Uses for old engine oil?

[Bennylava]

What do you do with your used motor oil? I wanted to get a small waste oil burner to heat the garage in the winter, but it seems those aren't common enough in texas to be cheap. I guess you'd have to route an exhaust too.

Have you ever found any other use for your used motor oil? Or do you just drop it all off at autozone? I'd really like to find some good use for it, rather than just giving away a free fuel. I paid for that oil dangit!

 

[GRN96WS6]

Take it to the dump and dump it in their tanks, I have no use for it once used.

 

[JuncleJohn]

Recycle at the parts store.

John

 

[Gmonkee]

Release oil for cement forms to the local builders. I buy nearly none but sell gallons from a friendly mechanic.

 

[Shiftless]

Some fellows paint it onto their wooden trailer decks for a messy but apparently very effective preservative.

 

[micromind]

It's pretty good for starting brush fires. A bit smoky but it works.

 

[Shiftless]

It's pretty good for starting brush fires. A bit smoky but it works.

Long ago I was visiting a relative who had recently moved onto a few acres out in the woods with his single wide. He had a circular clearing about 100 feet across, he had a big pile of branches and slash heaped up in the middle maybe 5-6 feet tall and at least 10 feet across. He wanted to burn it. He started with a gasoline can and walked around the edge sprinkling it on. I told him to go easy ‘cause it’s gonna basically explode by the time the vapors accumulate in the brush. He said don’t worry about it. He discounted my warning because I was just a city boy. I backed up a lot. He tossed in the match.
I was right. Impressive fireball. Luckily no trees caught fire.

DON’T USE GASOLINE TO START BRUSH FIRES

I think used motor oil would be Ok

 

[DGersic]

What do you do with your used motor oil?

I give it to a friend that has a waste oil heater. He burns it.

 

[Shiftless]

I give it to a friend that has a waste oil heater. He burns it.

A gallon of used motor oil contains about the same heat energy (BTU’s) as 1.5 gallons of propane.

 

[Sumboodie]

Free heat. Have probably 8000 gallons to burn.

 

[finn]

Drop it off at the local Redneck Diesel repair shop.

The good ole boys there heat the shop with a waste oil furnace.

 

[mervyn]

Burn brush. Smells like an old car with a worn out engine lol

 

[Mudhog03]

I burn it in my smudge pot heater to heat the shop, its works good, but I do have plenty of ventilation since I don't have the doors installed yet.

 

[cad70]

I roll or spray it on my cedar fence pickets. I wouldnt tell the neighbors, but it will make a deck or fence last much longer.

 

[Brandon_oma#692]

Stain for trailers, hayracks, and decks.

 

[PoorUB]

What do you do with your used motor oil? I wanted to get a small waste oil burner to heat the garage in the winter, but it seems those aren't common enough in texas to be cheap. I guess you'd have to route an exhaust too.

How many gallons of waste oil do you have? Keep in mind a gallon of waste oil might heat a 1,000 sqft shop for a 2-3 hours, depending on the weather, so 50-100 gallons will not go very far. Unless you can come up anally with a few hundred gallons I wouldn't bother with a waste oil heater.

I give mine away, it is the easiest answer.

 

[Paco Pena]

Bottom of fence posts.

Paco

 

[HoosierBuddy]

I recycle mine or use it to burn brush piles.

The waste oil heater idea isn't terrible, but the problem is where are you going to come up with enough oil to make it worth your time and trouble.

Motor oil is roughly 150,000 BTU's per gallon. If you could get a 80% efficient waste oil heater that gets you to 120,000 BTU's per gallon. Let's spec a decent size shop that needs 60,000 BTU's per hour are at 2 hours of heat per gallon. Figuring 25% burner on time for a cold month you'd be at say 90 gallons of oil per month conservatively. It could be a lot more.

Just for giggles...that works out to be equal to 135 therms of natural gas. Roughly $100 or a bit less in today's market.

 

[loganb]

O'Reilly's used oil tank for me....when it's not full

 

[lolaetype]

I take the used oil and filters back to where I bought them; Walmart.

 

[theoldwizard1]

What do you do with your used motor oil?

If you live on a dirt road, use it for dust control.

I wanted to get a small waste oil burner to heat the garage in the winter, ...

Unless you own a shop and are producing gallons per week you will run out quickly !

 

[oldmachinenut]

How many gallons of waste oil do you have? Keep in mind a gallon of waste oil might heat a 1,000 sqft shop for a 2-3 hours, depending on the weather, so 50-100 gallons will not go very far. Unless you can come up ANALLY with a few hundred gallons I wouldn't bother with a waste oil heater.

I give mine away, it is the easiest answer.

NOPE!

 

[SouthernIllinois]

A friend owns and runs a local auto shop.
He allows me to dump it in his waste oil tank.

 

[Just_Steve]

Put oil on dirt road to keep the dust down.