Anyone know where to get 55 gallon drums for feeders in Sweetwater or Abilene? Trying to see what I can come up with before buying them up here and having to haul them to the lease. Thanks in advance for any help.

Some feed stores in my area carry them. Might try Craigslist as a starting place.

Thanks. I did but nothing real recent for Abilene - last one was June 3rd. I may try to contact the only one on there to see if they have more available.

If there are any food processing plants or animal feed plants nearby they may have some barrels they either don't want or may be willing to sell you.
That is how I got my three steel barrels- from a plant that makes horse sweet feed. Mine held 55 gallons of molasses. Got them pretty cheap because the barrel was dented near the top and the lid would not seal properly.

If you make it to Cisco I'll give you one. It has a locking lid and leg brackets.

I guess I don't understand your dilemma, what is the difference in loading them up here and hauling them to your lease or loading them up in Abilene and hauling them to your lease.

Because I am needing around 5 barrels between my brother and I. If I have to haul them from here it limits how much other stuff I can take with me.

Thanks for the offer Novemberyet. Not sure how long before I will be going back down.

DRLZ, ditch any locking, latching lids. In texas, those barrels heat up to very high temps in the Summer and when latched lock'd they start to sweat inside causing clogging up, especially if spin casting protein by chance. I use the slip on large metal lids with lips and they ventilate much, much better.

Thanks. I actually have 2 food grade barrels that were the first ones I built with locking lids but the lids didn't have a gasket and have been fine. I built another one last year and it had a bolt style locking ring and a lid with a gasket. Clogged up and molded all the corn in that one. I have since replaced with the galvanized slip over lid on that feeder. Seems to only be an issue when it has a gasket around the lid surface.

I've actually had the issue with metal barreled non-gasket feeders myself, American Hunter brand. Guess it just depends on how air tight they lock down - the more so the more condensation. No issues since going with the galvanized slip on lids though.

There are a couple places in Weatherford that sell for about $10 3 miles east of court house on hwy 80