Bulk oil tanks and dispensers - when did they start?

[addyguy]

Just curious if anyone knows when bulk oil tank and dispensing guns came into common use for lube shops?
I’d imagine it was the 1960’s, as car use and the industry got a lot busier. If you watch ‘car service’ videos from the 1950’s, they usually show them opening individual cans.
Just curious…

 

[mrsilv04]

The two brothers that owned the car repair shop in the small town that I grew up in, they would take the little bit of oil that drained out of the quart cans from customer oil changes...and then would use all of the oil that accumulated to change the oil in their own cars and in the tow truck for free.

 

[USask2000]

The two brothers that owned the car repair shop in the small town that I grew up in, they would take the little bit of oil that drained out of the quart cans from customer oil changes...and then would use all of the oil that accumulated to change the oil in their own cars and in the tow truck for free.

Cool story bro. But way off topic.

 

[02zx9r rev2]

No kidding

Must have taken a hell of a long time for this

 

[mrsilv04]

Cool story bro. But way off topic.

Well, they were in no hurry to go to bulk tanks... and lose their free oil.

 

[USask2000]

Well, they were in no hurry to go to bulk tanks... and lose their free oil.

I have an orange cat and a golden retriever dog.

 

[wpod]

I have an orange cat and a golden retriever dog.

My daughter loves cats but for some reason not Orange colored cats.

 

[cptbarkey]

OP, Can you share a video of a 1950s oil change?

 

[Wrenchturner44]

I was told long ago that Alemite was the original company that invented and designed bulk grease and oil dispensing equipt.

And yes they got their start in St. Louis.

www.skf.com/alemite/about/the-alemite-story

 

[wag123]

Just curious if anyone knows when bulk oil tank and dispensing guns came into common use for lube shops?
I’d imagine it was the 1960’s, as car use and the industry got a lot busier. If you watch ‘car service’ videos from the 1950’s, they usually show them opening individual cans.
Just curious…

By the late 1930s they came into widespread use by the military, aviation, construction, and trucking industries. After WWII they started to appear in higher volume service stations and car dealers. They gradually became more and more popular because purchasing oil in 30 and 55 gal drums was (and still is) considerably cheaper and easily paid for the dispensing equipment, not to mention the labor savings.

 

[MadAmos]

Don't overlook not having to deal with disposing all the bottles.

 

[walterjay]

My dad had a pneumatic bulk grease setup in his gas station in the 50's

 

[bdcardinal]

Don't overlook not having to deal with disposing all the bottles.

Its a big deal now, especially in California. They are considered HAZMAT for a producer our size and cannot be thrown away. We have to pay to dispose of them "properly".

Also bulk oil is a giant money loss unless you have a good inventory control system in place. We have 5 bulk tanks, 3 120 gallon one with MC 10w30 diesel and 2 with MC 0W20, a 240 gal with MC 5W30, and a 360gal with MC 5W20. I dip them monthly for our EOM report and they are all over the place. I know its being billed out correctly on our side, but the service side is another story. BTW this isn't just us that it is exclusive to, happens everywhere.

 

[userfriendly]

I leave my empty oil bottles, washer fluid and used oil filters in Walmart shopping carts.

 

[cammyfive79]

Saw this at our dealership the other day; it comes about once a week or so.

 

[Creekside]

Its a big deal now, especially in California. They are considered HAZMAT for a producer our size and cannot be thrown away. We have to pay to dispose of them "properly".

Also bulk oil is a giant money loss unless you have a good inventory control system in place. We have 5 bulk tanks, 3 120 gallon one with MC 10w30 diesel and 2 with MC 0W20, a 240 gal with MC 5W30, and a 360gal with MC 5W20. I dip them monthly for our EOM report and they are all over the place. I know its being billed out correctly on our side, but the service side is another story. BTW this isn't just us that it is exclusive to, happens everywhere.

Yup. It's pretty normal for us to loose a 55 gallon drum over the course of a year from operators coming in and "topping off" something and not writing it down. I have Final Charge Global, ISO46 hydraulic fluid, universal Hygard style fluid, ATF, and gear oil all in barrels. Our 15w40 is in a true bulk tank with a reel and pneumatic pump.

 

[Opelman]

Its a big deal now, especially in California. They are considered HAZMAT for a producer our size and cannot be thrown away. We have to pay to dispose of them "properly".

Also bulk oil is a giant money loss unless you have a good inventory control system in place. We have 5 bulk tanks, 3 120 gallon one with MC 10w30 diesel and 2 with MC 0W20, a 240 gal with MC 5W30, and a 360gal with MC 5W20. I dip them monthly for our EOM report and they are all over the place. I know its being billed out correctly on our side, but the service side is another story. BTW this isn't just us that it is exclusive to, happens everywhere.

I had a coworker who would bring in empty oil bottles from home. Wonder why the bulk 5 30 was running out early? Bulk tanks were around at the beginning of the automobile age. Usually dispensed into glass bottles with a tin spout.