I'm happy with my Hyper Tough drain pan from Walmart in every way...the one where you drain into the side then tip it up like a gas can. I've had two or three of them... it's a good design, it holds a lot, stores easy...the quality is just terrible. The lid doesn't really seal, and the vents never really snap shut right, and they are basically built as cheap as you could possibly imagine, which what do you expect for $11. But is there an oil drain pan like this but better quality?
Good oil drain pan
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4wd
$50 site donor 2026
I don’t like the closed in versions - too much splash - use a funnel to pour cool oil back in a jug
I've got a Oreally's 24 quart thing that works pretty good. I never clean it, just leave it in the shed to let the oil run down into into it for a few days before doing anything with it.
PimTac,
funny that you use that one too. I bought a similar one at the Dollar $tore or BigLot's about, no lie, ~35 years ago and I still have it. The one I have is really thick rubbery/flexible plastic. The new ones I see today are thinner and would melt/warp with HOT OIL.
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PimTac,
I know what you mean. I used to have something like that as well. Paid 99¢ for it at a dollar store.
Now if I was changing oil a lot I would get something more durable.
I have one similar to the link below but no "top" on it. I have had it for probably 20 years...? Mine is wide open and holds ~3-1/2 gallons of oil. I empty mine into 5 quart oil jugs to take my used oil back to Walmart. If I don't have any 5 quart jugs I store mine tipped up into a funnel that drains into a 5 gallon bucket. I used an old oil bucket from my truck.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/FloTool-15-Quart-Oil-Drain-Pan/20440558
just my $0.02
https://www.walmart.com/ip/FloTool-15-Quart-Oil-Drain-Pan/20440558
just my $0.02
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2026
I have a FloTool one back when Walmart still sold that brand. I think mine is a 25 quart one or something like that. It’s hard to lug around when it’s full of oil. I like the ones like the style we have at work for use on the ground with the open top so no splatter or not as much. That’s one I’d buy if in the market for it.
I use the Disposo-oil jug. https://www.walmart.com/ip/FloTool-Hopkins-11849-Dispos-Oil-Recycle-Oil-Jug/20440560
I lost the cap somehow but found a cap from a half gallon lemonade that fits even better than the original cap.
Concrete/mortar mixing tub found in the masonry isle at Home Depot. Very sturdy black plastic. Rectangular shape, open tub. They offer a very large one also. Mine is called medium. 7 bucks.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Medium-Mixing-Tub-26100/301943161
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Medium-Mixing-Tub-26100/301943161
I've gone round and round with this from pans to specialty containers to jugs.
The problem around here is that if they're full or just really busy they'll ask you to just leave your jugs and they'll pour them later. Thus I learned to try to avoid anything you want back.
For awhile I would drain into an open pan then pour into 5 qt (or larger ala HDEO) with a funnel. But I've got a 2-post and figured out might as well skip a step and just put the funnel straight into the final disposal jug, draining straight into that.
I do also have a 5 gal bucket that once housed gear oil or hydraulic oil. At first I thought I was clever because it would consolidate several 5qt containers into one. But, I want it back which is at times problematic. AND to be honest if it's 100% full it's hard on my already-microdiscectomied (L4/5) lower back.
TL;DR: reused 5qt jugs that you're not attached to FTW
The problem around here is that if they're full or just really busy they'll ask you to just leave your jugs and they'll pour them later. Thus I learned to try to avoid anything you want back.
For awhile I would drain into an open pan then pour into 5 qt (or larger ala HDEO) with a funnel. But I've got a 2-post and figured out might as well skip a step and just put the funnel straight into the final disposal jug, draining straight into that.
I do also have a 5 gal bucket that once housed gear oil or hydraulic oil. At first I thought I was clever because it would consolidate several 5qt containers into one. But, I want it back which is at times problematic. AND to be honest if it's 100% full it's hard on my already-microdiscectomied (L4/5) lower back.
TL;DR: reused 5qt jugs that you're not attached to FTW
Got one of these 40 years ago. Still works great.
https://www.amazon.com/Lumax-LX-170...XOOK/ref=dp_prsubs_1?pd_rd_i=B000MCXOOK&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Lumax-LX-170...XOOK/ref=dp_prsubs_1?pd_rd_i=B000MCXOOK&psc=1
I inherited one somehow, too. I definitely like the durability, and you can kinda tweak it straight if you manage to bend it. Also better for those inevitable jobs near hot works where you light a pan of brake cleaner on fire with errant sparks.....Been there done that.. Yes, yes, Agent Orange...we know...not sure if it was chlorinated or non-chlor that time but it was outside fortunately
That's my only real complaint about the one I have (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hopkins-Flo-Tool-42003MI-Drain-Container-16-Quart/44580714). Otherwise, the capacity is great, it pours into my larger 25L jerrycan, and can be stored standing upright even with oil in it. I had a smaller version which had an even shallower upper pan section that I returned/exchanged.
Everyone complains about the splash too. Some people wad up some paper towels to keep it from splashing while I saw a video from BigDog5001 where he lays a piece of material (I've seen it before but don't know what it's called) in the top that stops the splashing. Problem I see with it is removing it later when you need to pour out the jug. Seems to me it will still be oil-soaked enough that it may make a mess, albeit smaller mess.
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Here’s the setup I use. The container holds 12 qts. Minimum cleanup and mess.
I usually transfer used oil into a blue heavy duty HDPE 6 gallon jug marked "water". It's the same as cans for gas or diesel, but being a water jug, the recyclers don't have a problem with it. Our county has a program with all the auto parts places so they all have a tank in the back where they let you dump it yourself usually. All my oil pans and vacuum pumps have spouts that poor nicely into it.
SammyChevelleTypeS3
$50 site donor 2023
Had one. Worked great.
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