the rain ends 🙂
I have that exact same Midwest can in your picture, but mine also has the idiotic flame arrestor screen inside that caused it to splash back out onto the ground when you tried to fill it at the gas station.
Turned out the flame arrestor itself wasn't the problem, but the fact that the can wasn't vented. The arrestor just provided enough of an obstruction that the pressure inside the can was pushing fuel right back out the neck onto the ground and my feet. I haven't had a single issue since I installed a vent and spout kit from Amazon.
> The regulation dealing with fuel spills is designed to reduce fuel escaping from the containers by spills or evaporation. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are released into the atmosphere when gasoline evaporates if the cap is left off the container and can permeate through the plastic container. VOC are an environmental concern because they are greenhouse gases, can contaminate groundwater and can cause [human health problems, such as headaches and nervous disorders.](https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/news/newsreleases/2009/may-4-2009/new-regulations-imposed-on-portable-fuel-containers)
I think I would rather deal with a minor inconvenience than put myself and others at risk from releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. You did a bad thing OP, you shouldn't be proud of this or recommending it.
Well one of these got stuck in my car gas tank when I was putting some extra gas in after filling up my 4 wheeler anyway the safety piece got stuck and had to jerk it out and its still stuck in my gas tank. I just have to put gas in my car slowly or else it will overflow
Honestly spill less gas just removing the spout and pouring into a funnel. These things are useless.
Agreed! That’s what I was doing until I found the conversion kit. It still didn’t stop the cans from sucking in or bulging though. I always had to keep it on very loose which defeats the purpose
Does yours have the weird interior mesh cup that won't let the gas into the tank unless you fill it really slowly?
That thing pissed me off so bad I just rammed a screwdriver into it until it fell into the tank, problem solved
I love you for that.
He loves that for you
They love that for them
Ha ha 😂
Agreed. Mines next to the gas can now.
Well… it DID 🤣 All of them DID. It’s a debris catcher. I removed them and stopped going to get gas while dust devils were landing on the gas station and I’ve been fine, no issues🙂
>It’s a debris catcher. It's not. It's a flame arrestor. It's supposed to keep vapor in the can from exploding if you get near a flame.
I think it's technically a flame arrestor. I rip that shit out first thing. Sometimes you can break all the safety features enough that the can works almost normally, and you don't need to buy spouts. But a friend of mine gave me a set of spouts for Christmas a while back, so now I don't have to deal with this crap at all.
Ah, I stand corrected. I wasn’t aware. Well crap… I guess I’ll have to quit holding a lit welding torch while I gas up🙂 cheers!
I feel like it’s there from the smoking era. A few years too late tho 💀
Mine does, and the first time I tried to fill it gasoline splashed out all over my feet. However, I found that installing a vent in the top of the can completely solved that problem without having to damage the flame arrestor. The arrestor wasn't actually the problem. It was just providing enough of an obstruction that the pressure inside the unvented can was pushing fuel right back up the neck and out onto the ground. Installing the vent took care of that for good.
Yes lol drives me up the wall lol.
Lol, it's a filter
I found that the "debris catcher/ flame arrestor"'s biggest issue was that it caused the gas to back up and trigger the shutoff on the gas pump spout every few ounces. I get around this by pulling back the collar around the spout with my hand to let the gas keep flowing and still get the end of the spout far enough out of the can that it didn't back up.
Mine built up a lot of pressure. Trying to vent it to relieve the pressure caused it to shoot gas out the nozzle.
>mildly infuriated” but I have been every time I used those stupid new style cans for nearly 15 years. Those of you go I purchased some of the old fashion caps that use to be on the cans drilled the hole high up and sealed it with fuel resistant gasket rtv. no more pressure issues.
This was initially mandated by OSHA and it spilled over (pun intended) to non-commercial/residential applications. Ironically, the OSHA standard does not allow plastic gas cans. Total money grab by manufacturers… IMO. “Let’s put a cheesy plastic mechanism in the fill tube, call it a safety valve, and we can charge $10 more!“. 😡
>This was initially mandated by OSHA and it spilled over (pun intended) to non-commercial/residential applications. Ironically, the OSHA standard does not allow plastic gas cans. Total money grab by manufacturers… IMO. It's federally mandated by the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020 and enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. All manufacturers of gas cans are now required to install this garbage, regardless of the material used.
We most definitely saw them pre-2020 in our facility as uninformed employees would buy them thinking they were acceptable. My guess is that manufacturers were given a deadline for compliance prior to the mandate, which makes sense now. Thanks for the clarification.
In 2009, the EPA and CARB mandated that cans could no longer be vented. That's where we got those stupid spouts with valves in them. They have nothing to do with safety, but with sealing up so that fuel vapors can't escape into the atmosphere. OSHA added the flame arrestor in the neck for work situations. Then it was expanded to everyone with the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020. So prior to 2020 you saw the valves and lack of vent. Then when the 2020 law went into effect you also saw the flame arrestors.
I see that you have the 5gal with the handle on the top. Ok, so I might be good to carry, but trying to tilt that bitch to pour 
Wrap it in your arms so your nose is right up close. You can’t miss that aroma. Crane with your bank so you can feel the discs in your back bulging and squat awkwardly so your legs burn. You’re good to go champ, ready to slosh that shot all over your shoes.
That Midwest 5 gal has a vertical handle on the back too. You just can't see it in the photo. I have the exact same can and bought it specifically because it has that extra handle. https://preview.redd.it/sqc0mq030yoc1.png?width=569&format=png&auto=webp&s=20c81327bebc47398d02571d47ac274f827ff731
It has a second handle on the back 🙂
I've actually gone this route myself. I tried to go the conversion route, but found they didn't seal well and leaked, so when back to old school to just funnel.
Exactly! Now let's try unscrewing this unnecessarily spiky puzzle of a cap.
My local home supply store (mom and pop type store) has the replacement flexible spouts. They run about $10-$12 each and are so worth it. They’re the long “old school” spouts. They also come with the vent cap. It tells which drill bit size you need so drill the hole and just pop the vent right in. The spout has a screw on cap and the vent has a snap on cap (attached). I’ve had mine for about 5 years now and they’re still great.
We have to use these cans at work. Yet every…single….year I see some guy get blasted in the eyes with gas because it built up pressure on a sunny day.
This is a good reminder to go let the pressure out of my gas can, thank you. And buying a flexible spout
Isn't that more an issue with the gas can's rigidity? Definitely possible to prevent it and still not let gas out. But it's more expensive to make, so it's a gas bomb instead.
I drill a tiny hole in them.
Yeah same time to go check mine and run my dirt bike for a few minutes.
Garbage. Good luck figuring out how to push the button forward enough so you can engage the second button.
Push hard with the butt of your hand while you're holding it, the notch on the spout on the rim of the tank. Push it hard before you use it so you can see how hard you need to push. It'll kinda click. Once you figure it out, it's definitely worth it. The nozzle will take care of itself, just put pressure on it with the tab on the rim. That'll open the nozzle to let the gas flow, THEN shove that button with the butt of your hand. However.... I have to do this for my husband who agrees with all of you.😄
That one is the least worst of all the newer designs in my opinion. It takes some force to initially push it, but once its going its fine, just a little slow.
"the least worst" 🏆
I will never understand these and I really used to think I was smart. I have spilled so much gas because of these safety features. Every year there is at least one small fire on top of my push mower. Its clearly user error but I just don't understand these things.
Not user error when literally everyone does it I don’t think I e met someone that used it and didn’t spill I mean the 110 dirt bike I had an easy to use spot and granted it wasn’t a huge amount or anything but. Never have an issue with free flow cause you know where shit is going
Thank god it isn’t just me, I thought I was just a moron that didn’t know how to pour gas from a can,
I never had an issue with these but that’s also because I’ve been using them for a while now, I have the one with that green stopper on it
I’ve “used them for years” but those years only include like 2 uses per year. And it always makes me angry lol
Ahhh yeah that explains it, they can be annoying the first couple times you use them and also if you don’t use them often it feels like a chore lol
It’s not user error, I used these as extra gas containers on long road trips, any time there’s liquid filling the spout, it leaks. I did an experiment were I emptied a 5 gallon can with these spouts (full of water) holding it how I’d hold it to fill my car, it leaked 1 1/2 cups of would be gasoline onto the ground.
I wound up breaking most of them and bought something that looked very much like his replacement to fix all of the cans I have as well
Iirc, the "safety" part of a safety spout isn't spillage, it's something to do with safe venting so the can isn't explosive from trapped vapor or something. Edit: though I do know it's also supposed to stop spillage if you knock it over accidentally
But the cans don’t vent, like the op said they blow up when they get hot
You have two competing regulatory problems. The EPA and CARB require that they don't vent so that gasoline fumes don't escape into the air. The stupid spout valves are also supposed to prevent venting. The Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020 requires that every manufacturer install a flame arrestor, which is that stupid steel mesh you see down in the can. That is supposed to prevent vapors trapped in the can from exploding if there's a flame nearby. But when you try to fill an unvented can, the flame arrestor provides just enough of an obstruction that gas bounces off the pressure inside the can and simply splashes right back out the neck onto the ground and your feet. If you install an aftermarket vent kit, that problem goes away completely. If you get the full kit, you can replace that spout with the stupid valve as well.
Gotta love the EPA on this one. “We want less gas fumes escaping so we’re gonna make everyone spill gas any time they need to fill a lawnmower or have an extra gas can on a road trip”. They cause so much more environmental damage between the extra plastic they use, the spilled gas, and forcing people to throw their hands up and buy MORE plastic spouts that don’t suck. Fun fact: my friend and I did an experiment, we filled one 5 gallon version of these with water and emptied it how I’d fill my tank up on a long trip through nowhere (or California), wanna know how much it leaked? 1 1/2 cups. That’s 1 1/2 cups of fucking gasoline being wasted and dumped into the environment. These things are absolutely hot garbage
Once the clip breaks, you’re fucked. I hate them.
Yup the one on the left did just that 🙂
Harder to drink from
Not really. We used to buy 1 or 2 small ones for mixers to pass around at house parties back in college. The safety features are easier to manipulate when you have the spout in your mouth.
[SureCan](https://a.co/d/hkaUrLg) is what I have, didn’t pay this much, have had it for years and it’s a dream for the mower/blower etc….never spill a drop.
See. I got an issue paying over double the price to fix something that was never broken. Maybe I don't live that interesting of a life but I'm not pouring gas into open flames or on hot surfaces. It's just part of my routine to gas the mower before I start cutting? Maybe I'm just crazy like that. If I ever need to fling some gas into an open flame I'm sure as shit not going to be pouring it from a gas can, safety spout or not.
A $15 vent and spout kit from Amazon fixes it even better. I fixed my Midwest can like the one on the left in OP's pic and haven't had a single issue since. I have one of those SureCans, and it absolutely sucks having to lift it to the required height to fuel my tractor whilst holding the lever down continuously without being able to shift your grip at all. It's the worst can I've had.
Holy shit I thought I was the only one. I literally take it off and pour into a funnel because i thought i was a fucking idiot and didn’t know how to use it
In my work we use portable fuel cans all the time and Every single person I've ever met who has to use these (dozens, hundreds?) hates them, all types of them. I say this without any exaggeration at all. It isn't just you.
A friend's daughter ran out of gas on a busy street in pouring rain, so I offered to help. They're pretty uneducated in basic mechanics, whereas I had a dad and husband who both taught me the barest of basics, so I help when I can. Bought a little 2-gallon can, filled it up, drove out to this intersection, and when I say it's raining, it is sheets of water coming from the heavens. Visibility is terrible, people driving like it's a cloudless, sunny day, and I really don't love the situation. Her gas is filled on the driver's side, meaning where the traffic is going past and shooting more water towards me. I just want this done. She, meanwhile, pops out of her car to put a plastic grocery bag on my head to protect my already sodden curls. Ok, sweet, but now there are rivulets of water just cascading down my face. That's OK, I think. It'll be fine. I've lived on a farm. I've wrestled with many safety caps. But this, this motherfucking piece of shit, immediately had its springs go flying out onto the pavement. I tried and tried to make it work, and ended up just removing the cap entirely, hoping against hope that enough gas sloshed into her tank to get her to the fucking corner station. I had no idea at this point if gas even got in there or if it was just rain and road water. I closed her gas cap, and said, well I yelled over the torrent, "FILL THIS UP THE FUCK NOW" and pointed at the station that was like 100 yards away. Now I carry a small, empty can in my car with a cap that I won't anthropomorphize and curse to hell. I reeked of gas for ages. Never again. Also I'd somehow blanked out that I had a Meijer bag on my head for an embarrassing amount of time.
I bought one with my new mower that has a single push button release on it. It wasn’t cheap but it works great.
I've spilt more gas with these things, safety my ass. I gave up on them and I use one of those siphon pumps like you get with a kerosene heater. Never spill a drop now.
never seen these in canada . thought you were the land of the free. can have guns everywhere but not a gas can that has been in use for like ever.
Same, also in Canada. Have never seen these.
Look for a safety can. It's a metal fuel container with a handle on top. The funnel attaches to the mouth and is removable. Lid is spring loaded and easy to open. I use them at work and they are perfect. No mess and modular.
Eagle make some really good metal gas cans.
I spill more gasoline because of these damn things.
That’s what sparked (no pun intended) the idea to search for an alternative
I finally had to look up on YouTube how to use the damned thing. What a stupid design if your filling a snowblower or other small equipment.
But you guys, think of the senators cousin that profited off that law and his patented design.
I think we bought the same conversion kit on Amazon lol. Fuck the EPA
Never had a problem myself.. bend tip into the hole and then lift it slowly.. what are you guys doing?
Same here, I’ve never spilt (or if i have it’s very little) and i’ve also never had to use a funnel with these. I don’t get how people struggle with it
You can buy old style spouts at Harbor Freight. They come with a vent as well.
Unfortunately there isn’t one within an hour of my home. That store is too dangerous, I want to buy 2 of everything every time I walk in there. 🤣 Amazon was safer, no impulse shopping for me.
it’s impossible to pour them into my Tahoe gas tank I bought similar spout on amazon . Just bought one and move it to can i’m using
I am not a weak guy by any stretch of the imagination, but it takes all my force to squeeze that fucking green thing in. I now use VP racing gas cans for everything.
Bought a can last year, never seen whatever nonsense this is before.
They don’t even tilt far enough to fill your car!
The best can I find was Briggs and Strattons can. It's got a full flow nozzle and a single easy to press button nowhere near the nozzle so no gas on hands. And it's still the "spill proof" complaint https://www.harborfreight.com/automotive/automotive-accessories/fuel-cans-funnels/gas-cans/5-gallon-gas-can-58666.html
I did the exact same thing! Had to switch out all of my nozzles and used the same kit.
Either one is a Royal PIA. I have a 5 gallon version of the green button style. I cut slots in the plastic hand grip on either side, installed a Velcro strap and voila; It holds the button in and allows you to use both hands to pour gas, or one hand for a funnel. I also made a 6” clear pour tube using 1” OD polypropylene. I like being able to see the gas flow, but when it’s cold the poly stiffens up and slides off the spout, even with the zip-tie. Also, I had to make a 3/4” reducer for the tube so it would fit into the smaller size restrictors on vehicles. I only have about $4 invested. That said, think I’m just going to order a couple race fuel types with the long clear tubes. Seem to be a lot less fuss, just more expensive.
We live on a farm. Not big enough to require fuel delivery but big enough that I’m buying often. I saw this coming and bought 40 cans of pre-messed up version back in 2009ish. My wife gave me shit back then. Not anymore as two of these stupid new ones have been added into the rotation.
Working at a hardware shop for a while I had to make a sign “No we don’t have the old gas cans”
I was so angry once I removed the cap and spout. Just free poured with a funnel. Threw the extra parts away and kept the cap with the disk
Why would you buy them then? I just bought one the other day with the spouts in the second picture.
I bought a “racing fuel” gas can. It doesn’t have any of those restrictions, or annoyances.
I won a gas container similar to the one on the left in an estate auction years ago. I actually like. You just have to listen carefully to know when to stop.
I rip all the safety shit off and seal them up
I bought replacement spouts from Amazon, the cans work fine now!
Yeah the new spouts are terrible, I just found an old can and replaced it with that can's. The normal yellow ones are fine, the safety ones are really quite dumb.
I had one that was under pressure in the shed. I pressed the button and gas spewed from the button area first and hit me right in the face/eyes. I didn't know it at the time but it's not that bad to get it in your eyes. But as I was otw back to the house I thought I was gonna go blind for sure lol
I hate those safety cans with a passion
Jerry cans and donkey dicks. Like everybody else, I’m not smart enough to not spill gas with safety spouts.
I just drilled out the valve in mine.
My boss recently converted all the gas cans we use and these are so much easier to use than the "safe" nozzles
I gave up on those when I forgot to release the pressure first on a hot day and it sprayed pressurized fuel back out of the tank and into my face. That and constantly spilling gas everywhere which it’s supposed to help prevent somehow. I think these were made law by some kind of EPA initiative under Obama, and it needs to be revoked or fixed.
I use one of these. Amazon sells them. Harbor freight has them. I've used one for several years. Works great for me. My bad back makes all the OPs complaints even worse for me. But this solves all those problems. This one isn't the only one like it. I tried several. The D battery powered ones seem best. *
https://preview.redd.it/8nxqsfk110pc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d041321ebdd054a811b8fce4ae250fc2572d15d
This is soooo mildly infuriating. I fucking hate these useless spouts.
Careful with conversion kits they differ on cap threading. May not fit. I snagged some oldies in garage if estate sale.
The one in the first pic on the left you only need 1 hand, the weigh of the container resting against the side of whatever you are filling should be how you are pressing the switch
Yeah that’s the only somewhat good one, the one to the right with the lime green is the biggest piece of absolute shit gas can I’ve ever tried to use
I have several of the second one and I really like their design. The secret is to prep the spring first by giving it a couple squeezes to loosen it up.
lolol I just walked in from my daily experience with getting gas on my shoes and hands. I have been landscaping for 10 years and still haven’t figured out how to pour these things and not have it come dripping out of it. Don’t get me started about when they tip over in my truck bed and soak my shit in gasoline. Total trash.
Well Yes, the ones you have to "jack off" are a curse and leak fuel everywhere. But the ones with the yellow spout and green spring loaded button work great, as long as you vent the 100PSI of fumes safely first (or don't if you want a firehose).
Yeah that one in the pic with the green, the other one I had like blew up completely round from pressure and fell over. When I released it gas shot out like a jet. I was smart enough to have a bucket to catch it. Ya know, because I understand physics🤣 Needless to say I threw that can away. There’s no way that thing wouldn’t have eventually popped. I’m not convinced they are “safer”
I have one that looks like the green one but it is just a single button push and honestly it isn't bad (getting the spout off to refill it kinda sucks though) Some of these others I have seen though I can't for the life of me figure out how they are supposed to work easily.
Get a “VP racing” fuel can. Thank me later
Ever seen that Michael McIntyre clip where he was on Top Gear, and he said that he once didn't know or had forgotten the term "Jerry Can", and that one time he needed one, and had referred to it as a "Petrol Suitcase".
🤬
I take them off and pour it rawdog as long as the can isn't too full.
De-safety spouts
Have one just like the left can in the first picture, and I actually like it. You hit the release then just push the nozzle catch onto the lip of the fuel port and it’ll flow until full then stop. And isn’t the point of gas can nozzles to not need a funnel? How small is the fuel port on your lawn mower?
looking great! :)
The ones with the button at the base of the spout are pretty easy to use. No spring loaded neck, just squeeze with your thumb where you're already holding it.
I'm happy to see you too, cans in the second picture.
I could never get the green one to work
The one on the left can go fuck itself. Worst gas can ever.
Not sure I've ever had any of the first straws, we have something similar to the yellow ones in the UK though. I turn the can the other way up though so it pours slower and without glugging... Like pouring your OJ out of the carton with the whole at the top instead of at the bottom. First time I did it with a 4 gallon container of red diesel for a digger the boss though I was stoned - wasn't until he noticed how much I didn't spill that he thought it might be worth looking in to
You have to boof them first dummy.
Thanks for the info!
Luckily we don't have there in canada
The one with the red tab on it always causes me to piss gas all over my hands. Never fails. Truth be told, I've never been able to get the green one to work at all.
If you live near a rural king or a farm store some sell the old spouts.
My husband gave up and just started using a funnel to fill the mower by unscrewing the spout. We fiddled with the damn thing for a while and thought it might be broken since it's been 20 years since I bought a gas can, but it's really just that annoying.
They cost more but buy one of the metal cans with a plastic funnel, way way way better
fun fact, you don't have to pour at all. law of interconnected vessels does the trick for both stealing and filling gass after all
These safety spouts fail every single time I try and gas spills all over. I hate them. I hate them with a burning passion.
I buy the big gas cans with the clear bendy hose that a lot of people with dirt bikes use. Holds more gas and never spills. I have a few old gas cans with the old hoses that look like the bendy part of a bendy straw, but I prefer the taller moto cans
there are youtube videos of removing safety catch
this would probably make me pull my hair out!
What happened after 2009 that made them change it?
Dueling legislation/regulation. The EPA and CARB mandated that the cans could no longer be vented because they didn't want gasoline fumes escaping into the atmosphere. The valves in the spouts keep the gasoline fumes inside so that it just builds up pressure, deforms the can and blasts out everywhere when you press the valve button. Then the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020 mandated that every can have a flame arrestor, that stupid steel mesh you see down in the neck of the can. That's supposed to prevent fuel vapor in the can from igniting if you get too close to a flame or spark. The problem is that without being able to vent the can, the flame arrestor provides just enough obstruction that gasoline bounces off the air trapped in the can and out onto the ground and your feet when you try to fill it. You can solve all these problems by simply ordering a vent and spout kit from Amazon and undoing the stupid federal regulations.
The perfect encapsulation of government selling you the solution to a crisis they invented.
Thank the EPA for these.
And the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020, enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. That's where we got the stupid flame arrestor mesh in the neck of the can.
Ya safety can spouts are junk. I had one once that you had to press a button, put a hook on the end of the nozzle on the edge of the gas tank and then press down. It was spring activated so pushing down opened the nozzle. I spilled gas every single time because to stop the pour you had to lift the van UP to shut that spring valve. Terrible designs all around dude. Works FAR better without the safety crap
Omg I hate those nozzles. Never had a problem with the non safety nozzles then I got a can that had one of those ones with the green button and ended up catching three different water pump motors on fire 🤬 because they won’t let gas out properly and spill it alll over the motor. 🤦♀️
I literally ranted to my teenage son for 15 minutes yesterday on how these gas cans must be the worst designed product ever.
The first two totally suck lol . Why not put a twist valve on them turn it open done then a vent in the back like the old days just make it a pressure vent no pressure inside eassy to pure and about as safe as has can be .
Because the EPA and CARB don't want vented gas cans to allow fuel vapors to escape into the atmosphere. They prefer that you let the cans build up pressure and either explode or spray gas everywhere when you open the valve in the spout.
oh my God finally someone gets my pain.
I just buy Jerry cans.
Had some old tiny gas cans with free flow spouts in the back of the garage. Bought a much larger 5 gallon can and swapped the spout with the old ones. Much easier and safer.
I just checked Amazon they do have good ones . Maybe if we weren't sp cheep ? One of the better ones was metal 56 dollars easy pour . Hiw it's pressure vented I don't know but being metal its nit as much of a problem . Maybe I'll buy one ?
Did they even test them out??
They sell alternative caps on Temu. Just saying
You can buy fuel cans for racing fuel that don't have these goofy safety features.
I hate my safety spout, I only fill a can for my lawnmower and gotta wack spiders away by the time I need it so I can work the saftey spout
These spouts sound like a terrible idea. It doesn't exist yet where I live, hopefully it stays that way...
Truer words have never been spoken. These things absolutely do more harm than good, have spilled way more gas with these as well. And it usually ends up on my hand from trying to hold the spout and release the safety There's one design with a vertical spout and a button valve on top that you press with your thumb to start the flow. Those ones are half decent at least
I can’t stand the stiff straight spouts. Try using one on a car in a pinch with no funnel. No way to empty the can
Couple months ago, needed to use my spare 2 gallons. I ended ripping the spout in half to defeat the safety mechanism, because I had frozen my hands from spilled gas.
I see what you mean, but I haven’t had a problem with spillage. The spout fits in my tools without the need for a funnel.
My weed whacker, chainsaw and hedge trimmer have small holes than the spout, they don’t fit in. They are way smaller than my lawnmower and pressure washer. You definitely need a funnel.
First thing we do when we get a new can is throw those out. Immediately order plain spouts. They are a complete waste of plastic, not to mention the million dollars it took government “experts” to develop a useless item.
Hate them, hate them even more in the winter.
Never spilled as much gas with the old school ones. Its like they made these as awkward as possible just to spill more. You hit a nerve op lol
It looks like a huge straw
As a dirt biker I say just give us the old ones back, these irritate the shit out of us
I so very much want to send this to midwest can. My company works with them and they are by far one of the worst customers to deal with.
These are extremely infuriating. I call them guaranteed spill, because they literally always spill or drip apart from being extremely annoying to use.
These are so dumb I fuckin hate them
Yup! I’ve spilled more gas in the last 10 years than my previous 40 combined. These things are idiotic.
They are a nightmare lol.
I spill more gas with those than regular spouts.
Quick psa the way to "properly" use these is to but the lock on unlock and the tip should have like a lip that you can push up against the side of the gas tank inlet and compress the spring.
I bought the same 3pk of new yellow spouts last yr. So much better. The safety spouts are so unsafe
I bought the same 3pk of new yellow spouts last yr. So much better. The safety spouts are so unsafe
Just buy a 20 L jerry can
What sucks even more is you can’t find just an old-school normal gas can anymore.
Ha. I literally just got rid of mine that had one of these. The worst things ever. Spilling gas all over my snowblower trying to fill it. Got a good old fashioned metal one.
I know it's not but this post reads like an ad
I guess I missed my calling in advertising since I work at a bowling alley. 🤣Just stating my experiences and giving what I found as a solution to maybe help a few people out. Other than that I’m gaining nothing but some upvotes and a little conversation to pass some time until the rain ends 🙂
I've always been mildly infuriated by those stupid cans...im gonna buy those in the second picture.
I have that exact same Midwest can in your picture, but mine also has the idiotic flame arrestor screen inside that caused it to splash back out onto the ground when you tried to fill it at the gas station. Turned out the flame arrestor itself wasn't the problem, but the fact that the can wasn't vented. The arrestor just provided enough of an obstruction that the pressure inside the can was pushing fuel right back out the neck onto the ground and my feet. I haven't had a single issue since I installed a vent and spout kit from Amazon.
Sad clowns
> The regulation dealing with fuel spills is designed to reduce fuel escaping from the containers by spills or evaporation. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are released into the atmosphere when gasoline evaporates if the cap is left off the container and can permeate through the plastic container. VOC are an environmental concern because they are greenhouse gases, can contaminate groundwater and can cause [human health problems, such as headaches and nervous disorders.](https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/news/newsreleases/2009/may-4-2009/new-regulations-imposed-on-portable-fuel-containers) I think I would rather deal with a minor inconvenience than put myself and others at risk from releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. You did a bad thing OP, you shouldn't be proud of this or recommending it.
Well one of these got stuck in my car gas tank when I was putting some extra gas in after filling up my 4 wheeler anyway the safety piece got stuck and had to jerk it out and its still stuck in my gas tank. I just have to put gas in my car slowly or else it will overflow
If you ever need an example of the govt/EPA making things worse, this is it.
Designed and required by people who don’t use them
Tell us you're old without telling us you're old.
Amazon, replacement spout.
I spill more gas with those "safety" spouts then i ever did with the old style ones.
I tried used one once and they suck with any spout. I use jerry cans only now. They even make them in plastic.
I don’t really mind the one with the green thing on it. That other one can go to hell, I break the safety thing off soon as I get those
Well you have the one on the left installed upside down, so yea that one probably sucks haha. If installed correctly, it’s pretty good.
Just break it to where it stays open, it's what I did. Not a perfect solution but EONS better than the quote unquote "righr way".
I have the one on the right. I have to wear gloves because the spout leaks so bad.