55 Gallon Barrels $10-20 in the GVRD

[gregzz4]

For those of you that haven't found this guy on craigslist...
He told me he gets them from a guy who makes chocolate, so they are food-grade. They just need a good rinse/wash.
He has more than one add, but this is the one I used. He contacted me through e-mail first thing in the morning.
He has a day job, so you have to live with after-work transactions.

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/pm...735199094.html

I have no interest in this guy's sales, just want you all to find what I had to search for (actually my Wife found it for me )

I bought a blue 55 Gallon plastic barrel today for $15. This one is approx 23" in diameter by 34" tall. Outside is very clean, just some handling dirt or whatever, but not dirty by any means. It probably got dirtier coming home in the back of my truck
There is a label that states it contained 'Super-improved Polydextrose'. I did some research on this and it is a sugar ( and sometimes protein ) additive in foods.
You can do your own research from here on that.
The locking lid was tied off with one of those little inspection tabs that you have to break away before you can pull the top off. This lets us know that nobody else has been inside it. Upon opening the lid I found maybe a cup of the fluid inside. I will report back if I have trouble cleaning it out.
The seller has 3 types for sale. His prices are based on demand/season so now is the better time to buy as they sell for more in the summer due to rainfall.
He has;
-the blue one I bought, with the lock-down lid, and has 2 bungs
-blue with solid top and 2 bungs
-white with solid top and 2 bungs

I chose the removable lid to wash it out well yet keep it sealed and inspect it whenever.
He is near Coquitlam Center and is nice to deal with, especially considering the money he's collecting per sale.
Good luck

[Delphinus]

Man that is a smokin' deal. Wish I was closer. It's on my to-do list to pick up a 55gal, I just about ordered one today but by the time you factor in the lid, a dolly and shipping, the total was up to near $200. OUCH!!!! So $15, dang, I'd get .. 2 or 3 !!!!

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Yup barrels are cheap around here.

[gregzz4]

OMG, you have to be kidding me. $200? I thought $78 was way too much. You can't find any near you?
I wish I could help you out with my truck
To all the rest of you...
I will help you buy one of these, but it will cost you gas money for my guzzling truck.
Costs about $15 round-trip from my place in Burnaby to Richmond and back.

Now that I think about it, it probably cost me $20 in gas to pick up the barrel.
Anyway, still better than $78 from Russel Foods.
The offer is there if anyone doesn't have a large enough vehicle.
Pay my fuel (and maybe a couple of beers )

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

OMG, you have to be kidding me. $200? I thought $78 was way too much. You can't find any near you?

Not that I've been able to find yet. I have been looking though! Rona has 50gal bins but they're like the blue boxes / black boxes the city uses for recycling and garbage pickup, they're square and to move them you have to tip them back onto their wheels. That doesn't work well if they're full of water and I'm not sure if they're watertight anyways with that axle down on the bottom.

In all fairness the one I came close to ordering was about $80 from uline.ca. It was the dolly at $60 that was the luxurious touch that maybe one could do without. The lid too is around $30.

http://www.uline.ca/Product/Detail/H...ootChecked=yes

I've checked other online suppliers (usplastic.com & a few others) but the pricing is all pretty much inline with each other.

I wish I knew someone in the L.M. well enough to ask for the huge favour of just picking one of these up for me and holding it until I came through on my island camping trip but seeing as that's the summer that's kind of too big a favour to ask anyhow. Oh well, some more deals will pop up a bit closer sooner or later. Or I'll get the gumption to suck it up and pay full retail. One or the other.

cheers

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Not that I've been able to find yet. I have been looking though!

It was the dolly at $60 that was the luxurious touch that maybe one could do without. The lid too is around $30.

I've checked other online suppliers (usplastic.com & a few others) but the pricing is all pretty much inline with each other.

Oh well, some more deals will pop up a bit closer sooner or later. Or I'll get the gumption to suck it up and pay full retail. One or the other.

cheers

In a city the size of cowtown there's got to be a source for these things at a reasonable cost! I haven't tried here, but if you know anyone in the grocery business, like a superstore with bulk olives & such, they will often have food safe barrels, since much of the bulk stuff is delivered in them. DIY Beer & wine making businesses will often have these barrels as well. You just need a connection I guess, since selling these barrels is obviously becoming lucrative due to increased demand in the rainbarrel market. The guy in GVRD has obviously cornered a source and kudos to him for selling them at such a killer price.

If you're a bit handy you should be able to DIY a dolly with some casters from a hardware store and a bit of lumber.

[gregzz4]

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/prod...s/Barrel-Dolly

I bought one of these last year for stacking our window-mount A/C units for storage through the winter. Just makes it easy to move them around.
The dolly was only $25, give or take.

The uniseal bulkheads are making me nervous. Thats a lot of water to hold back with a press-fit seal.
Think I'll do some research about mounting one down low.

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

I wish I knew someone in the L.M. well enough to ask for the huge favour of just picking one of these up for me and holding it until I came through on my island camping trip but seeing as that's the summer that's kind of too big a favour to ask anyhow.
cheers

No need...just contact Dan through craigslist. I'm sure he will still have some next summer as he told me his summer prices are higher due to demand.
Just go by his place on your way through as he's only about 15mins off the freeway on the west side of the Port Mann Bridge

BTW, if I had enough space, I'd store one for you

[Myka]

Thanks for the definition Mike! I really had no idea that "bung" was a word. Now I understand what Beavis & Butthead were talking about when they called each other "bungholes".

[smokinreefer]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

-the blue one I bought, with the lock-down lid, and has 2 bungs

is the lock down lid water tight?

the ad says the openings are threaded, so it would be nice to be able to plumb this inline with a sump. know what i mean?