6 Best Multi Purpose Funnels For Farm Chores That Old Farmers Swear By
Discover the 6 multi-purpose funnels seasoned farmers swear by. From transferring fluids to grain, these time-tested tools simplify essential farm chores.
There’s nothing more frustrating than watching a stream of expensive feed or fresh oil spill onto the dusty barn floor because you were trying to "eyeball" a pour. A good funnel isn’t just a piece of plastic or metal; it’s a tool that saves you money, time, and a whole lot of cleanup. The old-timers knew that having the right tool for the job makes all the difference, and a small collection of versatile funnels is one of the wisest investments you can make.
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Why a Good Funnel is a Farmer’s Best Friend
A funnel seems like such a simple thing, but it represents a core principle of good farm management: reduce waste. Every spilled cup of grain, every splash of diesel, and every drip of hydraulic fluid is money out of your pocket. A well-designed funnel channels resources exactly where they need to go, ensuring you use what you pay for.
The material of the funnel is just as important as its shape. Cheap, flimsy plastic can crack in the cold or, worse, react with chemicals and contaminate your fluids. Sturdy polyethylene plastic is great for feed, water, and most coolants, while galvanized or stainless steel is the only safe choice for gasoline, solvents, or hot liquids. Using the wrong material isn’t just a mistake; it can be a costly or dangerous one.
Ultimately, no single funnel can do it all. The wide-mouth funnel you use for transferring chicken feed into a feeder won’t fit into the transmission fill port on your tractor. The long, flexible funnel for your mower’s oil change is useless for canning tomatoes. Building a small, curated collection of multi-purpose funnels is the key to handling any transfer chore efficiently.
Hopkins FloTool Super Funnel for Feed Transfer
When you’re dealing with bulk materials, you need a wide mouth and a steep angle. The Hopkins FloTool Super Funnel is the classic solution for moving dry goods like grain, pellets, or seeds. Its massive opening swallows material from a 50-pound bag without choking or backing up.
Imagine trying to fill five-gallon poultry feeders from a heavy, awkward feed sack. Without a proper funnel, you’re guaranteed to have a significant amount of spillage that attracts rodents and wastes money. The Super Funnel rests securely on the bucket or feeder, freeing up both hands to control the heavy bag. This simple tool turns a two-person job into a quick, one-person task.
This funnel’s strength is its simplicity. It’s just a big, tough piece of plastic. While it’s not suited for fuel or hot engine oil, it excels at its primary job. It’s also incredibly easy to clean, making it perfect for switching between different types of feed without cross-contamination.
Lumax Flex Funnel for Awkward Engine Fills
Engine designers don’t always have maintenance in mind. Fill ports for oil, coolant, or hydraulic fluid are often tucked away in the most inaccessible places, making a straight funnel completely useless. This is where a flexible funnel becomes an absolute necessity.
The Lumax Flex Funnel, or a similar model, features a long, corrugated hose that you can bend and shape to navigate around engine parts and frame members. It eliminates the need for contorting your body and hoping you hit the target. The result is a clean fill every time, preventing oil from dripping onto hot exhaust manifolds or belts.
The main tradeoff with a flexible funnel is cleaning. The ridges in the hose can trap residual fluid, making it difficult to flush completely. For this reason, it’s wise to dedicate a flexible funnel to a single type of fluid. Have one for engine oil and another for coolant to avoid contaminating your systems. It’s a small investment to prevent a major mechanical headache.
Behrens Galvanized Steel Funnel for Durability
Plastic has its place, but for some jobs, you need the rugged reliability of steel. The Behrens Galvanized Steel Funnel is the kind of tool that gets passed down through generations because it’s nearly indestructible. It won’t crack if you drop it on a frozen winter morning, and it won’t melt or warp when used with hot fluids.
This is your go-to funnel for transferring fuel. Gasoline and diesel can degrade certain plastics over time, but a steel funnel handles them without issue. It’s also perfect for straining hot lard during butchering or pouring boiling water. Its robust construction gives you confidence when handling potentially hazardous or high-temperature liquids.
While incredibly durable, galvanized steel does require a bit of care. If the zinc coating gets scratched, it can eventually rust, so it’s best to store it somewhere dry. It’s also heavier and more rigid than plastic, but that’s the price you pay for something that will likely outlast the equipment you’re filling with it.
Norpro Stainless Steel Canning Funnel for Jars
A productive farm often means a busy kitchen, and canning is the best way to preserve the harvest. The Norpro Stainless Steel Canning Funnel is a specialized tool that bridges the gap between the field and the pantry. Its wide mouth is designed to fit perfectly inside both regular and wide-mouth Mason jars.
Pouring hot jam, chunky salsa, or pickled beans into a jar without a proper funnel is a recipe for a sticky mess. More importantly, getting food on the rim of the jar can prevent the lid from sealing properly, leading to spoilage. This funnel keeps the rims clean, ensuring a safe, long-lasting seal every time.
Made of stainless steel, it won’t stain from tomatoes or retain the odor of garlic and spices, which is a common problem with plastic funnels. Beyond canning, its wide, short spout is perfect for refilling spice containers, transferring bulk rice or beans into jars for storage, or even measuring out precise amounts of powdered supplements for livestock. It’s a surprisingly versatile tool for any farmstead kitchen.
Lisle Transmission Funnel with Debris Screen
Clean fluids are the lifeblood of your farm equipment. Even a tiny speck of dirt, a piece of chaff, or a flake of rust can clog a fuel injector or score a hydraulic cylinder, leading to an expensive and time-consuming repair. The Lisle Transmission Funnel includes a simple feature that provides invaluable protection: a fine mesh screen.
This funnel is designed with a long, offset spout perfect for hard-to-reach transmission fill ports, but its real value is universal. The brass screen, set at the base of the funnel, catches any contaminants before they enter your machinery. Whether you’re pouring from a dusty fuel can or an oil jug that’s been sitting in the barn, the screen is your last line of defense.
Some might see the screen as an unnecessary extra step, but that’s a shortsighted view. The five seconds it takes to clean the screen is nothing compared to the hours or days of downtime you’ll face if a critical piece of equipment goes down. Using a screened funnel for all engine, transmission, and hydraulic fluids is non-negotiable. It is one of the cheapest forms of insurance you can buy for your machinery.
WirthCo Utility Funnel for Oils and Additives
Sometimes you don’t need a giant, specialized funnel. You just need a basic, reliable tool for everyday top-offs and small jobs. The WirthCo Utility Funnel is the simple, no-frills workhorse you’ll find yourself reaching for constantly.
This is the perfect funnel for adding a quart of oil to the truck, topping off the windshield washer fluid, or pouring coolant into the radiator. Its long, tapered spout fits securely into most standard fill holes, and its simple design is easy to handle and clean. It’s the kind of tool that’s so useful you should have several.
Because they are so inexpensive, it’s practical to own a few and color-code them or label them with a marker for specific uses. Keep one for oil, one for coolant, and another for non-petroleum products like washer fluid or even liquid fertilizer concentrates. This simple system prevents cross-contamination and keeps your fluids pure.
Choosing the Right Farm Funnel for Your Chores
There is no single "best" funnel for a farm. The goal is to build a small arsenal of options so you always have the right tool for the chore at hand. Making the right choice comes down to considering the task from three angles: the substance you’re pouring, the container you’re filling, and the environment you’re in.
Your decision-making process should be straightforward. Start by identifying the material you’re transferring.
- Dry Goods (Feed, Seed): Go for a wide-mouth plastic funnel like the Hopkins FloTool.
- Fuels or Hot Liquids: You need metal. A Behrens galvanized steel funnel is the safe and durable choice.
- Engine & Hydraulic Fluids: A sturdy plastic funnel with a built-in screen, like the Lisle, is essential to protect your machinery.
- Awkward Fills: A flexible spout is the only answer for tight spots.
- Kitchen & Canning: Stainless steel is a must to prevent staining and odor retention.
Don’t overcomplicate it. Start with a basic utility funnel, a large one for feed, and a screened one for your tractor. As you encounter new tasks, add to your collection. A well-organized pegboard with a handful of dedicated funnels is the mark of an efficient farmer who understands that preventing problems is always easier than fixing them.
In the end, the most valuable tools on a farm are often the simplest ones that prevent waste and save time. A good funnel does its job without fanfare, quietly saving you from spills, contamination, and frustration, one pour at a time. Choose them wisely, and they’ll serve you well for years.
