The word covers three different objects. A true jerry can is the pressed steel container with three handles and a cam lever spout that armies have carried since the 1930s. To most American buyers it means any portable fuel container, which today is usually a moulded plastic can with a compliant self-closing spout. And to anyone with a mower, a boat or a generator, it can also mean a wheeled transfer tank that never gets lifted at all. Buying the wrong one of those three is the mistake that sends fuel cans back. We looked at 8 containers from Eagle, Scepter, No-Spill and more, sorted by material, spout mechanism and how much weight you have to pick up.
Our top pick is the Wavian USA Authentic NATO Jerry Can for its sealed steel body, rust-proof lining and cam lever spout that pours without a spring to fight. Below, the field is ranked on the details that decide whether a can gets used or left in the corner, updated for August 2026. For everything else that keeps a vehicle running, our automotive section is the place to start.
Pros
- Pressed steel body survives outdoor storage and rough handling
- Rust-proof internal lining keeps flakes out of the fuel
- Cam lever cap seals hard and releases in one movement
- Breather design lets it pour at a sensible rate rather than glugging
- Three handle top follows the original pattern for carrying and passing
Cons
- Heavy before you put any fuel in it
- The spout system has to be fitted and stored separately
- Square steel body takes more shelf space than a moulded can
This is the container the whole category is named after. The NATO pattern is pressed steel, welded down the seam, with three handles across the top so one person can carry two or two people can pass one along a line, and a recessed cam lever cap that clamps rather than threads.
The lining is the detail that separates a real one from a decorative copy. Bare steel and modern fuel do not get along for long, and rust flakes travelling into a carburettor or an injector is the failure this design was built to avoid. A rust-proof internal coating means the container is still delivering clean fuel after years of storage.
Pouring is where the old design quietly wins. A proper breather lets air in as fuel leaves, so it pours steadily instead of the glug and burp that defines compliant plastic spouts, and the supplied spout system locks onto the can rather than being held in place.
The honest costs are weight and bulk. It is heavy empty and considerably heavier full, the square body needs real shelf space, and the spout is a separate item to keep track of. None of that matters if the can lives on a rack or in a truck bed, which is exactly where it belongs.
Bottom line: the container to buy if it has to last decades and live outdoors, and the reason the pattern has not changed in ninety years.
- Capacity: 20 litre, about 5 gallons
- Material: pressed steel with rust-proof internal lining
- Cap: recessed cam lever with gasket
- Spout: matching spout system included
- Compliance: EPA and CARB
- Pattern: three handle NATO military design
- Colour: red for gasoline
Buy this for overland travel, a farm, a boat trailer, an off-road rack, or anywhere a container has to sit outdoors and still work in five years. It is also the right choice if you have been through two or three plastic cans and want to stop replacing them. Skip it if the main job is topping up a mower in the garage, where a light two gallon can is far easier to handle.
Never fill a sealed steel can to the very top, since fuel expands as it warms and the headspace is what absorbs it. Store it upright with the cam lever closed, in a ventilated shed or a garage corner away from any pilot light or water heater, because fuel vapour is heavier than air and travels along the floor. Check the cap gasket once a season and replace it if it has gone hard, as that gasket is what keeps the fuel fresh.
Pros
- Thumb button opens the flow once the spout is positioned, with no spring to press against
- Two and a half gallon size is light enough to pour one handed
- Sealed design with no separate vent hole to leak or lose
- Wide base makes it stable on an uneven garage floor
Cons
- Capacity is small if you are filling anything larger than yard equipment
- Plastic degrades if it is stored in direct sunlight
- The button seal is the part that eventually needs attention
The No-Spill is the plastic can that solves the problem everyone actually has with plastic cans. Compliant nozzles normally require you to press the whole weight of a full can down onto a spring-loaded tip to open the flow, at an angle, over something you do not want to spill fuel on. This one separates the two actions.
You put the spout into the filler neck first, then press a thumb button on the top of the can to start the flow and release it to stop. That means the can is already supported and aimed before any fuel moves, which is the difference between a controlled top up and a wrestling match.
The two and a half gallon size is a deliberate part of the design rather than a limitation. Full, it is light enough to hold and aim one handed, which is what you need over a mower tank at ankle height or a chainsaw on a stump. Two of these are more useful than one five gallon can for most yard work.
The compromises are the ones every plastic can shares. It should not live in direct sun, since ultraviolet light eventually makes the plastic brittle, and the button seal is the wear part that will need attention long before the body does.
Bottom line: the easiest compliant can to actually pour, and the default choice for small equipment.
- Capacity: 2.5 gallons
- Material: moulded plastic
- Spout: thumb button controlled flow
- Venting: sealed design, no separate vent hole
- Fuel: gasoline
- Base: wide for stability
This is the garage and yard can: mowers, trimmers, chainsaws, pressure washers, small generators and anything else that gets topped up rather than filled. It also suits anyone who finds a full five gallon can awkward to lift and aim. Look at a larger container if you are carrying fuel for a vehicle, a boat or a long generator run, where refilling a small can repeatedly becomes the chore.
Put the spout fully into the filler opening before you press anything, then use the thumb button to start and stop the flow rather than tilting the can back. Fill equipment on level ground and leave headspace in both the can and the tank for expansion. Store it out of direct sunlight, and if fuel is going to sit for more than a couple of months, add a stabiliser when you fill rather than after the fuel has already aged.
Pros
- Flame arrester screen stops a flame travelling back into the can
- Self-closing lid relieves internal pressure instead of letting it build
- Galvanized steel body suits shop and workplace storage
- F-15 funnel included for controlled filling
- Made in the USA to recognised safety can standards
Cons
- Heavy, and heavier still when full
- The self-closing lid has to be held open while pouring
- Filling and pouring share a single opening
A safety can is a different object from a consumer gas can, and the Eagle is a clean example of the Type I pattern. It exists to satisfy fire codes in workplaces and shops, which is why the features are prescribed rather than chosen: a flame arrester, a self-closing lid and a steel body.
The flame arrester is a fine mesh screen sitting in the opening. If a flame reaches the mouth of the can, the screen absorbs enough heat to stop it propagating inside, which is the specific hazard that turns a spill into an incident. It is invisible in normal use and it is the reason the can exists.
The self-closing lid works on a spring. Let go and it shuts, which means the can is never accidentally left open, and it also relieves internal pressure if the contents warm up rather than allowing the container to swell. The supplied F-15 funnel gives you a controlled path into whatever you are filling.
Type I means one opening serving both filling and pouring, which is the simpler arrangement and the quicker one to fill from. The costs are weight and the fact that the lid needs holding open while you pour, so this is a two handed can.
Bottom line: the pick when the fuel is stored somewhere an inspector might look, or when you want the safety features rather than convenience.
- Capacity: 5 gallons
- Classification: Type I safety can
- Material: galvanized steel
- Safety: flame arrester and self-closing lid
- Included: F-15 funnel
- Colour: red for gasoline
- Origin: made in the USA
Buy this for a workshop, a farm building, a commercial garage or any setting where fuel storage has to meet a code rather than just a preference. It also suits a home garage attached to living space, where the flame arrester and self-closing lid are genuinely worth having. Choose a plastic can instead if the job is carrying small amounts to yard equipment and weight is the thing you notice.
Keep the flame arrester screen clean and never remove it, since it is the feature the classification depends on. Check the lid gasket and the spring action periodically: a lid that no longer closes on its own has lost the point of the can. Store upright, away from any ignition source or appliance pilot, and leave expansion headspace when filling. Ground the can against the equipment when transferring fuel to avoid a static discharge.
Pros
- Self-closing lid with a flame arrester in the opening
- Heavy gauge galvanized steel construction
- Single opening keeps filling quick and simple
- Long established pattern with widely available replacement parts
- Made in the USA
Cons
- Substantial weight, especially when full
- Needs two hands to pour because the lid is spring loaded
- No metering hose, so precise filling of small openings is awkward
Justrite has been making safety cans for a very long time and the Type I is its most familiar product. The construction is heavy gauge galvanized steel and the pattern is deliberately conservative, because in this category the design is dictated by what a testing body will approve.
The self-closing lid is the defining feature. It stays shut unless you hold it open, which removes the possibility of leaving a container of gasoline uncapped, and it doubles as a pressure relief path when the contents warm up. Behind it sits the flame arrester screen that stops a flame propagating into the can.
Type I means one opening for both filling and pouring. That is the faster arrangement when you are filling the can at a pump, and it is entirely adequate when you are emptying into something with a generous opening. It is less pleasant when the target is a small tank in an awkward position.
The practical cost is weight and two handed operation. A full five gallon steel can is heavy, and holding the lid open while aiming it means you have no spare hand. For a static shop where the can mostly gets carried a short distance, that is a fair trade for the approval markings.
Bottom line: a durable, code friendly safety can for shop storage, best paired with generous filler openings.
- Capacity: 5 gallons
- Classification: Type I safety can
- Material: red galvanized steel
- Safety: self-closing lid and flame arrester
- Openings: single, used for filling and pouring
- Origin: made in the USA
This is for a shop, a maintenance bay or a farm building that stores gasoline as a matter of routine and needs the approval markings that come with a safety can. It suits filling from a pump and emptying into vehicles or larger equipment. Look at the Type II version instead if you spend the day metering small amounts into trimmers and generators, where a flexible hose is the better tool.
Decide between Type I and Type II before ordering, since the difference is functional rather than cosmetic: one opening for both jobs, or a separate fill port plus a metering hose. Confirm the colour matches the fuel you intend to store, red for gasoline being the convention. And check that the capacity you choose is one you can comfortably lift when full, because five gallons of gasoline in a steel can is a serious weight.
Pros
- Flexible metering hose gives real control when filling small openings
- Separate fill and pour openings, so the can does not have to be tipped over the target
- FM approved with a flame arrester and self-closing lid
- Galvanized steel body built for shop conditions
Cons
- Heaviest arrangement here once the hose assembly is counted
- The hose is another component to inspect and eventually replace
- Bulkier to store than a plain Type I can
The Type II is the safety can for people who transfer fuel repeatedly rather than occasionally. Instead of one opening doing both jobs, it has a dedicated fill port and a separate flexible hose you direct into the target, so the body of the can stays roughly upright while you pour.
That distinction matters more than it sounds. Filling a generator tank tucked behind a frame, a trimmer with a small opening, or anything positioned over a hot engine is far easier when you are aiming a hose rather than tilting thirty pounds of steel. It also reduces the spillage that comes from misjudging the angle.
The safety features are the same ones the classification requires: a flame arrester in the opening and a self-closing lid that relieves pressure rather than letting the container swell. The FM approval marking is the external evidence that those were verified against a standard.
The costs are weight and complexity. This is the heaviest arrangement in the list once the hose assembly is included, the hose is an additional component to inspect for cracking, and it takes more shelf space than a plain can. For occasional use those costs are not worth paying.
Bottom line: the right tool for repeated metered transfers in a shop, and overkill for a can that gets used twice a summer.
- Capacity: 5 gallons
- Classification: Type II safety can
- Material: red galvanized steel
- Pouring: one inch flexible metering hose
- Safety: flame arrester and self-closing lid
- Approval: FM approved
Buy this if fuel transfer is part of a working day: grounds maintenance, a fleet of small engines, a farm with several machines to keep running, or a shop that tops up equipment constantly. The hose is what earns its keep. If the can spends most of the year in a corner and gets used to fill a mower now and then, the simpler Type I is lighter, cheaper to keep and easier to store.
Fill through the dedicated fill port rather than the hose opening, and let the self-closing lid do its job instead of propping it. When pouring, keep the can on a stable surface at or above the level of the target and let gravity work through the hose rather than lifting and tipping. Inspect the hose for stiffness or cracking each season, and drain it after use so fuel does not sit in the line.
Pros
- Push button spout control rather than a spring you have to press against
- Spout extender included for recessed or awkward filler necks
- Rear handle helps direct the pour without tipping the whole can
- Two gallon size is easy to lift and aim
- EPA and CARB compliant sealed design
Cons
- Rated for gasoline only, so it cannot double for diesel or kerosene
- Plastic needs shaded storage to avoid becoming brittle
- Small capacity means frequent trips for anything larger than yard equipment
Scepter's SmartControl design is the company's answer to the same problem the No-Spill solves, approached slightly differently. A button on the spout assembly controls the flow, so the can can be positioned and supported before any fuel moves, rather than requiring you to push a spring-loaded tip into the filler neck.
The extender is the part worth noticing. Plenty of filler openings are recessed, shielded by bodywork or tucked behind a frame, and a short nozzle forces the can into an angle that makes the pour harder to control. Having a longer reach in the box removes that problem instead of sending you looking for an aftermarket part.
Two gallons is a deliberate size. Full, it is comfortable to carry in one hand and to aim without bracing, which suits mowers, trimmers, blowers and small generators. The rear handle gives a second grip point so the pour is directed rather than dumped.
The limits are straightforward. It is rated for gasoline only, so it cannot double as a diesel can, plastic needs to be kept out of direct sunlight, and two gallons means repeat trips if you are filling anything substantial.
Bottom line: a well thought out small can with the reach problem already solved.
- Capacity: 2 gallons
- Material: moulded plastic
- Spout: SmartControl push button with extender
- Fuel: gasoline only
- Compliance: EPA and CARB
- Handles: main handle plus rear grip
- Colour: red for gasoline
This is the can for someone whose filler openings are awkward: a generator behind a frame, equipment with a shielded neck, or a vehicle with a recessed filler. It also suits anyone who wants a light can that pours under control. Choose a larger container if you routinely carry fuel for a vehicle or a long generator run, and a steel can if it has to live outdoors.
Fit the extender before you start if the filler is recessed, rather than trying to manage without it and correcting halfway through. Seat the spout in the opening, then press the button to begin the flow and release it to stop, keeping the can supported the whole time. Only put gasoline in it, keep it out of direct sun between uses, and leave headspace when filling so warm weather does not pressurise the container.
Pros
- Twelve gallon capacity suits a day on the water without refuelling
- Built-in fuel gauge shows the level without opening the tank
- Two way vented cap manages pressure as fuel warms and cools
- Tall profile fits the lockers and compartments boats actually have
- Integrated pick-up for connecting an outboard fuel line
Cons
- Far too heavy to carry any distance when full
- Needs a compatible fuel line and connector, which is a separate purchase
- Designed as a marine tank, so it is overkill for general yard use
This is a marine tank rather than a gas can, and the differences are all purposeful. The tall narrow profile exists because boat lockers and under seat compartments are deep rather than wide, and a standard flat can wastes that space.
The built-in gauge is the feature that changes how the tank is used. Knowing the level without opening the cap matters on the water, where opening a tank is both awkward and something you would rather not do while under way. Alongside it, an integrated pick-up lets an outboard fuel line connect directly rather than requiring you to decant.
The two way vented cap handles the pressure question. Fuel in a sealed container expands as it warms in the sun and draws a vacuum as it cools, and a cap that vents both ways keeps the tank from swelling or collapsing while still sealing against spillage.
The obvious caveat is weight. Twelve gallons of gasoline is well over seventy pounds of fuel alone, so this is a tank you slide into position rather than carry, and you will need the correct fuel line and connector for your engine, which is not included.
Bottom line: the right tank for a boat with an outboard, and the wrong choice for anything you have to lift.
- Capacity: 12 gallons
- Type: portable marine fuel tank
- Profile: tall, for lockers and compartments
- Cap: two way vented
- Gauge: built-in fuel level indicator
- Pick-up: integrated for outboard fuel line
- Material: moulded plastic
This is for a boat with a portable outboard tank, or for anyone who needs a large reserve that stays in one place rather than travelling by hand. It also works as a standby supply for a generator that sits in a fixed location. It is the wrong choice if you need to carry fuel to equipment around a property, where a two or five gallon can is the tool.
Secure the tank so it cannot slide or tip while the boat is moving, and keep the vent setting correct for whether the tank is in use or in storage. Never fill it completely: fuel expands significantly in the sun and the headspace is what absorbs that. Check the fuel line and connector for cracking each season, and keep the tank out of enclosed living spaces, since gasoline vapour settles low and lingers.
Pros
- Fourteen gallon capacity without ever lifting the tank
- Transfer pump and ten foot hose move fuel to the equipment
- Wheels and a handle let one person move a full tank
- Long hose reaches equipment that cannot be brought to the tank
- One trip to the pump replaces several with small cans
Cons
- Takes up floor space that a stackable can does not
- The pump assembly is the part that eventually needs servicing
- Not portable by hand, so it cannot go where wheels cannot
Above about five gallons, the honest answer stops being a can. Fourteen gallons of gasoline weighs more than most people should be lifting at an angle, so the Flo N Go abandons carrying entirely and puts the tank on wheels with a pump and a hose.
That changes the workflow rather than just the capacity. Instead of filling several small cans at the station and carrying each one to the machine, you fill once, wheel the caddy to whatever needs fuel, and pump. The ten foot hose means the equipment does not have to be moved to the tank, which matters for a mower with a flat tyre or a generator wired into position.
The pump is the component that defines the product and the one to think about. It is a mechanical transfer pump rather than a powered station pump, so filling takes a little effort and a little time, and like any pump it is the part with moving pieces that will eventually want attention.
Storage is the other consideration. This occupies floor space in a way a stacked pair of cans does not, and it needs a route with no steps between where it lives and where it works.
Bottom line: the right answer when the volume is beyond lifting, and unnecessary if you only ever fill a mower.
- Capacity: 14 gallons, about 53 litres
- Type: wheeled fuel caddy
- Pump: integrated fuel transfer pump
- Hose: ten foot delivery hose
- Mobility: wheels with tow handle
- Intended use: mowers, tractors, ATVs and yard equipment
- Colour: red for gasoline
Buy this for a property with several fuel burning machines: a ride on mower, a tractor, ATVs, a generator, or a workshop that keeps a reserve on hand. It is also sensible for anyone who currently makes repeated station trips with multiple cans. It is the wrong tool if you need to carry fuel over rough ground, up steps, or into a boat, where wheels are no help.
Fill the caddy on the ground at the station rather than in a truck bed, and secure it for transport so it cannot roll. Prime and operate the pump at a steady rate rather than forcing it, and watch the target tank rather than the caddy, since the hose makes it easy to lose track. Drain the hose back into the tank after use, store the caddy out of direct sun, and leave expansion headspace when filling.
How to Choose a Jerry Can
Fuel containers are one of the few categories where the regulations shape the product more than the marketing does. These six criteria are what separate the containers here, and the second one is where nearly all the frustration in this category lives.
Steel, Plastic, and What Each One Is For
Pressed steel is the original material and it still wins on durability. A steel can survives being dropped off a tailgate, will not go brittle after years in the sun, and can be strapped to a rack outdoors without degrading. The good ones carry an internal lining so the steel never touches the fuel, which is what stops rust flakes ending up in a carburettor. The trade is weight: a steel can is heavy before you put anything in it.
Moulded plastic dominates the consumer shelf because it is light, it cannot rust, and it is cheap enough to own several. High density polyethylene handles gasoline well, but ultraviolet light is its enemy. A plastic can stored outdoors in direct sun grows chalky and eventually brittle, which is why the sensible place for one is a shaded shed rather than a truck bed.
Galvanized steel safety cans are a third category and they answer a different question. They exist to satisfy workplace fire codes, which is why they carry approval markings, flame arresters and self-closing lids. If fuel is stored in a shop, a garage attached to a house, or anywhere an inspector might look, that approval marking is the reason to choose one.
The Spout Is the Whole Argument
Almost every complaint about modern fuel cans is really a complaint about the spout. Environmental rules eliminated the separate vent hole and required nozzles that close automatically, which is why a compliant can glugs, burps and pours slowly compared to the vented cans people remember. The regulation is not going away, so the useful question is which compliant design is least annoying.
Three mechanisms exist. A spring-loaded nozzle has to be pressed against the filler neck to open, which means holding the weight of a full can at an angle while pushing. A thumb-button or lever design lets you position the can first and then open the flow with one finger, which is far easier on a mower tank at ankle height. A cam lever spout, the traditional military design, simply locks onto the can and pours because the can has a proper breather.
Look also at the spout length and whether an extender is included. Filling a recessed automotive filler neck, a generator tank behind a frame, or an outboard tank under a gunwale needs reach that a stubby nozzle does not have. A can that ships an extender solves that at no extra cost, and a can that does not may need an aftermarket one to be usable at all.
Type I and Type II Safety Cans
Safety cans are classified by how they open. A Type I can has one opening that serves both filling and pouring, with a spring-loaded cap that closes on its own when you let go. It is the simpler design, it is quicker to fill from, and it is what most people picture when they hear the phrase safety can.
A Type II can has two openings: one for filling and a separate flexible metering hose for pouring. That hose gives far better control when you are transferring into a small opening, and it means you are not tilting the whole can over a hot engine. For topping up equipment repeatedly through a working day, Type II is the easier tool.
Both types share the safety features that define the category: a self-closing lid that relieves internal pressure rather than letting it build, and a flame arrester, which is a fine mesh screen in the opening that stops a flame from travelling back inside the can. Approval markings from a recognised testing body are what tell you those features were verified rather than claimed.
Capacity Versus What You Can Actually Lift
Gasoline weighs a little over six pounds per gallon, and people consistently underestimate what that adds up to. A full five gallon can is over thirty pounds of fuel before you count the container, and a steel can adds several pounds more. Lifting that to shoulder height to fill a truck, or holding it steady at an angle while a slow compliant spout drains, is genuinely hard work.
That is the argument for smaller cans in the two to two and a half gallon range. They are the right size for a mower, a chainsaw, a pressure washer or a small generator, they are easy to pour one handed, and two of them are more useful than one large one because you can carry one in each hand and balance the load.
Above five gallons the sensible answer stops being a can at all. A twelve or fourteen gallon container is not something you lift, it is something you wheel, and the designs at that size come with a pump and a hose so the fuel moves without the tank moving. If you are refuelling a boat, a tractor or a fleet of yard equipment, that is the category to look at.
Sealing, Venting, and Fuel That Sits
A fuel container spends most of its life sitting still, and how well it seals decides what is inside when you finally need it. Gasoline evaporates through a poor seal, and the light fractions go first, which is why old fuel starts hard even when it looks fine. A gasket that stays pliable and a cap that clamps rather than merely threads on are what keep the mixture intact.
Sealing works against you in one respect. Fuel expands as it warms, so a rigid, well sealed can left in the sun builds real pressure, which is why a plastic can bulges on a hot afternoon. Steel cans handle this with a breather or a lid designed to relieve pressure, and safety cans are required to. Never fill any container to the very top: leave headspace for expansion.
Ethanol blended gasoline adds a second clock. Ethanol attracts water, and once enough water accumulates the mixture separates into layers that no longer burn properly. Untreated pump gasoline is usually good for a few months in a sealed container, stabiliser extends that considerably, and ethanol free fuel keeps longest of all. Diesel and kerosene both store far longer than gasoline does.
Colour Codes, Storage, and Local Rules
The colour of a fuel container is not decoration. Across North America red means gasoline, yellow means diesel, blue means kerosene, and green is used for oils and mixed fuel. Following that convention is how the next person to pick up the can knows what is in it, and it is what stops diesel going into a gasoline engine on a busy morning.
Where the can lives matters as much as what it is. Fuel vapour is heavier than air, so it settles and travels along the floor toward anything with a pilot light, a water heater or a spark. A detached shed with ventilation is the ideal place, a cool corner of a garage away from appliances is acceptable, and a basement is not.
Local fire codes usually cap how much fuel a residential property may store and require that it sits in approved containers, and those limits vary by jurisdiction. It is worth a look at your own before stockpiling for a storm season. Related gear for boats, generators and yard equipment turns up throughout our sports and outdoors section and the wider category index.
| Type | Best at | Weak at |
|---|---|---|
| NATO style steel can | Durability outdoors, sealing, fast pouring with a cam lever spout | Heavy empty, bulky to store |
| Plastic consumer can | Light, rust proof, easy to own several | Degrades in sunlight, compliant spouts pour slowly |
| Galvanized safety can | Fire code approval, flame arrester, self-closing lid | Heaviest option, slower to fill |
| Wheeled transfer tank | Volume without lifting, pump and hose included | Needs floor space, not portable by hand |
Why You Should Trust Us
We build these lists from published specification and from the pattern of what long term owners report, rather than from marketing copy. For every container here we looked at the material and any internal lining, the spout mechanism and whether an extender is included, the stated capacity against the weight it produces when full, the sealing and pressure relief arrangement, the approval markings where the maker claims them, and the fuel the container is rated to hold.
We set aside near identical listings that differ only in colour or bundle, so each entry is a genuinely different container rather than another route to the same product page. Where a listing offers several variants under one page, we say which variant the entry refers to, because in this category the wrong variant is a different product.
Final Thoughts
Best overall is the Wavian USA Authentic NATO Jerry Can. It is the design the whole category is named after, built in pressed steel with a rust-proof lining, a proper breather and a cam lever spout that locks on and pours at a sensible rate. It survives outdoor storage that would ruin a plastic can, and it is the one to buy if this container has to last for decades rather than seasons.
Best value is the No-Spill 1405 2.5 Gallon Gas Can. Its thumb button opens the flow once the spout is already in the filler neck, which removes the wrestling match that defines most compliant cans, and the two and a half gallon size is the one you can actually pour one handed over a mower tank. For a garage that just needs fuel for small equipment, it is the sensible default.
For specific needs, the Eagle 5 Gallon Type I Safety Can is the pick where fire code approval matters, the Justrite Type II Safety Can is the one for repeatedly metering fuel into small openings through a working day, the Scepter 12 Gallon Marine Gas Can is built for a boat with its tall profile and built-in gauge, and the Scepter Duramax Flo N Go is the answer when the volume is too much to lift and a pump and hose make more sense than a handle. More vehicle and yard picks are indexed across our article archive.
Jerry Can FAQs
What is the difference between a jerry can and an ordinary gas can?
Strictly, a jerry can is the pressed steel military pattern container with three handles across the top, a recessed cam lever cap and an internal breather tube, originally designed so two people could pass one along a line or one person could carry two. In everyday American use the phrase has widened to cover any portable fuel container, including moulded plastic ones. The practical difference is that the original pattern seals better, survives outdoor storage, and pours faster because it vents properly, while a plastic can is lighter and cheaper to own in quantity.
Why are modern fuel can spouts so difficult to use?
Because regulation removed the separate vent hole and required nozzles that shut automatically, both aimed at cutting evaporative emissions and spillage. Without a vent, air has to come back up through the same opening the fuel is leaving, which produces the glugging and the slow pour. The designs that handle it best let you open the flow with a thumb button or a lever after the spout is already in place, rather than requiring you to press the whole weight of the can down onto a spring. A can that includes an extender also helps, since a longer spout keeps the can at a better angle.
How long can gasoline sit in a container before it goes bad?
Untreated pump gasoline in a well sealed container is generally usable for around three to six months, and the failure is gradual rather than sudden. The light fractions evaporate first, which is why old fuel is hard to start on, and ethanol blends additionally attract water until the mixture separates into layers. A fuel stabiliser extends the window considerably, ethanol free fuel keeps longer still, and diesel and kerosene both store far longer than gasoline. Rotating fuel through the equipment that uses it beats storing it for a year and hoping.
Can I store diesel or kerosene in the same can as gasoline?
Use separate containers and follow the colour convention, which across North America is red for gasoline, yellow for diesel, blue for kerosene and green for oils. This is not fussiness: the consequences of putting the wrong fuel into an engine range from an expensive repair to a ruined injection system, and the colour is the only cue anyone gets at a glance. Containers are also rated for specific fuels, so a can sold as gasoline only should hold gasoline only. Our automotive section covers the maintenance gear that goes with them.
Are metal cans actually better than plastic ones?
They are better at different things rather than simply better. Steel wins on durability, sealing, resistance to sunlight, and pouring speed when the can has a proper breather, which makes it the right choice for a container that lives outdoors, travels on a rack, or has to last for decades. Plastic wins on weight and on cost, which matters when you are lifting the thing repeatedly or want several sizes around the yard. Galvanized safety cans are a separate answer again, chosen for their approval markings and flame arresters rather than for convenience.
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