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June 2006
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Some gas cans pose spill risk

Gas containers
OVERFLOW The No-Spill, above right, and the Scepter might not stop pouring when a gas tank is full.
Anyone with gas-powered yard equipment knows that it can take a deft touch to fill a tank without spilling. We tested four gas containers that promise to shut off gas flow automatically when the level reaches the nozzle tip: the Blitz, the Briggs & Stratton Smart-Fill, the No-Spill, and the Scepter. Such containers are required by law in 15 states and Washington, D.C.

What we found. All passed the current lab test for automatic shutoff, adopted by ASTM International, but the Scepter and the No-Spill didn't work as well under real-world conditions: They overfilled empty tanks of some yard equipment. You can't rely on either to shut off when a tank is full. With the Scepter, you can't even monitor the level in many tanks yourself, since a large collar on the nozzle blocks the view. Therefore, we don't recommend the Scepter. You can use the No-Spill manually if you keep a careful eye on the tank level. If you don't, and rely on the auto-shutoff, prepare to be splashed with gas, as our tester was.

CR's take. New regulations for no-spill gas containers promise to make the problematic auto-shutoff feature obsolete and let the user monitor and shut off gas flow. And the industry recently approved a new standard for child-resistant caps, currently absent from most cans. For now, your first choice for a no-spill can should be the Briggs & Stratton, about $28 at Ace or online at www.briggsandstratton.com . The gas-fill openings in your yard equipment must be at least 11/8 inches in diameter to fit the can's nozzle. A distant second choice: the Blitz, about $9 at several home-improvement chains. It's inexpensive but pours gas very slowly and has a troublesome gasket. Whatever container you buy, never use it to top off a near-full tank. That's apt to cause splashing.