Buckets for Storage

Susan. I am glad you got the lid on,but by turning the bucket upside down upon the lid, wouldn't whatever is in the bucket come out??? Or did you just put a lid on an empty bucket? Missing something here.

Take some time and look around...find a local plastics manufacturer....I found one in Phoenix....buckets with sealed lid...8.99...way cheaper....love honeyville...but 19 bucks come on.

In response to Chets comment on the 5 gallon buckets available at Lowe's. I spoke to the Corp. Buyer handling the buckets you mentioned and was told they were made in China and were NOT food grade. I also got a similar response from Home Depot, there buckets are US made but again in speaking to the buyer as well as the manufacturer neither would confirm food grade. I hope this will help.

The Gamma bucket lids are very easy to seal if you know the trick to it. As stated in another post, just seperate the two lids pieces and use a rubber mallet to attach the bottom rim. Then simply screw the center rim in.

These types of lids are difficult to seal but you know it is sealed! That is the important thing. I start with the lid tilted and work my way around with a large rubber mallet, I have even used a large hammer and a board. Whack the board while in contact with the lid - it goes right on. I might mention that Lowe's has similar buckets that are food grade in the paint department $5-$6 bucket and lid! They are a bit smaller in height but are 5 gallons!

So I struggled with the gamma lid ring and thought, "there has to be a better way!" So I layed out a towel and put the ring down and placed the bucket upside down on top of the ring. Then I pressed my weight on it.. knees, hands, even sat on it! LOL, it popped right into place!

This is for Toni, who had trouble sealing the lids. I had no idea how to do it, either, so I e-mailed the company and Chris Odantje (bless his/her heart) e-mailed me the instructions. That was two or three years ago, and the regular lids that come with the buckets now ARE impossible to seal. What I did was order one of the gamma lids. (You have a choice of lids when you order the bucket.) The gamma lid comes in two parts, so you just unscrew the top from the ring. You put the ring on the top edge of the bucket, hold it down (hold it tight!) with one hand, and use your rubber mallet to hammer it down. You have to work around just the edge of the ring, and you have to go around it two or three times to make sure it's secure, but it'll work. When you have the outer ring beaten down, you can take the top and screw it back into the ring. Not only is it easier to put on than the more recent one-opiece lids, it's easier to open when you want to take something out of the bucket or put something into it.

It's not immediately obvious if you've never used these types of buckets before. But there are holes around the bottom edge of the lid. If you get a cutter, like a pair of hardy wire cutters (or, if need be, a hacksaw), and cut through the plastic where these holes are, it becomes significantly easier to open and close the lid. If you can't figure out how to do it, don't bother. I don't want you ruining the lid and blaming me. When I cut mine, some of the holes had a little bit of plastic covering it, but you could still see where they were. Even with this, it takes a bit of effort to open and close, but it's still much easier. No one else mentioned this, so I thought I'd bring it up. I've been using these types of buckets since I was a kid. I used them for joint compound for putting up sheet rock. If you don't have a good seal, the joint compound dries up. They still seal just fine, but they're easier to use.

Excellent buckets when I bought them a few years ago, but a little on the expensive side now. Use a 2x4 piece cut 3-4" bigger than the diameter of the bucket then use it to place over the lid (placed on the bucket with contents and O2 absorbers in place) and pound on both sides of the 2x4. Repeat this process all the way around the lid till it is sealed tightly. This is a tried and true easy method to seal these buckets long term. Don't forget to purchase the plastic tool to open the buckets too.

While these buckets take some effort to seal they are well worth that effort! I've had grains stored in these buckets for years (with the oxygen absorbers) and the grain is as fresh as the day I sealed them!

I too had difficulty getting the lids on, but that is because the seal is so heavy. These are meant for long term storage and I know they are sealed. I used a heavy rubber mallet and really went at the edges of the lid all the way around. You can tell when the seal is made.

I just pounded on the lid for half and hour trying to get it to close. I am so aggravated. I can't seem to read prior reviews to find out if anyone had this problem and how it was solved. Stay away from this product