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Used motor Oil Storage-NEW GUY POST

npen72

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Joined
Feb 13, 2009
Messages
5
Currently I'm looking for a clean way to store used oil in my garage until I have time to take it to a recycler. Right now I have a few plastic containers that seem very messy and take up a lot of space. Any suggestions?
 
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Fedwrench

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Dec 9, 2007
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Valley of the sun
How much oil are we talking about? I would suggest a single larger container instead of multiple containers. Mao Mart sells a decent sized jug that holds about 2.5 gallons, is made of durable black plastic, and has a nice wide mouth lid. If that's not enough, try to find a 5 gallon bucket with a resealable lid. If that's still too small, I guess you would need to find an empty drum.
Welcome to the board:beer:
 

posaune

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Jul 2, 2007
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899
Location
Collinsville, Connecticut
Lowe's and HD sell resealable 5 gallon buckets. I had a hard time actually spending money on something to keep waste oil in, but it really makes things less messy and less of a pain. I just dump the pan into the bucket when the pan gets full. Eventually I'll take a few buckets to the recycler.
 

herb101

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Apr 3, 2005
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50
Location
San Antonio
Again with the 5 gal bucket here. Anything bigger becomes unwieldy and it gets hard to find a place to take it. If 5 gal is too small, stack another on top of it once full.

My wife does wedding cakes so I get the cast-off icing buckets with gasketed lids in the 3 and 5 gal sizes. The 3 gal is great for oil changes (most of my 'cars' are trucks).
 

KCarGuy

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Feb 5, 2009
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Location
50 miles outside Chicago, illinois
I have a large 2.5 gallon plastic container that has a 2" screw on cap. It originally held Kerosene in it, most Ace Hardwares carry them.
Perfect for draining Old Oil into and with its nice built in handle, makes it easy when I call my buddy, who works as an airline mechanic, to pick it up when it is full and empty it at work for me.
He brings it back, empty, and we start all over again.
Clean, simple and takes up very little space under a bench or tucked away inside a cabinet.
 
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npen72

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Joined
Feb 13, 2009
Messages
5
thanks for the input. Right now I have about 24 gallons I need to take. With two trucks, two race cars, my mom's car, my brothers jeep and lawn tractor. I tend to generate enough to make it a problem and a mess but not enough to buy a oil burner/ recycler. Again thanks
 

PAToyota

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Jan 20, 2006
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South Central Pennsylvania, USA
Cat litter jugs - wide mouth, handle built in about 2.5 to 3 gallons - so not too heavy, and can leave them at the drop-off point instead of waiting to get them back.

1188420220-95281_full.jpg
 

ahaidet

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Apr 25, 2008
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148
Location
Akron, Ohio
2nd the cat litter containers. But I use the tubs like this. They seal up ok not like the screw on lids but hold more and are easy to pour into.
tomatoes01.jpg
 

KCarGuy

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Feb 5, 2009
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50 miles outside Chicago, illinois
Were do you live? sounds like alot of oil changes...
I work for a Global company that sells Chemicals in different sized containers. One of which is a 15 gallon Plastic "Cube" with a built in handle on the top and a 3" screw on cap.
I may be able to get you one or direct you to a customer that uses them and can give you an empty container.
Full, they weigh around 150 lbs.
let me know.
 

Paladin

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Nov 8, 2008
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Southern Utah
I use an old plastic 5 gal Diesel Fuel can. Like said above, once you accumulate 5 gal or more, some places won't take it (like my local Checker).
 

dxdexter

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Aug 1, 2006
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1,923
I use two 5 gallon plastic NATO "jerry" cans. I got them from the army surplus store. They are good for 8 oil changes in my F-150, V8. They neatly fit under my bench and when I am done I take the waste oil to the local gas station, where they burn it for heat in a waste oil furnace.
 

rjstaaf

Active member
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Mar 28, 2005
Messages
27
Location
Upstate, SC
I have 2 of the typical black pans you use to drain oil into. I then transfer the oil to a 5 gallon gasoline container that I bought just for this purpose. It is easier to seal, takes up less space and is easier to transport when I take it to the auto parts store to dispose of the oil.
 

jeepkj02

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Feb 2, 2009
Messages
67
Location
Holland, MI
thanks for the input. Right now I have about 24 gallons I need to take. With two trucks, two race cars, my mom's car, my brothers jeep and lawn tractor. I tend to generate enough to make it a problem and a mess but not enough to buy a oil burner/ recycler. Again thanks


Another idea, if you live in a colder climate, you can use the used motor oil to heat your garage during the winter months.

Waste Oil Heaters at Northern Tools
 
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GDA

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Nov 19, 2006
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Dallas, Texas
For that much old stuff I'd just use a 2 gallon or 5 gallon plastic fuel gas can. Plus they have a big spout for emptying quickly at the recylcler station.

Just my .02
 

billymade

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Apr 2, 2008
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New Mexico
At my brothers shop; we are using 50 gallon drums, there is a local company that will come and **** out the used oil for free. You might contact your local oil supplier and see what services they provide; this is typically for their buying commercial customers accounts. They have to justify the added service vs. how much product you purchase from them or they may offer the service for a fee; being you are residential, this may pose a problem as well. Hell, if you are buying that much oil and doing this many oil changes; you probably would save money, buying from a commercial oil distributor and see what kind of oil disposal services they provide. They definitely offer these services; buying the oil is just one part of the process for a business, you have to dispose of it properly these day and they should have a total solution. The sticking point is the cost effective issue; the company that does our does it for free but this is in a industrial area with a bunch of shops lined up/down the street and the 50 gallon drums are outside easily accessible to the vendor. You might stop by your local service, gas station or independent service shop and see who they use; look up in the phone book under oil or petroleum products suppliers. Good luck and keep us posted on the solution that you end up using.
 
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npen72

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Feb 13, 2009
Messages
5
thanks for the responses. I have four large plastic containers right now. Its just messy area in my garage. I live in eastern PA. The nearests oil recycler is about 20 miles to me. So I wait until I get enought to make the trip worth it.
 

davestonner

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Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
17
I went to the local tractor dealership and asked for an empty 5 gallon hydraulic fluid bucket. It has a resealable lid, and a flexible pour spout in the lid with a screw-on cap. Makes it easy/clean to dump the contents.
 

crankshaftdan II

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Feb 25, 2009
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Milwaukee, burbs.
You could also check with your local gas station that has a car wash, they use chemicals that come in large 5-10 gallon plastic containers. These are usually disposable one way jugs and mostly are thrown out. Should be able to get for free!
 

MisterCMK

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Nov 29, 2007
Messages
170
Location
USA
I use 55 gallon drums and put them on a pallet. When I finish filling up the drum I am on now my buddy will come pick them up and take them back to the farm and heat the shop with the used oil.
 

MarkH

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Dec 19, 2005
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Location
Kansas
The farm is lucky, they deliver it in 55 gal drums and pick them up with the old oil in them.
 

danc333

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May 18, 2008
Messages
191
Location
Southern New Jersey
I bought a 7 gallon water jug that is used for camping. I labeled it USED OIL. It has a big hole to pour oil in from my drain pan. I t has worked out very well for me. I take it to the recycle center twice a year.
 

skeletonizer

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Sep 25, 2008
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1,320
Location
Michigan
Anyone have/had a waste oil burner used to heat a shop? I'm wondering how much oil a small one that would heat a 20x20 shop would burn.

I have never seen a small one, they are all pretty high BTU ratings that I know of.

An excavator I know (in MI) heats his 60x80 shop to 70f with one. Three trucks, a dozer, an excavator, and a small hoe keep it well fed. It's like free heat.
 

Danglerb

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Sep 6, 2007
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SoCal
I bought a bunch of the black plastic mixing trays used for cement etc. I fill old gallon milk jugs with the used oil or whatever, accumulate a few on a shelf sitting in the mixing tray in case of spill or leak, then put another tray in the back of my car and take the jugs to hazmat. Drop off for 5 gallons or so is free for non commercial users, but they keep the containers.

Locally those nice 5 gallon containers are sold, never free, unless maybe you work there.
 

yellowbox

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Dec 9, 2008
Messages
4,683
Cat litter jugs - wide mouth, handle built in about 2.5 to 3 gallons - so not too heavy, and can leave them at the drop-off point instead of waiting to get them back.

1188420220-95281_full.jpg

yes they work great for me too and i dont want or need them back....
in the old days we used to start campfires with used oil and they used to spray the dirt roads with used oil .....ah the good ol days
 

Merkava_4

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Dec 26, 2007
Messages
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Clovis, CA.
I use a 5 gallon bucket and the matching lid for it from the paint department; then I just store it in there until I feel like making the trip to Wal-Mart's recycle tank. :thumbup:
 
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