Hopkins FloTool Giant Funnel

It might seem strange that I'm doing a review of a funnel, but after using it a few times I've decided that its worth a few words.

Before buying the funnel I had simply been using the spout on the gas can when refueling. I managed to break the mechanism, though, on one of my cans, the 5 gallon version of this one, which was making the can very difficult to use. Rather than replace the can I decided to just buy a funnel, and pour the fuel straight from the can.

I ordered the Hopkins FloTool Giant Funnel, based on the positive reviews it received. When the funnel arrived I was shocked at its size. Yes, I know the name includes the word "giant", but it was almost comical how large this thing was. I began questioning my decision, and though I should probably have just picked up a cheap funnel at the local auto parts store.

After using the funnel a few times, though, I'm very glad that I made the decision to buy it. I will likely always use it when refueling the RTV, even if pouring from the can with the good nozzle. The gas tank opening on the RTV is poorly located, in my opinion. It is impossible to completely empty a gas can, because the bed prevents tipping the can all the way up. Even with the bed raised, I've not been able to completely empty either of my cans, without the use of the funnel. With the funnel, however, I can easily empty a can. The funnel also makes the task go faster, if I remove the spout from the gas can first. The fact that the funnel includes a mesh filter is also nice, in case there is debris in the gas can, or something blows into the filter while I'm fueling up.

The wide mouth of the funnel make spills very unlikely. Likewise, the size means that the funnel can hold a lot of fuel before overflowing, which is nice when dealing with a full can. Of course I always try to pour the gas at a steady rate, but when wrestling with a full 5 gallon can, weighing in at over 30 pounds, it is sometimes hard to ensure a nice steady flow. This funnel removes the risk of a spill even in those conditions. Considering the low price, I think it was certainly a good purchase.