My friend bought a 55 gallon drum of 5w30

[JustinH]

My friend in New York runs a very little shop.

They buy a 55 gallon drum, and they save the waste oil to burn to heat the shop during winter.

Waste oil heaters are a big thing.

 

[krismoriah72]

Originally Posted By: Doog
Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
Here is my crazy math. (you didnt mention if your price was before tax, which i assume..so we will keep tax out of it)


55 gallon drum- $9/gal (11.25 for 5 quarts) + $4.50 for oil filter = $15.75 per oil change.

Walmart Supertech - $11.44 for 5 quarts + $4.50 for oil filter = $15.94 per oil change.


I am assuming that you dont have a barrel pump..those are about $30 give or take.. so by my math you are about dead even with a Supertech oil change at this point.


Also factor in that you will spill or lose a gallon with that pump, and that there will be a few gallons after the pump will no longer pump that you will have to somehow wrestle out of the barrel.



$370/55=$6.73/gallon =$1.68/quart x5 =$8.40 for a 5 quart oil change....or am I missing something?


Original posters quote " I found some Kendall 5w 30 syn blend with titanium for 499.00 bucks for 55 gallons which works out to 9 bucks a gallon plus a few pennies."

 

[roadrunner1]

I one has multiple engines using the same oil, then yes its worth it to buy by the drum. We have been buying motor oil by the drum since before I was born. You don't need a pump to get the oil out of the drum, we have cradles that the drums lay horizontal on with a spigot in the drum.

As far as waste oil, there are a couple of options, one being to buy a waste oil furnace, two is to call a recycle company (what I do), they come and pump it onto their truck, give me the gallons that they received, then write me a check. The last load was $.85 per gallon. I store it in an old fuel oil tank I have on site with a 2'x3' opening in the top with a rack to let all of the filters drain out completely.

As has been stated, you have to be using enough oil to justify the means.

 

[Eddie]

The problem for a home owner is that additives settle out over time. If you can't use it all within a year or so, there may be a real problem. Ed

 

[Run]

Originally Posted By: Eddie
The problem for a home owner is that additives settle out over time. If you can't use it all within a year or so, there may be a real problem. Ed

I agree. Unless you have some way to stir the contents of the drum. Maybe a mud mixer like this? http://www.amazon.com/Goldblatt-G15303-3...e=UTF8&s=hi The trouble is finding one to fit in the small hole.

 

[supton]

I thought additives didn't settle out?

Never thought about insurance issues. I guess I find that an odd issue, since in my basement I set up my desk and computer right in front of... a 250 gallon oil tank. Mind you, home heating oil is essentially diesel and easier to burn than motor oil.

Furnace is but 4 feet in the other direction too.

I suppose though that the tank is vented outdoors. It could not possibly build up pressure in case of a fire.

Is the issue with quantity, venting, or __?

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: supton
I thought additives didn't settle out?



A few years ago, I drained the tranny oil in my '71 Cougar. It takes type "F". (Yea, I know type F and engine oil are a lot different, but bare with me..)
I think I put in about 4 quarts of WM type "F" from a blue bottle, and the rest of the oil was Pennzoil type "F". After I put in one quart of Pennzoil, that had a see-through window on the container, I could see a bunch of additives still in the bottom of the quart containers. I then held the WM dark containers up to a light and I then saw the same thing in the WM container. I put some oil in each container and gave it a good shake and all the additives loosened up and got poured into the transmission.
Since then, I've always shook up any quart container that I've poured oil from. YMMV.