Coal Bin????

[ThomasPowers]

No power tools: hammer and metal cutting chisel.

[Glenn]

You did not say if the drum you have is metal or plastic.

A 55 gallon drum will hold 400 - 500 pounds of coal.  Put the drum on a pallet to keep it off the ground and cover the top to keep it dry.  Transfer the coal into 5 gallon buckets as needed. 

[George N. M.]

Olive:  You can cut a drum with a chisel or a hand held saw with a metal cutting blade but it is a pig of a job.  Without a cutting torch I'd try to use some sort of reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade.  Also, if your drum originally held something flammable be sure it is completely cleaned out before cutting with either a torch or saw.  There are sometimes residual fumes which can last a long time and can turn a drum into a substantial bomb and are just waiting for a spark or other heat source to go off.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Glenn]

A simple hand held chisel and hand held hammer can cut through the thin metal of a 55 steel drum rather quickly. Look at the geometry of an air chisel for that purpose, the one with a /V\ shape on the end.  If the barrel is plastic, a sharp knife or other type blade, or even a hot piece of steel should go through the plastic in short order.  

Problem with your concept is what size is the hole so you can get to the coal,  and how do you stop the coal from pouring out of a hole that size ?