best small/portable oil drain pan?

[cheechi]

I usually change the oil for all my vehicles in the back yard as well as the lawnmower and neighbour's tractor. I have a drain pan like this one (or it might even be that one) that has a plastic 'grate' on the top hole for putting oil filters and oil coated parts on top.

Is there a better, maybe even 'pro' portable one that I could close up, take to the parts store to dump, or close it up and keep some used oil on hand for misc tasks. Really it doesn't have to be anything special, or super overbuilt made of stainless and diamonds, or any of that. Just better than an open 'bowl' style pan.

Thanks all.

 

[bareass172]

I have this style:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AMGYNA/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I don't know if it's any better than what you have though. I actually stopped using it recently because I like this design better:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KFX4NM/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I change oil on a lot of motorcycles, the big rectangular pan allows me to catch the drain plug and oil filter at the same time. On some bikes with sumps you have multiple drain plugs, so this allows me to get them all at the same time.
It works for me, but I guess it might depend on your specific needs. I just dump the old oil into the new oil bottles, cap them and throw them in a bag to run up to the recycle place.

 

[Squankum]

Been using these for 15+ years now. Mine was some brand that I don't think makes it anymore; Wal Mart now sells these for a fair price.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HXD82S/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Many oil changes can fit in before trip to the store.

Amazon commenter bellyaches about splitting cap on spout. Very likely you can find a replacement cap. On mine, screw on cap from soda bottle works.

 

[snippits]

I use the Lisle 17942 Black Plastic 4.5-Gallon Drain Pan for all my cars and mowers and whatever else. Pick up a cheap 3 gallon Hopkins or Rhino Gear 11849(they are the same) from Walmart.

Once most of the oil is poured out, just stand the Lisle vertically, and let the drain end hook inside of the recycle jug. The Lisle is heavy duty for sure, and it is very easy to pour by yourself into one of the recycle jugs. The 11849 is wide bottom and has a large mouth.

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

For small mowers ONLY, it obviously won't work on anything that holds much more oil that that, I finally made one that I liked:
It is simply a 1-quart rectangular oil bottle with on flat side skinned off. Drain into it, and it is also low enough that you can put the mower on its wheels and leave it under there for a nice drip.
Slide it out, and remove the lid from the spout for an easy pour and drip down into whatever container you use. Cheap, too!

 

[Squankum]

P.S. Once you get used to a good pan that is also a container, you have no patience for draining into an open pan, then pouring that pan into some other container you take to the recycle place.

They have a little lip to stand your oil filter up on. For a drain plug, you can just slide it up to the perimeter of the slope and it will stay there.

The little air vent cap is a nice feature, and actually helps. And, surprisingly, at least on my old ones, seals just fine even though my pan is stored on edge with oil in it between oil changes.

 

[skruft]

I have tried many kinds and have for years used one that is large, round, open on top and has the pour spout. It would probably hold 15 quarts. The kind that was closed on top and had a small drain was too messy.

I have cars on which it is impossible to remove the oil filter without spilling some oil. A good thing about the pan I have is that it is large enough to catch that oil, as well as the drainage from the plug some distance away.

There are probably better ones now. But the only thing I would like that mine does not have is a place to put the filter.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

I use this one. I got it off the snap on truck years ago, but I know its not snap on. It was like $20 or so.

 

[kams1973]

I've used one like this on for 10yrs now.

http://www.oilfiltersonline.com/15-Quart-Oil-Drain-Pan-Recycling-Container

 

[michael murder]

I like these.

 

[WVUTampaAlum]

Been using these for 15+ years now. Mine was some brand that I don't think makes it anymore; Wal Mart now sells these for a fair price.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HXD82S/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Many oil changes can fit in before trip to the store.

Amazon commenter bellyaches about splitting cap on spout. Very likely you can find a replacement cap. On mine, screw on cap from soda bottle works.

+1 for the blitz. Been using mine for 10 years. Purchased from WM.

 

[cheechi]

OK

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I got a little distracted last night and left out the important part and the reason I made the original post. That plastic grate on the top part keeps falling through the hole. annoying as hell.

I do kind of like that square one. I had taken a look at what amazon has available, but wanted a little more hands on info.

 

[LEVE]

Here's what I use:



It's the best oil drain pan I've ever used. No muss, no fuss, no mess and stores easily.

 

[Westly]

Very likely you can find a replacement cap. On mine, screw on cap from soda bottle works.

On mine a plastic milk carton top would fit. I thought what a brilliant guy designed that using the size of the easiest to get replacement in the world..

 

[Haveblue]

On mine a plastic milk carton top would fit. I thought what a brilliant guy designed that using the size of the easiest to get replacement in the world..

On some of them the cap from a gallon jug of anti-freeze screws right on, and is better than the original one!

 

[theoldwizard1]

TIP : Use some JB Weld and glue 4 steel washers on the bottom. I have worn out a couple of pans by just sliding them across the concrete driveway.

 

[kams1973]

TIP : Use some JB Weld and glue 4 steel washers on the bottom. I have worn out a couple of pans by just sliding them across the concrete driveway.

Thanks for that tip.

 

[gm54210]

The pan bareass linked to is $6.29 at Sears and Kmart at the moment. It may be for 12, but I suspect that is a mistake. Either way a decent price.

Slickdeals reference YMMV

Sears Link

 

[inzanoqiaw]

The Lisle is heavy duty for sure, and it is very easy to pour by yourself into one of the recycle jugs.

 

[BFHtime]

TIP : Use some JB Weld and glue 4 steel washers on the bottom. I have worn out a couple of pans by just sliding them across the concrete driveway.

This is a great idea. There should be a great idea thread. Maybe this could start it.

 

[pfhWJ]

I use this one. I got it off the snap on truck years ago, but I know its not snap on. It was like $20 or so.

I second this pan, bought mine at Napa i think works well.

 

[ex-x-fire]

TIP : Use some JB Weld and glue 4 steel washers on the bottom. I have worn out a couple of pans by just sliding them across the concrete driveway.

Or you could weld up a little frame with wheels that it can sit on.

 

[bareass172]

This is a great idea. There should be a great idea thread. Maybe this could start it.

+1

 

[Shadowdog500]

I've tried those type of bottle pans and never found one I liked or trusted not spilling oil.


I have a regular pan like this one

After the oil change I put the used old oil in the 5 Qt bottles that the new oil came in. I do the transfer over cardboard, so I don't make a mess.

Since I got a lift and a 20gal oil pan on wheels, that is just a bad memory. Now I dump my oil once or twice a year into 6 gallon jugs.

Chris

 

[CJM8515]

I have no idea where I got it, but after cursing those sealed pans (they make a mess b/c the oil lays on top of it till it drains into the hole) I found an old plastic tub. The kind you used to wash dishes or something 20 years ago. It holds something like 8qts. I also use an old enameled round pan I found at grandmas like 15 years ago she was going to toss it.

 

[unslow1]

This is the one I've been using the last couple of years.

http://www.harborfreight.com/waste-oil-storage-container-97608.html

 

[kams1973]

This is a great idea. There should be a great idea thread. Maybe this could start it.

Check out the tips and tricks thread in the garage forum.

 

[Squankum]

I have no idea where I got it, but after cursing those sealed pans (they make a mess b/c the oil lays on top of it till it drains into the hole).

I... er... let it drain into the hole? I just put it aside and let it have a day. Then I try to push the last little bits hanging around the hole with a scrap of cardboard from the box the oil filter came in.

After that, put cap in, stand up on edge, and there's a lip a the bottom. I roll up a square of paper towel up like a cigar and put it in the lip, it catches the last few dribbles over the next week.

After that, you can spray it with Super Clean or somesuch if you want to, I bet some folks could leave it the way it is, all it's going to do is collect dust more easily.

I don't find it that messy. This doesn't bother me, but pouring back into some other jug does. To each his own!

 

[CJM8515]

I don't bother cleaning it and I pour the used oil into the new jug once it's empty.