Buying bulk oil

[bdog]

Between all my trucks, tractors, equipment, etc I go through about 10-20 gallons of oil a month. I have just been buying gallon jugs where ever I find it the cheapest. Is this enough volume to justify buying in bulk? I imagine there are savings to be had if you buy a 55 gallon drum but I am wondering if the savings are enough to offset the hassle of handling the drum.

 

[Cpjlube]

The answer to your question is yes, in some cases you can save money buying in bulk. Depending in what brand and type of oil you require. In some cases the answer is definitely no. I can tell you that if you watch for sales and promotions you can buy bottled oil cheaper than bulk. Walmart can usually sell you oil in a bottle cheaper than I can buy it in a tanker. Especially in the 4 and 5 qt jugs. Bulk oil does reduce waste and allows you to use dispensing equipment which may save you time. And the local oil distributor for your brand will probably deliver. Give em a call see what the price is. Also check places like Costco or the Andersons They can source drums occasionally at a discount.

Chuck

 

[Dr Dave]

The only way I would go with bulk oil, is with an air opperated pump, hose reel and metered dispensing handle. Those metal cans, with flex spout leak and are expensive. Storing oil containers and funnels, makes a mess and atracts dirt.

The savings on bulk, is not that much to ofset the hassel. The pumps always leave 1 to 2 gallons in bottom of drum.

 

[DJ54]

You might check a Sam's Club if you have one near by. I can buy a 55 gal. drum of Shell Rotella 15-40 For $599.00 locally. That's $269.00 less than at my local O'Reilly's. Back in the mid 90's, I bought that same drum for $265.00.

We have cabinet at the farm to keep the spouted oil dispensing cans in. Alawys draped one of those red mechanics rags over the top. Seemed to keep them pretty clean. Now a days, I just use one of the 5 qt. jugs, and fill with a funnel. Jug stays clean inside, and inside a cabinet, the outside does too. Just wipe it down good, before putting away.

Anything left in the bottom was drained into a 2 gallon can, to fill the long spouted oil cans we have to oil cutter bars, etc.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Between all my trucks, tractors, equipment, etc I go through about 10-20 gallons of oil a month. I have just been buying gallon jugs where ever I find it the cheapest. Is this enough volume to justify buying in bulk? I imagine there are savings to be had if you buy a 55 gallon drum but I am wondering if the savings are enough to offset the hassle of handling the drum.

The answer is no. I dated a girl for a number of years who's father sells oil. He could never beat the WalMart price or auto parts stores when on sale.

For example, the last time I checked a 55 gallon drum of Rotella 15W40 was priced at about $675 or about $12.30 per gallon. I can buy it any day of the week for around $12 per gallon. I just bought 5 6 gallon cases of Valvoline Blue 15W40 for $8 per gallon at the Farm and Fleet store. Its not worth the hassle, you are just paying for convenience of having it delivered but then you have to pump it. To me its hard to beat 1 gallon jugs.

By the way I take care of about 75 engines. Most boats but some trucks, tractors, dozers, dump trucks, generators, ect. I use a lot of oil also doing about 125 oil changes a year. I do buy my filters online in bulk and average about $1.25 for oil filters and $6 for air filters, fuel filters, and hydraulic filters.

Chris

 

[schoolsout]

The answer is no. I dated a girl for a number of years who's father sells oil. He could never beat the WalMart price or auto parts stores when on sale.

For example, the last time I checked a 55 gallon drum of Rotella 15W40 was priced at about $675 or about $12.30 per gallon. I can buy it any day of the week for around $12 per gallon. I just bought 5 6 gallon cases of Valvoline Blue 15W40 for $8 per gallon at the Farm and Fleet store. Its not worth the hassle, you are just paying for convenience of having it delivered but then you have to pump it. To me its hard to beat 1 gallon jugs.

By the way I take care of about 75 engines. Most boats but some trucks, tractors, dozers, dump trucks, generators, ect. I use a lot of oil also doing about 125 oil changes a year. I do buy my filters online in bulk and average about $1.25 for oil filters and $6 for air filters, fuel filters, and hydraulic filters.

Chris

And you still have time to fly?

 

[Diamondpilot]

And you still have time to fly?

I have it down to a science. I could change oil in church clothes. I made tags for all the equipment I maintain that tells the oil type and quantity, the filter number, and wrench sizes.

June I worked 6 days and so far this month only 1. Life of a Corporate Pilot is pretty good until they want to go on a 7 day trip. This summer has been pretty slow, about 1/2 the flying as normal.

Last year I flew 385 hours. It averaged out to 12 days a month and 3 night per month in a hotel.

Chris

 

[mjonesnh]

Local Advance Auto Parts has sales on Rotella 10W30 or 15W40 about every month or two for 12.99 and occasionally 10.99. Bought 10 1 gallon jugs last time it was 10.99.

 

[2950johndeere]

some times you can get a better price if you buy so many cases through a dealer or a farm supply store thats how i get mine i buy 20 cases at a time and it saves about a dollar a gallon to do it that way just ask lots of them can get you set up to buy like this plus you dont have 55gal drums to mess with

 

[clemsonfor]

I only have dealt with a few loggers that use bulk oil in a big tank on a service truck. ALL others buy hydro oil in 5 gallon pails and oil in gallon jugs. Some buy whats on sale, some stick with thier "brand or choice" every time. But they add oil to most stuff and change oil once a month in each piece of equiptment in the field. As for what they do to big trucks at the shops, i dunno, im never there or asked. But in the woods its just oil from where ever they get parts. Few even source the cheapest place ie walmart or autozone or whatever. They buy it where they normally get parts and filters as there there and ususally have an account. Most times its in line with other places. The NAPA round here had their house brand onsale a month or so ago for $8-9/gallon i think one guy told me. 2 of the local loggers had it riding around in thier trucks for the next several weeks as they stocked up.

 

[Foxtrot08]

If you want Rotella?

Keep buying it at walmart on sale. But, be warned, about 5 years ago Shell changed the formula and cheapened it up. I know, I used to sell it. Rotella 'T3' triple protection is junk compared to other oils on the market. (Hey, they have to pay for the tens of millions they spend on advertising some how, don't they?)

A decent oil? Chevron Delo, Kendall DXA 15w40, Conoco EC 15w40 and even most house brands - get it in drums, if you use the volume. Most* distributors should give you a drum hand pump for free, if not a measured container as well. (I know we do.)

My trick is this: Once you empty out the 1 gallon containers of oil, keep them and refill them from your drum. Easy to carry around, no muss, no fuss.


If you do enough volume in a year to manage a tank? Then you really save money. If you go through 100+ gallons a month, most distributors will install a tank for free, along with a pump, air reels and an electronic meter handle.

 

[clemsonfor]

If you want Rotella?

Keep buying it at walmart on sale. But, be warned, about 5 years ago Shell changed the formula and cheapened it up. I know, I used to sell it. Rotella 'T3' triple protection is junk compared to other oils on the market. (Hey, they have to pay for the tens of millions they spend on advertising some how, don't they?)

A decent oil? Chevron Delo, Kendall DXA 15w40, Conoco EC 15w40 and even most house brands - get it in drums, if you use the volume. Most* distributors should give you a drum hand pump for free, if not a measured container as well. (I know we do.)
.

Really... I'd like to hear more about this. I use it as i thought it was a good oil. I have heard some say this is a cheap and non good oil. But your the first person with real knowledge of the oil sales that has said this.

 

[Foxtrot08]

We used to sell Shell up until about 2 years ago, when they came in and basically said they wanted 80% of all our gallons or they would cancel us, but since their quality going down hill, we actually canceled them.

Rotella has changed names / packages / additive packages probably about 4 times. Mostly recently, about 4-5 years ago they changed the formula again, this time - for the worse. It's sheer stability fell to ****, most commercial fleets stopped using it between the cost of it and the fact you really can't push it as hard as some other oils. A lot of commercial, OTR/Long haul fleets try to go 60K miles or more - basically, change oil in it 3 times a year. Rotella can't do that.

Rotella is truck stop oil, that quote 'owner operators' prefer? Yeah, because it's cheap and all over the place - anyone would prefer it then. As well, add on top of it the single largest marketing scheme for an oil - you're good. But now they need to advertise it. Do a side by side comparison vs. any of the above oils - or even Shells 'fleet' oil, Rimula - and it will be surprising.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Really... I'd like to hear more about this. I use it as i thought it was a good oil. I have heard some say this is a cheap and non good oil. But your the first person with real knowledge of the oil sales that has said this.

Rotella is the Fram of oil. Its not that is a bad product but there are much better products for about the same money or even a little less many times. I stopped using it 4 years ago or so and went with Delo, Delvac, Valvoline Blue, and Castrol.

That being said I have one customer that insist on it so I use it and never a problem.

Same with Fram, I use them a lot, maybe 75 per year. Never had a issue but I know there are better products out there. Its a price/availability/trust thing for me.

Chris

 

[spruce Deere]

The last bulk five gallons I bought was from my oil distributor. Think'n I was doing good buying delo 400 in bulk by having a 5 gal bucket refilled, I was wrong. The distributor is usually trying to push people to his main '76' brand, and not delo oil. Weather that influence his price or not, I do not know.

A few days after having my bucket filled with delo 400, I was at a local ranch supply store whom also carries same delo oil but not in bulk, their price on non-bulk oil in a brand new shiny bucket was 5 bucks less:grumpy:

A buck difference per gal, pays to shop around if buying in in 5 gallons or more.

 

[carmedic310]

I had my own auto repair shop for 18 years.Always shopping around for oil,It was cheaper buying in stores like walmart than buying bulk.Unless I entered into a contract with a lubricant company and let them install thir tanks and pumps.I priced 55 gallon drums and after the drum charge(as they want their drums back)there was no savings.I was very surprised I could buy oil from carquest by the case(quarts)cheaper than the oil suppliers.I ended up getting a membership at sams club thats where i got oil the cheapest

 

[WilliamBos]

So, is Rotella T6 the same fram grade?

 

[Soundguy]

if you have a fel.. buy oil in drums.. make a drum stand. you can use a rope or strap sling to load them out of your truck..or slide onto the bucket.

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. save drums, pails and gallon/5qt jugs. very usefull to have clean oil jugs.

 

[PoorMansCat]

somewhere, I have an article written about diesel engine oils, both synthetics and dino.... its very informative and pretty much unbiased... Im sure others have read it as well. I use Caterpillar oil in all my diesels, its Mobil Delvac with a slightly different additive package. I still have about 60 gallons of CI+ rated and have approx. 10 gal. of CJ rated. The CJ oil is getting a can of camshaft and lifter lube added.
Not sure about whats available near you, but around here, its hard to justify buying in 55 gallon drums... Between Sams, Costco, WalMart, autoparts stores, etc.. they can beat the local distributors. The distributors around here are geared toward catering to the oil and gas market and like to deal in large quantities and tend to treat 55 gallon drums like retail sales.
At our shop, we purchase bulk engine oil and store it in a 5K gallon tank, but we use it very fast..