Is the new fuel keg 1lb tank worth it? 

I just order a 5lb cylinder from Flame King.

I cringe, shutter & tremble at all these "how to refill..." videos that fail to have the continuously blinking text on the screen "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME." There is a reason it's against the Law and it's Not because the manufacturers fear they'll lose sales. At least do it with the tank AND NOT YOU inside an explosion berm. And please don't sell or give me one of your refills. Been there, done that.

This is why a scale and not going over 1lb is so important. The disposal colmans are just that. Not made to refill. Just because you can and get away with it on some don't mean the all are fit to be recharged. Take nothing for granted. Someone's life may be at risk including your own. I have seen them blowup! And actually hurt someone very badly. I don't scare easy. Lets just say that day i learned a valuable lesson. I don't want to be disabled because i was stupid.

@@Iknowonlywhatimtaught An empty cylinder weighs around 1lb.

Probably knock out the restriction filter in the home made one to make it fill faster

Absolutely. I have a video on this

Well I ordered the one that showed the plastic end and was sent the brass end twice. Was pretty disappointed

They also say theirs will fill faster, because they want you to buy theirs. : )

Yea I've had them new tanks leak from the factory after being used a little bit.

1 pound

He's filling them till liquid comes out, so the only relevance would be comparing it to it's advertised capacity. They have a short dip tube that is set to the fill height, which is a physical verification that the liquid level is at the bottom of the dip. If it's squirting steady, it's there. If you cut it before steady stream, you'll have less. If you were to continue, it would just keep squirting propane out. Pressure inside the bottle and tank being equalized won't allow much more at all, unless there's a temperature differential, and you give it a lot of time, but that's exceeding the manufacturer's specification. Buy the one that has the features you like and advertises more capacity, if that's important to you.

or a cheap, tiny neodymium magnet also helps to keep from losing that key

The limiter is built into the valve. Sheesh.

Good move , I used throw away one for refilling for 20 years, I have never seen a bad one..😊

@originaLkomatoast Good to know.

I tested this in the new video and that's not a problem at all

I have a new video coming out this weekend showing that more in depth. Fuel keg is way safer

Where can I buy the Fuel Keg?

@kendavis9832 only place I have seen them so far is in the Midwest at a store called menards

​@@JDSOutdoorsThat makes Menards sound legendary.

@@JimmyNewCakes Menards stocks *many* items you cannot even special order from Home Depot or Lowes, and Menards prices are almost always lower on standard building materials.

Thats awesome to know. My 60c a refill guess was pretty close then.

@@JDSOutdoors yes! I figured out it only cost $1.87 a day to heat my 144 sq ft yurt

@CrackerFL not bad at all. There was a yurt down the road that was just for sale. It was tempting

@@JDSOutdoors lots of head space in a yurt. I made it with tarps. Square one on top, then wrapped square tarps around sides. Put clear 4-6 mill plastic over top of tarp to prevent roof leaks. I don't know if yurt you are looking at is tent or house yurt. If house yurt, check building code on YOUR lot! Check what it would cost new. Ask why they are selling.

@CrackerFL it was a larger yurt I don't remember how many square feet but it was wood and canvas like the yurts you see on TV etc. It was for sale for 160k on 5 acres with well and septic. 2021 build selling because it was a failed air bb because this is not a good area for that.

Yea but that's not what I ordered and not what the description says. Not once but twice. I do like the way you think to bad our forklift is electric lol

With forklift cylinders you don’t have to flip them.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't do this when I started at 5am and was the only one there

😂😂😂

Terrible advice

Mr heater ends for both thr 1lb and the 20lb sides then it's all the plumbing department for brass pipe after. Super easy at the big box stores.

I was thinking the same thing, to see how much propane actually is in each brand tank.

Over the years I've tracked refilling my "disposable" propane tanks (they work pretty much just as well for many cycles, and this vid gives away one great thing to have with them, and that's the brass cap with gasket to prevent any leaks). If that's any example of predicting where these bottes end up, the care in which any propane bottles are filled is pretty much the thing that dictates the end fill weight. I have ended up with 0.8 to 1 lb fills fairly consistently. I don't mind the 'light bottles, since I carry several spares.

Yea I thought of that after but I'm guessing they hold a little more than a lb ea

​@@JDSOutdoors The volume of the tank determines how much liquid it can hold with 20% head space.

My flame kings hold an ounce or 2 extra.

Flame king holds a full pound. The actual capacity is larger to include the 20 percent head space.

@@jimbo5635 Physically it's ill-advised to fill any cylinder with liquid beyond 80% of it's actual volume.

Agree 100%

Not that long for me but ya no problems with leaking or anything

I've had the Coleman tanks leak when brand new. I don't like wasting propane

The issue is they can be over filled and then explode due to changes in temperature and thermal expansion. Practically speaking the only way you could do that is venting the bottle while filling. Otherwise there will always be some gas in the bottle and never completely liquid. They do tend to leak too if used more than a few times in my experience.

@@court2379 The 1 lb tanks have a pressure release valve on the top side of the tank, if the pressure gets too high in the tank the valve simply relieves the pressure, it doesn't explode! If you fill it correctly and don't put more than 1 lb of propane in it it will not get into an overpressure situation. I release any gas that may be in the tank before filling, the first fill usually only puts about 9 or 10oz in it, (I check it with a scale) I then unscrew it and use a tool I made from 3/16" steel rod to press the center valve open to vent some of the air, then refill it until I get a full pound in it. It takes a little practice to get the hang of how much to let out, but you will get it, if it's got more than a pound in it relieve some to bring it back to 1lb. Some of my little tanks I have re-filled 30 or more times, like I said, with no problems. The only thing I look out for is rust, if one gets too rusty around the bottom corners I ditch it, sometimes the inner part of the nozzle where you screw the tank in gets some rust, I steel wool that off, blow it out good and wipe some oil on it.

@@samTollefson I was trying to remember the reasons it is illegal to refill them, and recall that being one of them. Probably mostly fear mongering. Looking into it again they do say that is still a risk. That the valve isn't designed to be used many times and sometimes sticks. Though the more likely scenario is it sticks open and vents much or all the gas. I haven't had issues with it, but the main valve in the center sticks open in my experience.

Thank you. I'm glad I found them as they are hard to find at the moment.

@@JDSOutdoors Just saw that Menards now has them in stock.

Watch other videos. Gas will not escape. The "button" inside the neck he shows at 5:34 has to be depressed, then the side key turned.

@@joegrycowski211 thanks

@@RoyDees-t2k the only danger would be refilling inside your house really

The FAQ on menards provides an answer: "Q: What happens if I turn the ring when the Fuel Keg is not connected to the refill tool? A: The ring is used to open the bleed valve as part of the refill process and works in conjunction with a secondary probe on the refill tool that opens an internal valve. No propane will escape the tank via the bleed hole if the ring is turned to the open position when the Fuel Keg is not connected to the refill tool."

@@philiptong4978 Thanks for the info! Wish I had a few of these refillables here in the EU. Worked for a friend who ran a camping supply and RV store back in the states. Did refills on 20 and 40 gallon propane tanks back in the day that were used on RV campers. Back then they had bleeder valves we had to open to properly fill them. That ring makes it a lot easier instead of looking for that tiny hex wrench used on the other brand.

the good news is that Mr. heater created a safer, fool proof product, working like a firing pin block, but the mechanism obviously require matching protrusions on the connector, unlike the flame king system which is more of a deterrent to use disposable cylinders covering reasonable social responsibilities

I've seen 2 pks of the single use Colemans up to 10 bucks now so after 3 uses they pay for themselves. 17 is steep but if you use them often it's a no Brainer to me.

It's good to be back. String of issues and loosing my editing software put a damper on things. Going to try pump some stuff out here again. I missed it

After refilling the 1 lb. tanks dose them with soapy water and look for bubbles. The leakage could also be due to how you refilled them. Some people pull on the overpressure vent tab to bleed air, but that is unnecessary because all you need to do is to depress the valve at the collar with a small hex wrench.

@@badweetabix thats how i do it, and the tanks were only used once didnt expect them to leak but

In the brand new flame king tank there is no propane, they come pressurized with a bit of air.

Now that makes sense

How can you tell that valve in inside the tank though??? I have a tank that seems to do that. Also I can’t figure it out. ??? is there any printing on the top of the tank that identifies it that way???

@@Scotty2hotty-xc6gi The handwheel is a easy way to tell. Old style POL valves have a handwheel that looks like what you'd find on a water faucet. Newer OPD valves have a triangular shaped handwheel, and the float valve internally that only let propane out if the bottle is upright.

@@butchs.4239 Thanks for the info Butch. Yes, I appreciate it.

I live in MO also and using Blue Rhino tanks, I've had no issues filling the Flame King tanks. However, I've heard that said about the feature you're mentioning. I just have my 20# tank refilled so I keep it instead of exchanging.

The video clearly shows a tank with the triangular knob, and its working perfectly upside down. I doubt the manufacturer (Mr. Heater and Flame King) would produce a product like this that requires an ancient style tank that is no longer available.

Yes, and I found that a t8 torx screwdriver had a good, tight fit that wasn't going to strip the hex screw.

Genius idea

To confirm whether or not Flame King fills faster than Fuel Keg, I'd suggest running the test again twice, swapping the fill order for the second test, or even just filling sets of three in this order: Flame King, Fuel Keg, Flame King; or Fuel Keg, Flame King, Fuel Keg.

Oh buddy it makes all the difference

It helps keep the propane in a liquid state and will fill up faster and you may not have to vent cylinder.

@ramrod175 no venting required correct

They leak when new so best of luck

@@JDSOutdoorsI've never had a problem and you can check them with soapy water. Are you really saying the new ones leak? 🤣

@Vera-xu3xw 100% they can. Put one in a heater and take it off half full. If you do that 10x I bet ya 1-2 of them leak out slowly. Personal experience..

No need to do that with these. The freezer trick was only for refilling the non refillable tanks

@@JDSOutdoors It still helps. Propane is liquid at minus 40. Dry ice would be even better. They will fill faster when cold & if you weigh them you'll probably see you can get a little more in them when cold.

@marksparks8852 it's liquid in the tank at any temp. In the video when you see the tank squirting that's liquid propane coming out.

@@JDSOutdoors It is, but if you do a timed test on a cold tank verses a warm tank I think you'll see the cold one fills faster. If this kind of thing interest you, you can look up graphs of the triple point of gases , liquids, & solids at various temperatures & pressures .

If you can fill a tank in one minute and 15 seconds, you can complain about that😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Probably not, some material costs have gone up but so have shipping costs from China have gone up. Another issue is that most everything that is sold on Amazon is grossly overpriced and they have your attention by having it available. That is not always the case many things that are advertised on some of the channels here are mostly unavailable with no timeframe as to when they will be restocked IF THEY RESTOCK THEM. Amazon should delete the item from their databank u;till they receive them in stock, it’s a waste of all of our time searching.

Yes you can. I've also had brand new disposable tanks leak from the get go

@@JDSOutdoors same here, which is why I always leave my torch head screwed onto them all of the time.

Refilling the one use tanks is not illegal. Transporting in a vehicle on roads comes under DOT. It is illegal to transport them. If someone gets hurt while transporting, up to $50,000 and 5 years jail. If someone dies, up to $100,000 and 10 years jail.

@@KevinCoop1 I've heard this mentioned many times, but I've never seen a citation to any rule that would apply to non-commercial vehicles. Do you have any idea where to find such a reg or law?

Also, it’s more than the leaking that makes these tanks hazardous to refill. The steel is thin in comparison to refillable tanks. The stresses of repeated expansion from refilling could cause a failure in the tank. Not that it will happen but it would be more likely than a thicker tank designed for repeated expansion.

I haven't heard

details can be found on Flame King web site, search for "1 LB Recall Notice - Flame King"

No it had inside threads like the plastic fitting does. But it physically does not fit over the threads as it's machined completely wrong

Buy a lottery ticket

I weigh mine. Empty, they weigh about 1lb

Never heard of one blowing been filling same old green ones about 5 hrs occasionally 1 will leak after filling then I change it out.

There is a snorkel tube built into the can so you can only fill to 80%

It's pretty stiff and you have to turn it up hill to move it

Unless the Tap is connected the Fuel Keg Valve will not allow any propane to escape, so much safer than the Flame King design

When you remove the filler valve the pin is no longer depressed in the cylinder top and will not allow for it to vent even if you turn the bleed valve.

I completely agree, but it is also true that many single use tanks are painted a dark color. Looks like fuel Keg would have selected something much lighter, if only for marketing.

@@hgj2019 I totally agree, the dark color makes them hard to spot when they are stored in a dark spot. So I like the flame king reusable bright green , they work really well.

@@Flipper20 true. I also have concerns about them getting too hot if left in the sun.

I haven't had any problems just Refilling my regular 1 lb bottles using a hose with a ball valve . Refillable bottles are way over priced.

@@pstoneking3418 good for you!

You bring up a dam good point. It does take some strength and dexterity to turn so hopefully by the time the child is strong enough to do so they are smart enough not to etc. But I do see the possibility for a lawsuit there for sure.

@@JDSOutdoors I got the chance to see one of the Fuel King tanks today. It is somewhat hard to turn the valve on them. It is a quarter turn with a ramped step. I am now fairly sure that a kid would probably let go of it before they got it turned on completely. Originally I thought the ring was unscrewing the valve like the Flame King. Thank you for this video. Thank you for also noting/recommending the brass caps. I ordered a Flame King and four extra tanks. My gut feeling is that they may be a little safer that the Fuel Kings. I keep everything stored safely outside but sadly many people only have their apartments, attached garages, and homes to store their tanks. Thank you again

@dalewatkins8694 thanks man I appreciate it. This is exactly why I made the video

@@JDSOutdoors I just wanted to let you know that I saw another video that showed the fuel keg tanks. It appears that there is an interlock or something the only allows the the tank to bleed off when it is attached to to the tank filler. You should be able to turn the ring and cam it up and it should not release any gas.

The Fuel Keg valve will not allow any propane to escape unless the fuel tap is connected......

A t-handle Allen wrench works better and is easy to keep up with.

The tooless vent valve on the fuel keg will only open while connected to the refill adapter.

You can use other fill valves to fill them However they won't get completely full and it takes forever to fill them.

It's fairly stiff so I wouldn't think so

Even if it does get caught it will not vent due to the safety pin in the valve not being depressed.

Na that one won't get these full

Same with the flame king as well. Both need there valves to fill properly

I bought a fuel keg just to see i could refill with one of those old valves they sell to refill the 1lb coleman tanks that I've been using for years. I put the fuel keg in my freezer for an hour and was able to refill it the same way I do my 1lb Coleman tanks. I kept the "bleeder valve" shut off the whole time, and it filled up beautifully. Im going to buy another 1-2 and see if i replicate. If it works, my conclusion will that these can be filled up just like any old 1lb Coleman and that you don't need that annoying proprietary valve, so long as the Fuel Keg tank is colder than the 20lb source you are filling from

I’m not sure but have read comments that the bleed valve will not let air/vapor escape when opened when disconnected from the filler which while attached to tank depresses something. I think when you detach the filler, a safety feature like a spring valve rises back up stopping the bleed valve from allowing leakage in any position. This is only a guess but makes sense to me.

The Fuel Keg ring will not activate anything unless the tap is connected, so waay more safe than the Flame King model

​@@jeffkerner3961No, they are both safe in that regard. I wish everybody would stop repeating this over and over and over.

Not at all ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kBWvMTkoaOo.html

No this just helps get the tank as full as possible. I also vent buffer tanks when I fill them

@@robertcromwell9736 it can't. I made a video on it

@@JDSOutdoors I saw you easily rotate it by hand and gas escape. I must have missed something.

@jameskelly4494 always good to have a 2nd tank I'm not sure what a joe is

Similar results as me

You should spell check your comment before submitting..lots of errors but I figured out what you tried to say lol 😂