Burn Barrel

[trader]

I have an old 55 gallon drum that I use as a burn barrel for paper and wood, and I'm thinking about building a pit. Do you think it's better just to leave it the way it is, or would a pit be safer?

[hydethebeef]

Steel drums make the best fire pits because when you burn in them they tend to make less smoke. Can you cut the barrel down to turn it in to a fire pit?

[Grandpa]

Burn barrel is much better than a pit. Cut some holes in the bottom of the barrel so it can vent air in. You can't get enough air into a pit to get a thorough burn of the trash.

[CozInCowtown]

Here in my area there is still a burn bann in place so it all goes in the garbage.

[hummingbird]

We use a burn barrel for all trash we can. That is after the recycling of all plastic, glass, newspaper, magazines and assorted items we can recycle. The newspaper is recycled on the garden as wet newspaper to mulch for weeds and for the chickens to scratch around in.

[campclose]

Its illegal here for burn barrels too. We use a burn pit. I think barrels are safer though. Easier to contain the fire in a steel barrel over an open burn pit.

[oldsarge]

These are kind of pricey, but you can get a great look at what a good design is for a burn barrel.

Burn Barrel Replacement, Absolute Best Home Incinerator Technology Available

http://www.drpower.com/prdsell.aspx?Name=burncage

http://kennysburnbarrels.com/

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Burn-Barrel

[Grandpa]

Originally Posted by oldsarge

These are kind of pricey, but you can get a great look at what a good design is for a burn barrel. Burn Barrel Replacement, Absolute Best Home Incinerator Technology Available

Burn Barrel - BurnCage Home Incinerator - DR Power Equipment

Yep, pricey but very efficient. The forced air from the bottom really raises the temps, something you can't do in a pit. Instead it just smolders from the top down, making a stink and taking days to burn what would take minutes in something like this.

[ChadTower]

I grew up with a trash chimney in the yard. 4' tall brick enclosure with an opening at the bottom for air intake. Of course, back then where we were, there was no collection of any kind so we burned anything we could get to ignite in the chimney.

[Marshmallow]

We had a burn barrel when I was growing up, but I'd forgotten all about them. I can remember how things in them would explode as they burned. Back then we just dumped everything into the barrel. Who knows what went up in smoke?