Hiow do you change oil and hydraulic fluid without a mess?

[Soundguy]

A 60g lawn leaf bag makes a huge drop cloth, then just turn it inside out along with things like the filter box, disposable gloves, wrag, etc, and toss.

The leaf bags are usually the largest volume, and cheaper than the extra thick contractor bags.

Get em for pennies a use, think of it as a roll of drop cloths

 

[oosik]

AWW - Billrog, dropping the drain plug "in the soup" is half the fun - NOT. The first year when I did the 50 hour service - I was so pleased with myself for not dropping either of the two engine oil drain plugs into the container of four gallons of motor oil. Then I turned right around and dropped the hydraulic oil drain plug into the tub which eventually contained 15 gallons of hydraulic oil.

 

[sixdogs]

I like to stick a permanent magnet on my wrench to keep the oil plug form ending up in the drain pail like often happened in the past. This wouldn't work to well with plastic. The plastic drain plugs on my RV work well but get rounded off if snugged to tight so Chanel locks come into play.

That's a great idea to put a magnet on a wrench.

 

[arizona98tj]

Any time I come across a big carboard box, I cut the tape seams (for easy flat storage) and put it aside for use during fluid change projects. On the hydrostatic tractor, I use a large plastic storage bin to catch the used fluid.

 

[TomSeller]

The filter, always the filter. That's where I seem to spill the most. I either spill it directly or onto the side of the engine and it drips down later. Only one vehicle has the filter vertical towards the bottom of the engine.