Used oil.... Any good uses?

[BigJohn]

With several autos and motorcycles and small engines, I tend to collect a lot of used motor oil. After it drains into the collection pan, I pour the used oil back in the newly emptied jugs. I just wonder if there are any good uses for the used oil?????

Chainsaw bar oil comes to mind, but I use very little of that every year.

Recycling is very difficult here. Most stores have a maximum turn in of 2 gallons. Then there is the fact that I live out in the country and I just don't go to town that often.

Anyone have any great ideas for using your used motor oil and gear oil?

 

[BrendanC]

With several autos and motorcycles and small engines, I tend to collect a lot of used motor oil. After it drains into the collection pan, I pour the used oil back in the newly emptied jugs. I just wonder if there are any good uses for the used oil?????

Chainsaw bar oil comes to mind, but I use very little of that every year.

Recycling is very difficult here. Most stores have a maximum turn in of 2 gallons. Then there is the fact that I live out in the country and I just don't go to town that often.

Anyone have any great ideas for using your used motor oil and gear oil?

used oil heater comes to mind

 

[WobblyElvis]

I keep a jug of used, clean [filtered] oil just in case I run into some strange circumstance where I have run out of oil. Remember this oil is still good, it's just "used". I did a piston soak with Barrymans B12 recently. When doing this, carbon and some of the Barrymans gets into the oil. After the piston soak I ran the engine for a few minutes, drained the oil and refilled with the used oil. I then drove the car for for a day and changed to new oil and filter. I did this as a sort of flush to get rid of any residual chemicals and debris.

Secondly, used oil can be used to protect wood from the elements. I've seen it used to protect the wooden bed of a utility trailer. Supposedly farmers do this. I have a small aluminum boat with a section of the transom made of wood where the outboard motor mounts. I might "paint" this wood with some used oil to help protect it from the elements.

 

[PandaBear]

You likely can't find enough ways to use up all the ones you generated. This is how plastic ended up in landfills instead of 100% recycled. If they are rerefined that's likely the best case scenario but usually it is cheaper to just burn it in a heater or large marine engine as fuel blend.

 

[53' Stude]

I just take mine to work. We have 2 1,500 gallon underground waste oil tanks. Safety Kleen empties them every Thursday

 

[wag123]

used oil can be used to protect wood from the elements

^^ This. Works great.

 

[Skippy722]

We use it to start fires, obviously don’t use a whole jug HPL is a little bit harder to light than Pennzoil though

Works okay’ish as bar lube, but it SLINGS like crazy and I swear the chain stays sharper longer using actual bar lube.

 

[Wolfshead]

Tree Stumps ? Askin' for a friend.

 

[D60]

With several autos and motorcycles and small engines, I tend to collect a lot of used motor oil. After it drains into the collection pan, I pour the used oil back in the newly emptied jugs. I just wonder if there are any good uses for the used oil?????

Chainsaw bar oil comes to mind, but I use very little of that every year.

Recycling is very difficult here. Most stores have a maximum turn in of 2 gallons. Then there is the fact that I live out in the country and I just don't go to town that often.

Anyone have any great ideas for using your used motor oil and gear oil?

You're in CO, are you not? What stores are only taking 2 gallons? Autozone & O'Reilly here have a 5 gal limit per day per person per location. But the north O'Reilly for me couldn't care less and doesn't even watch me pour. TSC takes it, too.

On FB MP there's a guy who says he wants it for heating, but meeting with him is a hassle. But the point is I bet SOMEONE in your area heats with it.

But yeah, I'm not aware of great uses other than heat or applying to a wood trailer deck.

 

[gfh77665]

I drop mine off at WalMart auto.

 

[Donald]

With several autos and motorcycles and small engines, I tend to collect a lot of used motor oil. After it drains into the collection pan, I pour the used oil back in the newly emptied jugs. I just wonder if there are any good uses for the used oil?????

Chainsaw bar oil comes to mind, but I use very little of that every year.

Recycling is very difficult here. Most stores have a maximum turn in of 2 gallons. Then there is the fact that I live out in the country and I just don't go to town that often.

Anyone have any great ideas for using your used motor oil and gear oil?

For chainsaw oil you want oil with a tackifier so it sticks on the chain and is not "flinged" off.

Used motor oil can be burned in a used oil heater that some garages have or recycled

Avoid using it as an rust preventative on chassis of car. It will eventually be washed off the car and end up in storm sewer.

 

[Donald]

Our county has in the recycling section of the transfer station some big containers for used motor oil and another for used oil filters.

 

[oil pan 4]

I have 4 grades of oil.
1, top grade, New fresh oil, self explanatory.
2, reclaimed oil, oil that's been cleanly collected from my vehicles, old new motor oil. I save it for use in neglected lawnmowers I fix and as break-in oil for new engines. I only use break-in oil for 20 minutes to an hour, so might as well.
Also use it as oil change flush oil for neglected engines, I'm only going to run it for 5 to 15 minutes so might as well.
3 reclaimed oil for chainsaws. Grade 2 but with some clean gear oil and/or clean transmission fluid. Old but new questionable transmission fluid and gear oil end up here too.
4 combustion grade. The stuff that comes out of lawn mowers, differentials, oil from engines that don't have an oil filter, suspect contained oil, transmission fluid that got outside dirt in it, unfiltered transmission fluid, ect.

 

[oil pan 4]

We use it to start fires, obviously don’t use a whole jug HPL is a little bit harder to light than Pennzoil though

Works okay’ish as bar lube, but it SLINGS like crazy and I swear the chain stays sharper longer using actual bar lube.

Yeah because 20 and 30wt oils pump through your saw faster than stupid thick saw oil and clean away dirt from the chain.
Only draw back is it pumps faster, have to refill your oil tank more often.

 

[cptbarkey]

50% diesel, 50% WMO, Mellif sprayer. Saved a boatload over retail.

 

[BobsArmory]

Not to long in the past people would mix it with Diesel and spray it on their driveway to keep the dust down. Some frown on that practice these days.

 

[nomas]

I used to work with this old guy that would take used oil home from work to spray on his dirt road driveway .

 

[D60]

I drop mine off at WalMart auto.

How does that work anyway? Do you have to go inside to the auto counter? Or do you pull into the lines for the bays? I avoid the tire center because it looks like a hassle no matter what, but I may be overthinking it.

Also, sometimes equipment rental places will take it for free.

 

[gfh77665]

I pull up near the auto entrance and set the jug(s) down next to their outdoor collection tank, and gesture to the techs in the bays. They usually just wave or say OK. I drive away.