Storing motor oil, how long should it last?

[CharBaby]

Right now, I have 9 OCIs worth of oil with filters. Most I bought at a decent discount/close out.
And others I just paid le$$ than full price which is to say, Mmmm, not bad.
This is ~ 2 yrs worth for all the cars listed in my sig.

 

[HiPowerShooter]

Ric Ocasek approves

That's funny!

 

[ollie]

I personally would not trust oil over 5 years old. Plenty of oil analysis reports out there that show significant deterioration of oil past its shelf life. What I don't understand is why anyone would store oil for that long? In my lifetime I have never seen an oil shortage. Motor oil is always readily available. I have 5 vehicles that take 4 different oils and I never have an issue finding the proper grade and quantity.

It's also fair to mention that almost all oil manufactures recommend 5 year or less max shelf life on their products. Motul is 2 year max.

I saw a post recently of a member who purchased almost 60 bottles of oil just to take advantage of a pricing error. It makes no sense. I keep maybe 1 extra service and a few bottles with me in my motorcycle crate when going off road.

 

[SteveG4]

To each his own. I'm okay with using oil that's 5 to 7-years old in originally sealed containers. Shake it well and use.