Buying bulk oil

[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.)
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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..