PSA: That 5 gallon bucket trick for catching drips is a trap

Honestly I switched up my whole opinion on using 5 gallon buckets for oil catch pans after talking to a FedEx A&P last week at the parts counter. He said he saw a guy at their hub get his foot trapped when a bucket filled with 3 gallons of skydrol shifted during a brake job. I always thought they were fine since they're cheap and everywhere at the hangar. But he pointed out the buckets have a rounded bottom that can roll on smooth concrete and the handles break if you fill them past halfway. So now I just use the proper 2 gallon steel drain pan from Snap-on. It cost me like 40 bucks but the flat base and the pour spout actually work better. Has anyone else stopped using those home depot orange buckets for anything besides trash? Not looking to argue just curious if I'm the only one who didn't think about it.

2 comments

2 Comments

verawhite1mo ago

Learned that lesson the hard way with a bucket of paint in my van.

mitchell.lee1mo ago

C'mon, a bucket of paint in a van? That barely registers on the disaster scale lol. Spilled a full gallon of latex once and just let it dry, peeled it up like a giant sticker the next day. Unless it was oil-based or you had your whole life in there, sounds like a quick cleanup with a tarp and some rags. People act like a little mess is the end of the world.

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